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Published on Leave a comment on Jobs available in the NYS IPM Program

The NYS IPM Program is Hiring Four Positions! The New York State Integrated Pest Management Program (NYSIPM) at Cornell University is hiring four specialists to promote the adoption of IPM in New York State. All positions will be housed on either the Geneva or Ithaca campuses of Cornell University. The positions are:

NYSIPM is a nationally recognized leader in the development and promotion of IPM practices. http://nysipm.cornell.edu/.  The mission of NYSIPM is to develop sustainable ways to manage disease, insect, weed, and wildlife pests; and to help people use methods that minimize environmental, health, and economic risks. NYS IPM has both Agricultural and Community programs, with issues and settings that overlap. NYSIPM’s Agricultural IPM programming includes fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, and livestock and field crops. Community IPM is the management of insects, weeds, plant diseases and wildlife in all settings that are non-production such as schools, lawns, gardens, landscapes, golf courses, parks, and buildings; and also includes invasive species and public health pests.

The personnel of NYS IPM operate in a collegial and cooperative environment where teamwork is emphasized and appreciated. Collaboration with other NYS IPM faculty and staff, Cornell University faculty and staff, and Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators, as well as specialists from other states and universities, is expected.

Education and Experience

All applicants must have an MS (required) or PhD (preferred) degree in Entomology, Plant Pathology, Horticulture or other suitable field. A minimum of 2 years professional experience in extension education and research or demonstration in required for Extension Associates, 8 years for a Senior Extension Associate. Experience in these areas as a graduate student may apply.

Additional Information AND HOW TO APPLY

For additional information and application instructions go to https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/Cornell/NYSIPM. Applications will be accepted until 8/31/2016, or until a suitable candidate is found.

Published on Leave a comment on Register now! Cornell Fruit Field Day

The registration deadline is Friday, July 15, for the Cornell Fruit Field Day, which will be held Wednesday, July 20. Walk-in registration won't be available.

The Cornell Fruit Field Day will be in Geneva, NY on Wednesday, July 20. The 2016 version of this triennial event will feature ongoing research in berries, hops, grapes, and tree fruit, and is being organized by Cornell University, the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES), the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Fruit Program Work Team, and Cornell Cooperative Extension. All interested persons are invited to learn about the fruit research under way at Cornell University.  Attendees will be able to select from tours of different fruit commodities.The event will feature a number of topics, including:

  • Berries

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) research update | Hummingbird use | SWD monitoring network | Exclusion netting against SWD in fall raspberries | Monitoring and SWD management decisions in summer raspberry & blueberry | Behavioral control of SWD with repellents and attract & kill stations | Effect of habitat diversity on ecosystem services for strawberries | High tunnel production of black and red raspberries | Day-neutral strawberries and low tunnel production

  • Tree Fruits

Apple breeding & genetic studies | Research updates on fire blight, apple scab, powdery mildew | Bitter pit in Honeycrisp | 3D camera canopy imaging | Ambrosia beetle management trials | Malus selections for cider production | Precision spraying in orchards | Role of insects in spreading fire blight in apples | Bacterial canker of sweet cherry | Rootstocks & training systems for sweet cherry | NC-140 rootstock trials on Honeycrisp & SnapDragon | Pear rootstocks & training systems

  • Grapes & Hops

Sour rot of grapes | VitisGen grape breeding project | Precision spraying in grapes | Managing the spread of leafroll virus in Vinifera grape using insecticides & vine removal | Early leaf removal on Riesling | Overview of NYSAES hops planting | Powdery & downy mildew management in hops | Hops weed management & mite biocontrol | Update on malting barley research

  • also food safety information!

FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) Produce Safety Rule

  • Fruit Field Day details

The event will take place at the NYSAES Fruit and Vegetable Research Farm South, 1097 County Road No. 4, 1 mile west of Pre-emption Rd. in Geneva, NY.

Arrive at 8:00 AM to get settled in. Tours begin promptly at 8:30 AM and are scheduled in the morning from 8:30 to 11:30 and in the afternoon from 1:30 to 5:00. Lunch will be served at the exhibit tent area between 11:30-12:30.

Luncheon speakers are Dr. Susan Brown, Director of the NY State Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES), and Dr. Kathryn Boor, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Visit sponsors anytime from 11:30-1:30! Learn about products and services from Agro Liquid | Arysta Life Science | Dow AgroSciences | Dupont | Farm Credit East, ACA | Finger Lakes Trellis Supply | LaGasse Works, Inc. | Lakeview Vineyard Equipment | NY Apple Sales | OESCO, Inc | Red Jacket Orchards | Superior Wind Machine Service | Valent USA Corp. | Wafler Farms | beer tastings from War Horse Brewing and Nedloh Brewing

  • Register now!

Admission fee is $50/person ($40 for additional attendees from the same farm or business). Your admission covers tours, lunch and educational materials. Pre-registration is required. Walk-in registration won't be available. Register on the Cornell Fruit Field Day Event registration page, http://events.cals.cornell.edu/ffd2016

Published on Leave a comment on Plan to attend the Cornell Fruit Field Day!

Mark your calendars for the Cornell Fruit Field Day, to be held in Geneva, NY on Wednesday, July 20.  The 2016 version of this triennial event will feature ongoing research in berries, hops, grapes, and tree fruit, and is being organized by Cornell University, the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES), the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Fruit Program Work Team, and Cornell Cooperative Extension. All interested persons are invited to learn about the fruit research under way at Cornell University.  Attendees will be able to select from tours of different fruit commodities.

The event will feature a number of topics, including:

  • Berries

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) research update | Hummingbird use | SWD monitoring network | Exclusion netting against SWD in fall raspberries | Monitoring and SWD management decisions in summer raspberry & blueberry | Behavioral control of SWD with repellents and attract & kill stations | Effect of habitat diversity on ecosystem services for strawberries | High tunnel production of black and red raspberries | Day-neutral strawberries and low tunnel production

  • Tree Fruits

Apple breeding & genetic studies | Research updates on fire blight, apple scab, powdery mildew | Bitter pit in Honeycrisp | 3D camera canopy imaging | Ambrosia beetle management trials | Malus selections for cider production | Precision spraying in orchards | Role of insects in spreading fire blight in apples | Bacterial canker of sweet cherry | Rootstocks & training systems for sweet cherry | NC-140 rootstock trials on Honeycrisp & SnapDragon | Pear rootstocks & training systems

  • Grapes & Hops

Sour rot of grapes | VitisGen grape breeding project | Precision spraying in grapes | Managing the spread of leafroll virus in Vinifera grape using insecticides & vine removal | Early leaf removal on Riesling | Overview of NYSAES hops planting | Powdery & downy mildew management in hops | Hops weed management & mite biocontrol | Update on malting barley research

  • also food safety information!

FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) Produce Safety Rule

  • Fruit Field Day details

The event will take place at the NYSAES Fruit and Vegetable Research Farm South, 1097 County Road No. 4, 1 mile west of Pre-emption Rd. in Geneva, NY.

Arrive at 8:00 AM to get settled in. Tours begin promptly at 8:30 AM and are scheduled in the morning from 8:30 to 11:30 and in the afternoon from 1:30 to 5:00. Lunch will be served at the exhibit tent area between 11:30-12:30.

Visit sponsors anytime from 11:30-1:30! Learn about products and services from Agro Liquid | Arysta Life Science | Dow AgroSciences | Dupont | Farm Credit East, ACA | Finger Lakes Trellis Supply | LaGasse Works, Inc. | Lakeview Vineyard Equipment | NY Apple Sales | OESCO, Inc | Red Jacket Orchards | Superior Wind Machine Service | Valent USA Corp. | Wafler Farms | tastings from War Horse Brewing

To participate as a sponsor, see the registration page or contact Shelly Cowles (315-787-2274; mw69@cornell.edu).

  • Register now!

Admission fee is $50/person ($40 for additional attendees from the same farm or business). Your admission covers tours, lunch and educational materials. Pre-registration is required. Walk-in registration may be available for a $10 surcharge on the day of the event. Register on the Cornell Fruit Field Day Event registration page, http://events.cals.cornell.edu/ffd2016

Published on Leave a comment on 2016 monitoring network in NY

The SWD monitoring network for 2016 is set up. Twenty-five people are collaborating on the network this year, including Cornell Cooperative Extension agriculture educators, regional fruit educators, and extension faculty. A total of 117 Scentry traps and lures are deployed in the network, primarily in raspberry (summer and fall) and blueberry, in 25 Counties.

Most sites are reporting no SWD finds to date, but a few reports have come in of SWD caught in traps. Related to that, this week's trap monitoring at Dr. Greg Loeb's research site caught no SWD (see blog, Ontario County first find), which may indicate that populations are still sporadic and low.

2016 SWD Monitoring Network: collaborators, Counties, number of traps and crops.
2016 SWD Monitoring Network: collaborators, Counties, number of traps and crops.

Published on Leave a comment on Ontario County first find

Dr. Greg Loeb’s entomology research program, Cornell University, Geneva, NY, has caught 3 SWD females in traps set on the edge of a blueberry planting that is adjacent to woods in Ontario County. This blueberry planting is often the site where Greg’s program catches SWD first. Traps were set out on May 31st and checked on June 7th, which indicates the SWD were caught sometime during that week. The good news is that the blueberry crop is not ripe and therefore not vulnerable to oviposition at this site.

This is the earliest that SWD has been caught in New York State since monitoring began in 2012. The mild winter that occurred in New York, with only one significant cold snap around February 14th, may have contributed to early arrival and overwintering success of SWD. Mild winters and early SWD arrival is the typical situation that is now found in Europe with this invasive insect.

Research by Dr. Anna Wallingford, a post-doctoral associate in Greg’s lab, and others is finding that SWD goes into reproductive diapause in the late fall during which time egg laying ceases and overwintering survivability increases. The traps used to catch these three females were baited with a fermenting lure that is being researched by a team at Rutgers the State University of New Jersey. This same team has research that is underway, on the female SWD caught in these fermenting lure traps, to determine if these early-arrival females are ready to lay eggs.

There is no doubt, the SWD season has begun in New York and it looks as if the 'mild winter early arrival' predictions may prove true. Please note: this finding won't show up on the SWD distribution map, because research trap sites aren't part of the 'map-reporting' monitoring network.

Get ready to protect your crop, find more information on Cornell Fruit Resources:
Spotted Wing Drosophila, www.fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/

Easy to make whole wheat dough trap, www.fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/pdfs/SWDTraps_CornellFruit.pdf

SWD distribution map in NY, www.fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/dist.html

SWD management, www.fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/mgmt.html

Insecticide quick reference table for berries, www.fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/pdfs/swd-insecticides-berries-ny.pdf

Insecticide quick reference table for stone fruit and grapes, www.fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/pdfs/swd-insecticides-grapes-treefruit-ny.pdf

Guidelines for checking fruit for SWD, www.fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/pdfs/SaltFloatation.pdf

Published on Leave a comment on Exclusion netting against SWD

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.

 

Published on Leave a comment on SWD IPM Working Group – save the date!

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

Published on Leave a comment on SWD Stakeholder Survey

The Sustainable Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) Management for US Fruit Crops project, funded by NIFA, needs your help. This five-year project is developing national research and extension approaches to minimize the impacts of SWD. They include:

  • new management tactics and programs
  • expanded pesticide registrations for SWD
  • information and training on SWD for growers, extension agents, and others

In order to achieve this and ensure that the research and extension efforts match the needs of growers, the project is collecting information on the impacts of SWD on berry and small fruit growers' farms, your current management practices and preferences, and your needs for better management of SWD.

Participation in the survey is voluntary. The survey doesn't collect personally identifying information and the data will only be analyzed and reported in aggregate form. Please help us help you by providing your perspectives on SWD in the survey.

Access the SWD survey at this link:

Sustainable SWD Management Survey https://survey.ncsu.edu/swd/

Thank you!

 

Published on Leave a comment on Field Meeting on SWD Management

Berry Growers, Industry and Extension Friends…plan to attend the SWD Management Open House!  Wednesday, September 2nd from 3:00-5:00 PM at The Berry Patch of Stonewall Hill Farm, 15589 NY Route 22, Stephentown, NY 12168 in Rensselaer County.

At the Field Meeting you will learn and see…

  • How to do an easy salt floatation test to detect SWD in fruit.
  • Research results on commercial lures for monitoring SWD adults with traps.
  • Tour a blueberry planting surrounded by SWD exclusion netting.
  • A fixed sprayer system in a high tunnel raspberry planting.
  • The effectiveness of clean picking, sanitation and refrigeration against SWD.

Farm owner and President of the NYS Berry Growers Association (NYSBGA), Dale Ila Riggs, will host the SWD Open House to showcase the SWD research that has been funded by allocations from the New York State legislature to the NYSBGA.

The Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension has coordinated the SWD Open House. The featured research and development on SWD lures and the fixed sprayer system has been led by faculty in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University.

Sign up to attend! Call Marcie at 518-272-4210—a headcount is needed to make handouts. If you get voicemail, leave your name, phone number, and the number who will attend the SWD Open House at The Berry Patch.

This event will happen rain or shine on Wednesday, September 2nd from 3:00-5:00 PM at The Berry Patch, 15589 NY Route 22, Stephentown, NY.

Questions? Contact Laura McDermott: 518-791-5038

Research supported by funding from:
Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NE SARE)
New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI)
New York State Legislature

Published on Leave a comment on Entrust organic insecticide – don’t overuse!

An important warning from Dow AgroSciences, the manufacturer and distributor of the organic-approved insecticide, Entrust SC, about the use patterns of this product for control of SWD - don't overuse it, follow label directions and rotate with a different active ingredient. (Excerpts from their letter are in quotes. I've added bold emphasis.)

It is crucially important to follow the "labeled resistance management restrictions for Entrust SC in organic cropping systems in the Northeastern United States targeting Spotted Wing Drosophila." It is my understanding that, in New York, Entrust is under a 2ee registration and you must have the 2ee in your possession when applying this insecticide; ask your supplier.

"Entrust SC Insecticide is a solution for control of economically important arthropods across many different crops. This product is registered for organic use and is OMRI certified. The active ingredient Spinosad is a group 5 insecticide, which offers a unique mode of action. Dow AgroSciences is proud to offer a unique class of chemistry for organic growers."

Insecticide rotation to different IRAC groups

"At Dow AgroSciences we take (insecticide) resistance very seriously and investigate all situations we are aware of in which non-compliance may be occurring or where performance is in question. We strive to make sure our products are stewarded correctly in the market to follow label language with regards to use patterns. Specifically, our labels include Resistance Management directions which state that rotation to other insecticide classes should occur after two consecutive applications." For many fruit crops, only three total applications of Entrust may be applied per season—read and follow label directions.

Organic insecticide rotation guidelines -
For organic management of SWD, rotate to a different insecticide active ingredient after applying one, no more than two or three (depending on the crop label) Entrust (group 5 insecticide) sprays. Options for rotation partners include the active ingredients azadirachtin (group UN insecticide) and pyganic (group 3A insecticide). While spinosad (Entrust) has good to excellent activity against SWD, azadirachtin and pyrethrin have fair to poor activity against SWD. Save Entrust applications for when SWD populations are high and fruit is at high risk.

Azadirachtin is the active ingredient derived from neem oil. Trade names include, but are not limited to, AzaSol, Aza-Direct, AzaGuard, AzaMax, and Azatrol EC. These insecticides may not be labeled on all fruit crops, so read the label carefully before purchasing and using this insecticide. Group UN - mode of action is unknown or uncertain.

Pyrethrins are active ingredients derived from the plant Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium. Pyrethrin insecticides are highly toxic to bees, so don't use these when pollinators are active. Trade names include, PyGanic EC 1.4 and PyGanic EC 5.0. These insecticides may not be labeled on all fruit crops, so read the label carefully before purchasing and using this insecticide.

Insecticide application frequency and amounts per season

Dow AgroSciences has also "been made aware that Entrust SC is allegedly being used at a greater frequency than the label allows per crop. Dow AgroSciences is closely monitoring this situation to understand if these are isolated cases or more widespread occurrences." Entrust is typically limited to 3-5 applications per season, depending on the fruit crop, and always no more than a cumulative total of 9 oz per acre per season.

When an insecticide is applied too often and at higher cumulative rates than research on the chemistry warrants, a sensitivity shift in the target insects can occur over the course of a growing season. Over several growing seasons, SWD individuals with reduced Entrust SC (Spinosad) sensitivity could make up the majority of the SWD population in organic cropping systems. We are very concerned about this and work is ongoing to identify more effective insecticides for rotation partners in organic systems.

If resistance to Entrust SC (Spinosad) is selected in organic systems due to overuse and lack of rotation, IPM growers using the group 5 insecticide Delegate WG (Spinetoram) could lose this insecticide due to group 5 insecticide sensitivity shifts in the SWD population. Spinetoram is the chemically synthesized spinosad active ingredient and it, currently, has excellent activity against SWD—it, too, should not be overused. Likewise, if IPM growers overuse Delegate, this could have negative repercussions on the activity of Entrust.

Let's keep Entrust in the Northeast!

"...if non-compliance continues then Dow AgroSciences will pursue corrective action which could include withdrawal of Entrust SC from the Northeastern United States. If you have any questions, please contact your local Dow AgroSciences partner."

Take the time to learn about resistance management and follow the label directions that are designed to help prevent this from occurring.

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