Spotted
lanternfly a new invasive concern: A new invasive pest of small fruit crops and
vineyards moved into eastern Pennsylvania in 2014, and has
been spreading. In 2017, the range increased from 6 to
13 Pennsylvania counties, and also into Delaware, New York and
northern Virginia. Specimens of dead
adults and egg
masses were found in January 2018 (actually 2017
individuals). This pest poses an important risk for
grape, orchard and tree crops. Click here for an Adobe
Presenter talk on this species. A fact
sheet is available from Virginia Tech (a
USDA fact sheet is available in Spanish). In
addition, there is a Virginia Tech Pest Alert, with
additional information on recognition and reporting (this is
also available in Spanish).
Now that spotted lanternfly has been found in Virginia,it will be important to follow its spread
through the state. To report a suspected find,
please follow this link: https://ext.vt.edu/spotted-lanternfly.
Honey bees
have been at greater risk in recent years because of
Colony Collapse Disorder, which results from a
combination of stress factors. In order to
address this, the Virginia Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services has created a draft plan to
protect pollinators from pesticides has been
developed. In preparation for a June meeting
in Richmond, grower, extension agent and beekeeper
feedback is requested. The draft
plan is linked here. A web application
is mentioned in the text; this DriftWatch site is
available here. Please send your
thoughts on this proposed program to Doug
Pfeiffer (dgpfeiff at vt.edu) by June
12. Any comments are appreciated!
Spotted wing drosophila:
A new invasive pest of small fruit crops and vineyards moved
through Virginia in late summer 2011. Spotted wing
drosophila, Drosophila
suzukii, differs from other species of vinegar or
pomace flies in that it lays eggs in ripening fruit on the
vine or plant, rather than in overripe or rotting fruit
material. This has the potential to be a major problem
for growers of soft-fruited crops. More information is
posted in a SWD
page in the Virginia Fruit web site. Hear an Adobe
Presenter presentation
on spotted wing drosophila in vineyard and berry
crops. In May 2013, 24(c) labels were approved for
malathion 8F for blueberries and caneberries grown in
Virginia. Blueberry:
Allowing up to 2.5 pts/acre for spotted wing
drosophila. Maximum number of applications is 2,
with a minimum of 5 days between applications. Do not
exceed a total maximum from all sources of malathion of 5 lb
ai/acre/year. Do not apply within 1 day of
harvest. Caneberries: Allowing an additional application for spotted wing
drosophila. The maximum application rate is 2.0
pts/acre; the maximum number of applications per year is 4,
and the minimum retreatment interval is 7 days. Do not
exceed a total maximum use rate of all sources of malathion of
8 lb ai/acre/year. Do not apply within 1 day of harvest.
New insecticide mode of action for spotted wing
drosophila: A new insecticide has been approved by EPA,
and received a state label in Virginia on 14, 2014.
Exirel has the common name cyantraniliprole, also known as
cyazypyr. This product is approved for bushberries,
including blueberries, and stone fruits, including sweet and
sour cherries. The use rate for this pest on each of
these crops is 13.5-20.5 fl oz per acre, with a 3 d PHI.
It is not approved for caneberries or grape.
2018 Revisions to Pest
Management Guide for Commercial Small Fruits:
The revised Pest Management Guide for
Commercial Small Fruits now available. (The Pest Management Guide is available
on-line for free. Hard
copies are also available for $14.00 plus shipping. Visit https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/pmgstore.html)).
2018 Revisions to
Home Fruit Spray Guide:
The revised Pest Management Guide for Home
Small Fruits is now available. (The Pest Management Guide is available
on-line for free. Hard
copies are also available for $15.00 plus shipping.
Visit https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/pmgstore.html). Brown marmorated stink bug and Virginia fruit: See
StopBMSB.org web site! A new addition to the stink
bug complex is brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål). Brown
marmorated stink bug (BMSB) has recently been introduced from
Asia into the northeastern U.S. It was first detected in
1998 in Allentown, Pennsylvania (see NAPIS map;
this map underrepresents the situation in Virginia). It was later found in New
Jersey, Maryland and Delaware, and in October 2004 it was
found in Montgomery County, Virginia, and in Tennessee in
2008. Injury in tree fruits
can be severe, exceeding 25% (individual blocks have been
estimated to have much higher levels of fruit injury).
Externally, fruit may have multiple reddish dents at feeding
sites, resembling hail strikes. Upon cutting into fruit,
corky areas are seen in the flesh of the fruit. In vineyards, a unique problem is posed.
Stink bugs may be harvested along with clusters and be
transported to the winery in lugs or bins, where the wine can
be imparted with a "stink bug taint". Research is
underway to test short-residual insecticides to knock down
BMSB from clusters at harvest. For further information and images, see the Brown marmorated
stink bug page. A working group on organic management of
BMSB has been established, with their own web site.
There is opportunity to participate in grower forums. Listen to Adobe Presenter
presentation on BMSB in vineyards and caneberries (14
min.).
New
edition!Mid-Atlantic
Berry
Guide -
Produced by Penn State, Rutgers Univ., Univ. Delaware, West
Virginia Univ., Univ. Maryland and Virginia Tech. Order
through Penn State for $20.00.
Upcoming
Meetings:
Pesticides
and Pests:
Horticultural
Topics:
Shift-trellises for Brambles: The
late Dr. Herb Stiles published two experiment station bulletins on
trellising systems for brambles (Va. Agric. Exp. Stn Bull. 95-2
and 99-1). Abstracts are available here for publications on Shift
trellis and Limited
Arm Rotation Shift Trellis systems. For the entire
publications, go the the Horticultural Topic sections.
Miscellaneous
Topics:
New name for NABGA: The North American
Bramble Growers has changed its name! It is now the North American
Raspberry and Blackberry Association, NARBA. There is new contact information as
well. The new e-mail is info@raspberryblackberry.com, and
the new phone is 919-542-4037.
New! The College of Agriculture and Life
Science at Virginia Tech has established a new on-line Master's in
Agriculture and Life Sciences. This curriculum
has been approved by the State Council of Higher Education and is
now accepting applications for Fall semester 2007. In this
program, you can earn a master's degree in agriculture while
working in your current job - emphasis is on education for
place-bound learners, and all courses are taken on-line. In
addition to a core area, there are courses offered in five areas
of concentration: (1) Biosecurity, Bioregulations and Public
Health, (2) Education, (3) Environmental Science, (4) Food Safety,
and (5) Plant Science and Pest Management. In addition to
course work, the student completes a
project decided upon in consultation with your major
advisor. Lists
of
courses within each concentration may be found in the web
site linked above. This program was recently the subject of
an interview by Jeff
Ishee with Virginia Public Televsion's Virginia Farming. For
more information, contact Doug Pfeiffer (dgpfeiff at vt.edu) or Sharon Proffitt (sproffit at vt.edu) (see 2008-2009 Extended Campus tuition
rates).
Virginia Berry Conference: The 6th
Annual Virginia Berry Production and Marketing Conference was held
on the Virginia State University campus on March 14, 2013.
See the program
linked archived here.
