Pest Management for Organic Production Systems

On July 26 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time, a webinar entitled “Pest Management for Organic Production Systems II” will be broadcast by the National Center for Appropriate Technology.  It will discuss ecologically friendly practices that support organic pest management, including trap cropping, perimeter trap cropping, crop rotations, pheromone use, and other techniques, as well as their impacts on pests and beneficials.

NCAT Program Specialist Rex Dufour will be the webinar presenter. The webinar will build on an earlier one, Pest Management for Organic Production Systems. That webinar covered conservation practices such as soil management, hedgerows, and other beneficial habitat-management practices and strategies. It is available at https://attra.ncat.org/video/index.php.

To register: Click on the following link https://attra.ncat.org/pestmanagement.

About the presenter: Rex Dufour's background is in entomology and integrated pest management. His work experience includes managing sustainable development projects in Thailand and Laos. Mr. Dufour has worked as both project manager and program specialist for NCAT and heads NCAT's California office. In addition to the ATTRA project, he is involved in several minority farmer outreach projects.

Kudzu Bug Discovered in Vicksburg, Mississippi

Wayne Gardner reports that kudzu bugs were found in Vicksburg (Warren County), Mississippi, on July 13th. Until this discovery, the insect was reported as far west as Escambia County, Alabama. The "jump" of the insect across the state of Mississippi was not a total surprise to entomologists largely because of its ability to hitchhike on vehicles. Audrey Harrison, a former graduate student at Clemson University, was first to recognize adults on a vehicle and nearby buildings at the Vicksburg location less than a mile from Interstate 20. Tom Allen, Mississippi State Extension Pathologist, visited that and another site on Saturday, July 14th, and found numerous adults and nymphs in kudzu at both locations. Based upon experience with the population dynamics of this insect, Gardner noted that the insect likely invaded the area earlier than this spring. Monitor the spread of this pest at Kudzubug.org.  Full Story

Spotted Wing Drosophila, An Invasive Pest Threatens Blueberries

Spotted Wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii is a non-native invasive pest that threatens blueberries and other fruit crops in many states from coast to coast.  Fruits affected include ripening cherry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, and strawberry crops. It will also occasionally attacking other fruit such as plums, plumcots, nectarines, and figs. This fly attacks healthy fruit unlike most fruit flies which are only drawn to rotting fruit.
Here are links to additional information on this pest:

• Management of Spotted Wing Drosophila in California - California
• Asian fruit fly invasion could ruin Oregon crops - Oregon
• Researchers Discover Destructive Fruit Fly Now in Maine - Maine
• Pest threatens P.E.I. blueberry crops - Prince Edward Island
• A Tortuous Path to a Chemical Lure for the Spotted Wing Drosophila - Mississippi
• Spotted Wing Drosophila - California
• Spotted Wing Drosophila in Florida Berry Culture - Florida 
• Utah Pest Fact Sheets - Spotted Wing Drosophila - Utah
• Spotted Wing Drosophila Management Recommendations - Michigan
• Spotted Wing Drosophila control on Sweet Cherry - Washington
• Biology and Management of Spotted Wing Drosophila in Small and Stone Fruits - WAAESD
• Spotted Wing Drosophila Management - Pennsylvania
• Spotted Wing Drosophila - General Information - North Carolina
• Spotted Wing Drosophila Alert - Georgia
• Spotted Wing Drosophila: Potential Pest - Arkansas

Trap for spotted wing Drosophila
Image by Hannah Burrack, North Carolina State University, Bugwood.org

Spotted wing Drosophila on trap
Image by Hannah Burrack, North Carolina State University, Bugwood.org

Widely prevalent plant pathogen maps now available on iOS portable devices

Widely prevalent plant pathogen sites have been updated to a new format that is compatible with iOS devices. You can now view the maps on iPads and iPhones. Feel free to try them out and any of the following sites:

• www.PrevalentFungi.org
• www.PrevalentBacteria.org
• www.PrevalentViruses.org

Invasive Bamboo Outlawed in Dover, Delaware

An article by Antonio Prado in the Dover Post says, the Dover "City Council voted 7-0 to approve the ordinance sponsored by Councilman Sean Lynn and city staff. Dover Department of Planning Director Ann Marie Townshend recommended the law based on a number of complaints made by city residents about the highly invasive, Asian plant. Under the new law, it is unlawful to plant or grow bamboo on any city parcel unless the root of the bamboo is entirely contained within an above-ground-level planter, barrel or other vessel, Townshend said."

It is good to know that as citizens, we can make our voices heard and make a difference. Help educate your Representatives and let them know you are concerned about the harm caused by invasive species in your area.

Thank you to the concerned citizens of Dover and the Dover City Council for taking this important step.

Read the article at DoverPost.com

Yellow groove bamboo, Phyllostachys aureosulcata invading a natural area
image by Caryn Rickel, Institute of Invasive Bamboo Research, Bugwood.org

Web-footed Pest on the Move

Nutria, Myocastor coypus
Image by John and Karen Hollingsworth, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bugwood.org

Nutria were originally farmed in Louisiana in the 1930's for their fur. Since then, releases have been an ongoing problem. Sometimes it is a result of a storm event such as hurricanes, other times it was due to situations such the collapse of the fur trade in the late 1980's. In the time since they obtained their release into the wild, the nutria have not been sitting idle. "They are now as far afield as the vast network of rivers, estuaries and marshland that drain into the Chesapeake Bay," reports Theo Emery in a New York Times article, "Killed by Thousands, Varmint Will Never Quit."
Read more about the efforts to control nutria in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

The Hunt for Invasive Species Slogans – 2nd Edition - Rhyming

Chris Evans and the River to River CISMA are developing a series of posts to highlight some of the more memorable and fun slogans on invasive species that you can find on publications, bumper stickers, and t-shirts. This series on invasive species slogans will include occasional posts covering different aspects of the topic. These slogans seem to fit into three broad categories: Play-off, Alliteration, and Rhyming. The first post dealt with Play-off slogans. Here in this second post, They are going to concentrate on Rhyming.

Click here to see Invasive Species Slogans – 2nd Edition - Rhyming

If you know of some slogans that haven’t yet been posted in this series, please send them to rivertoriver@gmail.com.