Enhancing Sustainability of Small Fruit Production in the Pacific Northwest Through Educating Producers on Consensus-derived Scouting and Decision-making Parameters

Enhancing Sustainability of Small Fruit Production in the Pacific Northwest Through Educating Producers on Consensus-derived Scouting and Decision-making Parameters

Summary

Small fruits are a high value commodity in Oregon and Washington with a production value of $160 million. Our project would create a Scouting Toolbox for small fruits that would include consensus-derived decision-making parameters to guide and reduce risk. The toolbox will be widely disseminated to producers through the region’s commodity commissions and at various educational events. The short-term outcome is the adoption of consensus-based IPM scouting and decision-making thresholds by 20 percent of the acreage of small fruits in Oregon and Washington. Long-term impact would be a majority of small fruits producers using IPM-based decision thresholds.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Create a draft document: (Year 1 – 2007)
Collecting and organizing the current usage/research/knowledge concerning scouting and decision-making into a draft document that will set the baseline for the workshop and stimulate further elaboration and discussion. It will also highlight the gaps and weak areas in our knowledge base.

Conduct consensus workshop: (Year 2 – 2008)
Gathering a wide range of approximately 60 producers, researchers, and industry professionals, including the producers and cooperators identified in proposal sections F & G, in a total of two (caneberries, blueberries) one to two-day facilitated discussions of scouting and decision-making parameters will ensure that those closest to the subject (producers) are heard and that their concerns, opinions, and suggestions are incorporated into the project results. The inclusion of researchers and industry professional will add to and balance the workshop discussions. This approach will produce a Scouting Toolbox centered on practicality as well as science.

Accomplishments/Milestones

Accomplishments – Create a draft document: (Year 1 – 2007)

Completed literature review. To date created individual profiles sheets for insects and diseases, including for each: a crop stage calendar corresponding to scouting activity, reasons for concern, identification, life cycle, scouting/monitoring protocols, and the threshold for making a control decision. In caneberries – 37 profile sheets have been developed for raspberries and 35 profile sheets have been developed for blackberries. In blueberries 27 profile pages have been developed.

Raspberries:
Anthracnose, Aphids, Armillaria Root Rot, Armyworms & Cutworms, Bacterial Blight (Pseudomous), Black Vine Weevil, Cane Blight, Cane Botrytis, Clay Colored Weevil, Crown Gall, Downy Mildew, Earwigs, Fruit Rot, Obliquebanded Leafrollers, Obscure Weevil, Orange Tortrix Leafrollers, Powdery Mildew, Raspberry Beetle, Raspberry Bushy Dwarf Virus, Raspberry Crown Borer, Raspberry Leaf Spot, Raspberry Ringspot Virus, Root Rot, Rough Strawberry Weevil, Sawfly, Slugs, Snowy Tree Cricket, Spur Blight, Stinkbugs, Strawberry Root Weevil, Strawberry Crown Moth, Thrips, Two-spotted Spider Mites, Verticillium Wilt, Voles, Yellow Rust, and Yellow Spider Mites,.

Blackberries:
Anthracnose, Armillaria Root Rot, Armyworms & Cutworms, Black Vine Weevil, Blackberry Rust (Phragmidium Rust), Cane and Leaf Spot, Cane Blight, Cane Botrytis, Crown Gall, Downy Mildew, Dry Cell, Dryberry Mites, Earwigs, Fruit Rot, Obliquebanded Leafrollers, Obscure Weevil, Orange Rust, Orange Tortrix Leafrollers, Powdery Mildew, Purple Blotch, Raspberry Bushy Dwarf Virus, Raspberry Crown Borer, Redberry Mites, Root Rot, Rough Strawberry Weevil, Slugs, Spur Blight, Stamen Blight, Stinkbugs, Strawberry Crown Moth, Strawberry Root Weevil, Thrips, Two-spotted Spider Mites, Verticillium Wilt, and Voles.

Blueberries:
Alternaria, Anthracnose, Aphids, Azalea Bark Scale, Birds, Blueberry Gall Midge, Blueberry Fruit Drop, Botrytis (Blossom Blight and Fruit Rot), Caterpillars, Cherry Fruitworm, Crown Gall, Garden Symphlan, Godronia Canker, Leafrollers, Lecanium Scale, Mummyberry, Phomopis Twig Blight, Phytophthora, Root Weevils, Sawflies, Scorch, Shock, Slugs, Viruses, Voles, and Winter Moth.

The draft document is virtually complete, except for getting all of the cooperator responses received and incorporated. These are happening rapidly now, as the growers schedules allow attention during this segment of the year.

Left to do – Create a draft document for the consensus workshop: (Year 1 – 2007)

The integration of the reviewer’s comments and suggestions before the consensus workshop will be done in the next month in time for the consensus workshop.

Accomplishments – Conduct consensus workshop: (Year 2 – 2008)

The venue and meals for the consensus workshop, to be held Feb 4-8, 2008, has been contracted for. Invitations have been sent to 50 regional experts and industry leaders (7 Washington growers/industry personnel; 16 Oregon growers/industry personnel; 7 Washington State University researchers; 7 Oregon State University researchers; 5 USDA/ARS researchers; 3 organic growers; 5 Canadian researchers), with a number of positive acceptances received. Follow up re-invitations are being made by phone and email for non-respondents. Note: we have invited some small fruit research staff from Agriculture Canada and the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands who are expected to make significant contributions to the tool box development.

Left to do – Conduct consensus workshop: (Year 2 – 2008)

All of the remaining objectives for year 2.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Current and comprehensive literature review of small fruit pest management for raspberry, blackberry and blueberry

Development of draft pest fact sheets for all major PNW small fruit pests of raspberry, blackberry and blueberry to be used to facilitate expert consensus based economic pest thresholds for raspberry, blackberry and blueberry

Collaborators: