COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • AUGUST 2018
IPM for SWD a tall order, says
crop consultant Mass trapping possible but there’s no silver bullet
by PETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – Growers
looking to control Spotted- Wing Drosophila need to know the risk factors and keep a sharp eye if they hope to control the tiny pest of ripe fruit.
The pest, native to Asia, was first identified in North America in California in 2008. Its appearance in a non- commercial wine grape vineyard south of Abbotsford the following year, and subsequent seasons, have seen various levels of pressure. Unlike other fruit flies, which are attracted to rotting fruit, SWD attacks fruit at the peak of ripeness. With a range of hosts to see
it through the early season, the fly has the potential to build enough of a population base to be a significant pest for growers seeking to sell fresh fruit. “Your risk late-season is going to be geometrically greater than early season,” Tom Peerbolt of the Northwest Berry Foundation in Portland, Oregon told growers at the Pacific Agriculture Show in Abbotsford earlier this year. But not all seasons are
equal. SWD pressure was relatively low in 2017 thanks to a harsh winter that brought some of the most severe weather in years. The sudden shift from a moist spring to hot, arid conditions in June also helped because the bugs thrive at temperatures
between 18 and 27 degrees Celsius; they dislike hot, dry conditions. Nor are all crops affected
are equally, notes Peerbolt. Strawberries are at relatively low risk while growers of cranberries, late-season blueberries, machine- harvestable blueberries and those with older, softer fruit face greater risks. While growers are
encouraged to clean up fallen fruit, Peerbolt indicated that it’s at relatively low risk of infestation. Peerbolt also noted that
organic isn’t always better. Smaller blocks with mixed plantings and organic production systems both face greater SWD pressure because they encourage habitats and proximity to other crops that favours infiltration by the bug. A combination of thick canopies and overhead irrigation can be a recipe for disaster because a lack of air circulation means slower evaporation, creating the warm, moist environment the bug likes. “Canopy management is essential if you have trouble with this guy,” Peerbolt said. Growers who want to
produce organically, or with as few sprays as possible, need to take proper care of their plants because the arrival of SWD means the end of any kind of integrated pest management (IPM). “This has basically
destroyed any IPM we had going on,” Peerbolt said.
PETER MITHAM
Several pesticides, including Delegate and Entrust, were registered for use against SWD in BC last year but packers and processors have urged growers to maintain strict spray schedules to keep on top of the bug. To be effective, growers will need to follow calendar-based spray programs that rotate through three classes of chemicals as the best line of defence. Unfortunately, it also exposes growers to issues ranging from potential pesticide resistance to marketing issues, because maximum residue limits (MRLs) come into play. “This is not a sustainable management program,” Peerbolt said, adding that current research typically defaults to which sprays are the most effective. It’s a shift from IPM
protocols, which typically identified a pest, took stock of the population and damage levels, and followed protocols appropriate to the level of
damage. An approach rooted in IPM also develops measures that prevent problems to begin with, often combining control strategies and takes stock of impacts to determine effectiveness and consequences. However, a calendar-based
program determines the start date for applications, identifies the materials to use and what the intervals are, and rolls through the season until sprays are no longer required. Adherence to the spray program makes it inherently less dynamic than a protocol rooted in IPM. This doesn’t mean growers should shift to IPM; sprays are the most effective tool
growers have against SWD, which defies most control efforts.
The one tactic that Peerbolt said could make IPM possible is increased crop monitoring to determine what’s going on in the field before spraying begins. Accurate forecasting of the risk SWD poses in a given season may prevent unnecessary spraying, but it will depend on growers making greater investments in field worker training. “Solutions to SWD are going to involve a lot more trained people in the field,” he said. “The only way we’re going to get to IPM is if we’ve got a lot more people keeping on top of it.”
SUMMER SIZZLERS
CASE IH MAGNUM 225 2013, 1900HRS, CVT, 50KM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175,900 FENDT 927 2012, 7400HRS, 270 HP, CVT, 50KM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138,500 NH BOOMER 47 2014, 690HRS 45 HP, HYDRO, LOADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,900 KUBOTA M6950 66 PTO HP, KMW LOADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,900 NH 1037 BALE WAGON C/W CAB CONTROLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,500 JD 854 2016, 4’X5’ SILAGE, NET & TWINE CUTTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38,600 NH 1432 2008, 13’ CUT, CENTER PIVOT, FLAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,900 CASE DC 102 10’4”, 2014, RUBBER ROLLS, HYD HEAD TILT . . . . . . . . 23,500 CASE IH DC132 13’ CUT, CENTER PIVOT, RUBBER ROLLS . . . . . . . . . . 19,500 CASE IH DC102 10’4” CUT, 2010, HYD HEAD TILT, RUBBER ROLLS . . . . 17,500 KVERNELAND 4336CT 12’ CUT, CENTER PIVOT, FLAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,500 MF 220 SERIES II WINDROWER, 1999, 18’ DRAPER HEADER . . . . . . . . 21,500 KNIGHT 5156 TWIN SCREW MIXER WAGON, 600CU.FT. RH DISCHARGE . 25,500 NH FP240 2011, 29P GRASS HEAD, 3PN CORNHEAD, PROCESSOR . . . . 36,500 REYNOLDS 12 YARD LAND SCRAPER, LSE 14WB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,800 BRILLION 12’4” CULTIPACKER, CROW FRONT, NOTCH REAR, AS NEW . . . .21,950
LASER EQUIPPED & GPS CONTROLLED TRENCHED AND TRENCHLESS APPLICATIONS
SUPPLIERS OF CANADIAN MADE BIG O DRAINAGE TUBING
Proudly supporting Canadian industry using Canadian product
VALLEY FARM DRAINAGE
31205 DEWDNEY TRUNK RD, MISSION • Fax 604-462-7215 604-462-7213 •
www.valleyfarmdrainage.com
NOBLE TRACTOR & EQUIPMENT LTD.
KAMLOOPS 580 Chilcotin Road 250/851-3101 TOLL FREE 1-888-851-3101
ARMSTRONG
4193 Noble Road 250/546-3141
TOLL FREE 1-800-661-3141
www.nobletractor.com
27
drainage is our specialty
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
