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Get your order in NOW for exclusion netting to cover your berry planting and protect it from SWD infestation. Contact Dale Ila Riggs, The Berry Patch, Stephentown, NY at berryprotection@fairpoint.net.

If you have an existing framework to protect your blueberries from birds, the exclusion netting can be placed on that framework. Read the full report on exclusion netting research, funded by NE SARE,  The use of insect netting on existing bird netting support systems to exclude spotted-wing Drosophila from a mature small-scale commercial highbush blueberry planting. (url is  http://mysare.sare.org/sare_project/fne14-813/?page=final)

Dale Ila Riggs writes in her report:

"The system worked extremely well. In 2014, with the 80 gram netting, at most, only 0.53 percent infestation occurred in a 10 week harvest season. Unsprayed berries without exclusion netting had as high as a 60% infestation level in one sampling period alone. In 2015, using the 80 gram netting, at most, a 0.37% infestation was found over a 5 week harvest season. Sprayed berries without exclusion netting had as high as a 20% infestation level in an individual sampling period. The netting held up through 3 severe thunderstorms and 2 hail storms and we refined our attachment system for large scale deployment of large pieces of netting.

This system has great potential for small scale, organic, and no-spray blueberry growers and I believe the system can be used by raspberry growers as well."

Beautiful, ripe raspberries without SWD, that's the goal of every berry grower these days! Including Dale Ila Riggs, The Berry Patch, Stephentown, NY.
Beautiful, ripe raspberries without SWD, that's the goal of every berry grower these days! Including Dale Ila Riggs, The Berry Patch, Stephentown, NY.

You can order the exclusion netting from Dale Ila Riggs, The Berry Patch, Stephentown, NY. For questions, contact her at berryprotection@fairpoint.net. Orders with Tek-Knit must be finalized this week.

If you've been considering protecting your berries from SWD with exclusion netting, read the report to see if this approach could work on your farm. Don't delay, contact Dale Ila to get the netting you need as part of her bulk order with Tek-Knit.

 

Save the date for the 2016 NE IPM SWD Working Group meeting!  Friday, October 21st, 2016. We invite members of the NE IPM SWD Working Group and interested berry growers to participate. The Working Group meeting will be held at the NYSAES, Cornell University campus in Geneva, NY.  There will be a welcome dinner on Thursday, October 20th as in years past.  Details will be forthcoming.

Read more about the activities of the SWD IPM Working Group and review the research and extension priorities developed in 2014 on the Spotted Wing Drosophila IPM Working Group webpages hosted by the Northeastern IPM Center. We have two years of funding from the NE IPM Center to address SWD during our working group meetings in 2016 and 2017. Our working group objectives:

SWD Working Group meeting in 2012, addressing an invasive nightmare - spotted wing drosophila.
SWD Working Group meeting in 2012, addressing an invasive nightmare - spotted wing drosophila.

Objective 1. Increased Networking among individuals and/or groups on SWD IPM.—that means you, berry growers!
Objective 2. Setting priorities for SWD IPM.—we want to know what your priorities are!
Objective 3. Develop Resources for SWD IPM.—what resources do you need?
Objective 4. Share Resources on SWD IPM.—keep in touch, we'll share resources we develop and identify.

Thank you for your continued interest in the research and management of Spotted Wing Drosophila.  If you have questions or comments about the 2016 program, or if you know of individuals that should be added to the list, please feel free to contact one or all of the planning committee.

Best regards,

Julie Carroll, jec3@cornell.edu

Greg Loeb, gme1@cornell.edu

Cesar Rodriguez Saona, crodriguez@aesop.rutgers.edu

Anne Nielsen, nielsen@aesop.rutgers.edu

Dean Polk, polk@aesop.rutgers.edu

Laura McDermott, lgm4@cornell.edu

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