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Western Cherry Fruit Fly 2019

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Rhagoletis indifferens

Posted on: June 3, 2019 by Maria Held

Western Cherry Fruit Flies have been detected in Boise. Once your cherries are starting to blush (turning from green to yellow to light pink) it is time to protect them. At that stage the cherries are soft enough for being penetrated. Spraying with Surround (kaolin clay) creates a physical barrier that prevents females from laying eggs into the developing fruit.
See the links below for more options.

Ag Talk Tuesday - American Falls, 8:00 AM June 4, at Idaho AgCredit

All Crops    All Locations

Ag Talk Tuesday

Posted on: June 3, 2019 by Juliet Marshall

Good afternoon! We will be having the next ATT meeting tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM at the Idaho AgCredit Office, 2883 ID-39, American Falls, ID.

New Call-in number for Ag Talk Tuesday sessions:

Have instant access to UI ag faculty and other attendees remotely during the Ag Talk Tuesday sessions. You can simply call a phone number to join the meeting, or you can click on the Zoom link below (the needed software will automatically download when you start or join your first Zoom meeting) to ask any questions you have or to share your observations with how crops are progressing and what current issues appear to be in your region.

Call-in: (669) 900-6833

Zoom link: https://uidaho.zoom.us/j/349427773

Attached is the summary of the last ATT discussion - what we are calling the Ag Talk Report.
Date Location Primary Topics
Hosts

June 4
Idaho AgCredit
2883 ID-39
American Falls

Early season potato issues, stand issues
Weed issues
Grain Issues

Kasia Duellman
Pam Hutchinson
Juliet Marshall

2019 Snake River Weed Research Tour, Ontario, OR

All Crops    All Locations

Posted on: June 3, 2019 by Jerry Neufeld

Please mark your calendar for the 2019 Snake River Weed Research Tour
Venue: Malheur Experiment Station, 595 Onion Ave, Ontario, OR
Date: Thursday, June 13, 2019
Registration starts at 8:00am with coffee and donuts.
Recertification credits: 3 credits – Oregon and 3 credits – Idaho for full tour attendees.

The tour will start promptly at 8:30AM and end at 12:15PM.

A complementary lunch will be served at the conclusion of the tour.

The tour will feature research studies for weed management in direct-seeded onion, sugar beet, field corn, potato, and wheat. The first stop will be at our yellow nutsedge “field laboratory” along OR Hwy 201 just after crossing the rail tracks (if headed south to Nyssa from Ontario). The stop along Hwy 201 will feature studies on yellow nutsedge control in onion, sugar beet, and field corn. We will then proceed to the station and tour studies on weed control in direct-seeded onion, field corn, potato, and wheat.

This event is open to the public. Please forward the invitation to anybody who will be interested in weed management in the mentioned crops.

We will follow up with a reminder as we get close to the tour date. We are looking forward to seeing you at the tour.

Please call 541-889-2174 or email janet.jones@oregonstate.edu if you need more information.

Kind regards,


Joel Felix

Powdery Mildew on Ornamentals

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Sphaerotheca pannosa var. rosae

Posted on: June 1, 2019 by Maria Held

Powdery mildew continues to be a problem with all the rain we have had. It has been reported on roses and peonies. Powdery mildews are characterized by spots or patches of white to grayish, talcum-powder-like growth.
When available choose resistant or tolerant varieties. The disease is common in crowded plantings where air circulation is poor and in damp, shaded areas. Avoid overhead irrigation once symptoms occur. Do not compost infected plant debris. Temperatures often are not hot enough to kill the fungus.

Onion Thrips update

Onion    Treasure Valley

Onion thrips

Posted on: June 1, 2019 by Stuart Reitz

We had a sharp increase in thrips numbers in most areas over the past week. Fields were checked on Thursday and Friday (5/30 – 5/31). Thrips were in 90% of the fields checked this week and are being found on more plants per field now. The overall increase was largely a result of thrips beginning to reproduce in fields (as marked by the increase in immature thrips). Numbers tend to be higher in fields with larger plants. The highest numbers have been in red onion fields with plants at the 4-5 leaf stage and in early onion fields (e.g. Spanish Medallion and other early varieties). The highest numbers in the network were about 32 per plant in a red onion field (about 85% being immatures). The lowest numbers have been in fields at the 1-2 leaf stage, especially those in the Oregon Slope/Weiser area.

Expect additional movement of thrips into onion fields as more alfalfa fields get their first cutting and as rangeland weeds begin to dry down and senesce. Populations will increase rapidly with the warmer, drier weather in the forecast.

Adults per Plant
Growing Area 5/15 5/25 5/31
Oregon Slope/Weiser 0.03 0.04 0.06
Vale 0.15 0.55 1.64
Ontario 0.07 0.03 0.78
Nyssa 0.02 0.07 1.32
Adrian 0.02 0.22 1.60
Fruitland 0.05 0.03 0.19
Parma - 0.09 1.60
Overall Average 0.06 0.15 1.03

Immatures per Plant
Growing Area 5/15 5/25 5/31
Oregon Slope/Weiser 0.00 0.00 0.00
Vale 0.00 0.41 6.28
Ontario 0.00 0.00 3.60
Nyssa 0.00 0.02 3.56
Adrian 0.00 0.00 8.42
Fruitland 0.00 0.00 0.16
Parma - 0.00 1.97
Overall Average 0.00 0.06 3.43

Total average per Plant
Growing Area 5/15 5/25 5/31
Oregon Slope/Weiser 0.03 0.04 0.06
Vale 0.15 0.96 7.92
Ontario 0.07 0.03 4.38
Nyssa 0.02 0.09 4.88
Adrian 0.02 0.22 10.01
Fruitland 0.05 0.03 0.35
Parma - 0.09 3.58
Overall Average 0.06 0.21 4.45

% Plants with Thrips
Growing Area 5/15/2019 5/25/2019 5/31/2019
Oregon Slope/Weiser 3% 4% 6%
Vale 15% 31% 64%
Ontario 7% 3% 34%
Nyssa 2% 5% 73%
Adrian 2% 19% 57%
Fruitland 5% 3% 17%
Parma - 7% 54%
Overall Average 6% 10% 43%



A couple of notes unrelated to onion thrips
1 – As a result of the cool, wet spring, downy mildew has shown up in some overwinter onions in the Columbia Basin. I haven’t seen signs of it in the Treasure Valley, but it’s worth keeping an eye out for it. Even with the wet weather, I don’t think the bulb crop is at high risk since the crop is relatively small and doesn’t have a dense canopy yet that keeps moisture levels high on the leaves. It could be a greater risk for seed crops that have a denser canopy now. Please let me know if you have concerns about it in your fields.


Thanks to Carrie Wohleb and Lindsey du Toit for the pictures of downy mildew on onion foliage and flower scapes.

2 – if you have sugarbeets, there have been reports of leafminer and armyworms in beet fields.

3 –June 13 2019: Snake River Weed Research Tour, Malheur Experiment Station, 595 Onion Ave, Ontario, OR, beginning at 8:30 AM
http://www.cropinfo.net/events.php

sugarbeet leafminer and armyworm

Sugarbeets    Treasure Valley

leafminer and armyworm

Posted on: May 31, 2019 by Jerry Neufeld

The Amalgamated Sugar Company crop consultants are reporting that pockets of leaf miner and army worm are starting to pop up around various locations in Treasure Valley sugarbeet fields. The links below from the Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook describe the damage and also show the damage these pests cause. Please contact your Amalgamated Sugar crop consultant for more details and treatment options.

Annual University of Idaho Snake River Weed Management Tour - June 25th - Aberdeen R&E Center

Potato    All Locations

Posted on: May 30, 2019 by Pam Hutchinson

Greetings;



Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the UI Snake River Pest Management Tour at the Aberdeen R&E Center on Tuesday June 25th.

Time: 8:30 to noon followed by a sponsored lunch.

Credits: Three Idaho pesticide applicator recertification credits will be offered.



Featured will be several weed control trials in potatoes, including tank mixtures, planned vs. rescue postemergence applications, chemigation vs sprinkler incorporation as well as potato variety herbicide tolerance trials, herbicide mechanism of action plots, and Litchi tomato herbicide management.



We hope to see you there.



Thanks,

Pam

p.s. This tour was originally scheduled for June 18th but due to cold rainy conditions, our potato and weed emergence has been slowed considerably

There will be no Snake River Tour at the Kimberly R&E Center this year – we plan to fire it up again in 2020!

Stripe rust in winter wheat and Spot form of net blotch in barley (SFNB)

Small Grains    All Locations

stripe rust and spot form of net blotch

Posted on: May 29, 2019 by Juliet Marshall

Stripe rust has been found today in winter wheat east of American Falls. Lesions were found on leaf tips in the upper canopy of the soft white winter wheat variety …. Wait for it……


…. Brundage.


This is likely a spring infection (not overwintering) and not widespread. Yet. With current weather conditions (perfect for stripe rust infection) expect to see the disease spread rapidly. If you have susceptible winter wheat varieties (see the UI Extension Small Grains Reports and the USDA Dr. Xianming Chen’s USDA reports for variety ratings) or susceptible spring wheat varieties, timely application of fungicides should protect vulnerable fields. Fungicide mixed with herbicide applications is recommended for susceptible spring wheat varieties as well.

Please see the attached file for the fungicide efficacy of fungicides for many diseases.

PLEASE report stripe rust occurrences ASAP to me.

Also found were symptoms of spot form of net blotch (SFNB) in spring barley. This field was in barley after barley. Fungicide with herbicide should reduce SFNB impact and stop the spread into the upper canopy.

Apple Codling Moth First Generation

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley - Idaho

Posted on: May 22, 2019 by Maria Held

The first Apple Codling Moths have been trapped at the beginning of May (Biofix on May 2nd). However, flight activity has been slow because of rain and low temperatures. We are currently at 197 Degree Days (DD) and treatment is indicated at 220 to 250 DD expected no sooner than this weekend depending on weather conditions.

Be prepared, because this is a pest that you need to prevent all season long for clean fruit. Whether you are growing organic or conventional, the only non-spray option for clean fruit is to bag them.

Aphid Damage

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Aphid

Posted on: May 16, 2019 by Maria Held

Aphids have been found on trees (ash, plum) and ornamental plants (roses, daisies). Look for sticky sap and curled distorted leaves. A stream of water is often all that is needed to dislodge the insects from the plant.

Ag Talk Tuesday Newsletter and schedule

All Crops    All Locations

Posted on: May 15, 2019 by Juliet Marshall

The newsletter reports on the first Ag Talk Tuesday held last week in Blackfoot, and provides the schedule for the rest of the ATT events for the summer.

Cabbage Looper

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Cabbage Looper Trichoplusia ni

Posted on: May 13, 2019 by Maria Held

Cabbage looper adults (moth) have been caught in pheromone traps.
Cabbage looper larvae feed on all cole crops (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, kale) and leave behind frass. Cover you cole crops with row cover or insect barrier to keep out the loopers.

Cull Potato Management

Potato    All Locations

cull potato managment

Posted on: May 13, 2019 by Kasia Duellman

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture requires cull potatoes from all potato operations to be rendered non-viable on a daily basis after April 15th in western Idaho and after May 15th in eastern Idaho. Dr. Kasia Duellman, UI CALS Extension Seed Potato Specialist has provided additional information about cull potato management. Click of the pdf below for additional information.

Lilac/Ash borer

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley - Idaho

Lilac/Aash borer Podosesia syringae

Posted on: May 10, 2019 by Maria Held

Lilac/Ash borers have been caught in traps. Trunk treatment of ash trees is indicated in 10-14 days when the eggs hatch.

Crops, Soils and Technology Field Day at the UI Parma R and E Center

All Crops    Treasure Valley

Posted on: May 10, 2019 by Jerry Neufeld

The University of Idaho Crops, Soils and Technology Field Day at the UI Parma Research and Extension Center is June 7, 2019; 8:45 to 1:00 pm, followed by lunch. Click on the pdf below for more information.

Peach Leaf Curl Detected

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Peach Leaf Curl

Posted on: May 7, 2019 by Maria Held

If you are experiencing symptoms of peach leaf curl make sure to spray this fall when most of the leaves are off the tree. Since it is a fungus there are no management options after infection has occurred.

Ag Talk Tuesdays - Blackfoot, 8 AM, May 7, Idaho AgCredit, 188 W Judicial St

All Crops    Eastern Idaho

Topics for this first session include but are not limited to small grains issues, early season weed control, and potato issues.

Posted on: May 3, 2019 by Juliet Marshall

We are starting this season's Ag Talk Tuesday!
The first Ag Talk Tuesday of 2019 is May 7, 8:00 AM in the conference room at Idaho AgCredit in Blackfoot, 188 W Judicial St: https://goo.gl/maps/BA9sEQsrGKDL9tQK9

Join UI Researchers, Extension Personnel, and agricultural professionals to learn about timely topics in crop production. These events will be offered on the first and third Tuesdays at 8AM throughout the growing season at different locations in eastern Idaho. Venue and location differ from session to session, so look for the announcements via Treasure Valley Pest Alerts (http://tvpestalert.net/), from UI Extension personnel, on the UI Extension Calendar (https://www.uidaho.edu/extension/news/calendar), and through the Potato Country website (https://potatocountry.com).

Topics for this first session include but are not limited to small grains issues, early season weed control, and potato issues.

Light breakfast fare will be provided (such as coffee, juice, and donuts).

lygus bug-alfalfa seed, 2019

Alfalfa Seed    Treasure Valley

lygus bug

Posted on: May 2, 2019 by Jerry Neufeld

The Lygus degree day calculator hosted by Integrated Plant Protection Center at Oregon State University and the IPM Centers - PNW Coalition shows that, depending on your location in the Treasure Valley, we have accumulated 175 degree days between January 1, 2019 and May 2, 2019. This is 5 days behind 2018, and the same as the 30-year average. Peak emergence of lygus bug 1st and 2nd instar nymphs should occur right around 272 accumulated degree days; this will occur around May 15, and is the time monitoring for lygus bugs in alfalfa seed fields should begin.

When using most insecticides, fields should be treated when numbers of lygus bugs reach 4-5 lygus bug nymphs per 180 degree sweep. Growers using Assail, or Beleaf, as stand-alone sprays probably should treat before 4th instar nymphs are detected.

Below are the instructions for using the degree day calculator.

1) Select the location nearest you by selecting the appropriate pin in the map at the top of the page. The above data are for the Parma location. Results likely will vary depending on the location selected.

2) Select “insects” in the category drop down box under the map, then select the “Lygus bug [alfalfa seed] Ben Simko 2000” model from the “Select model” link to the right of the Model box. It should be model 61 in the list.

3) The predicted date for the 275 degree day accumulation for peak 1st and 2nd instar lygus nymphs will be listed in the “DDs Event” text box. You also can view the full model output by selecting the button labeled “Click here to CALC/ RUN model w/daily output”

Also, below are the links to the “alfalfa seed-lygus bug” page in the PNW Insect Management Handbook, and the Assail label on the Idaho State Department of Agriculture website.

sugarbeet root maggot, 2019

Sugarbeets    All Locations

Posted on: April 29, 2019 by Jerry Neufeld

The growing degree day calculator (gdd) (hosted by the Integrated Plant Protection Center at Oregon State University; http://uspest.org/cgi-bin/ddmodel.us) for the sugarbeet root maggot fly shows that—depending on your location in the Treasure Valley—we have accumulated 295 gdd since January 1, 2019 and 263 gdd in the Magic Valley. Peak flight of root maggot flies should occur after 360 accumulated gdd when the maximum high temperature exceeds 80 degrees F. In the Treasure Valley this will be about May 7, in the Magic Valley this will be about May 12. The gdd model does an excellent job of predicting peak flight, but monitoring with orange sticky stake traps is the best way to get local information on fly numbers for a given field to determine if you have the threshold numbers of flies.
Root maggot flies will lay eggs near sugarbeet plants. After the larvae hatch they will begin feeding on the young sugarbeets. Look for these pests to appear in the western end of the Treasure Valley first. The optimal timing for applying granular insecticides against root maggots is within 10 days of peak flight. Granular insecticides must be watered in well to get good uptake by the sugarbeets. The link below from the 2019 PNW Insect Management handbook contains additional information about the sugarbeet root maggot. Visit with your field consultant from TASCO for treatment options.

cutworms in sugarbeets in Jamieson, Oregon area

Sugarbeets    Treasure Valley

cutworms

Posted on: April 25, 2019 by Jerry Neufeld

Amalgamated Sugar Company Field Consultant, Aaron Searle is reporting that cutworms and wireworms have been found in sugarbeet fields near Jamieson, Oregon. There are several species of cutworms that attack sugarbeets, but all are nocturnal, so you may see injury but not readily find the insect damaging the sugarbeets. Cutworms are usually worse in fields where there is crop residue, such as following alfalfa or corn. If you see “skips” in the field, dig around in the soil where you would have expected a plant and you will likely find the lower portion of a cut plant. Larvae are often found less than an inch below the soil surface near a damaged plant. Contact your TASCO Field Consultant for treatment options. Below is the link to the PNW Insect Management Handbook for cutworms in sugarbeets.

Weekend Weather Favored Fire Blight Development

Landscape and Garden    All Locations

Fire Blight

Posted on: April 23, 2019 by Maria Held

Weather conditions over the past weekend (rain and higher temperatures) were favorable for fire blight as pear and apple trees are blooming. This bacterial disease affects the rose plant family (Rosaceae ).
Temperatures over 70 F and moisture (rain, dew) foster fire blight development.
Monitor trees closely starting two weeks after full bloom (which is when infections start to become visible). Prune out new infections immediately (on a dry day).
Refer to the references below for additional information:

Spring Garden Festival and Plant Sale

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Posted on: April 22, 2019 by Maria Held

The Canyon County Master Gardeners Annual Spring Garden Festival and Plant Sale takes place on Saturday, April 27th from 9 am to 3 pm at the Canyon County Extension Office in Caldwell on 501 Main St.
A free Gardening 101 class is scheduled for 10 am and 1 pm. Informational tables on tomato trellising, transplanting, composting and more will be offered. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your questions.
A variety of vegetables (lots of tomato and pepper plants), herbs, annual and perennial flowers including succulents and pollinator plants, houseplants and a few shrubs and conifers are available for sale. Prices start at $1 up to $10 depending on type and size of plant.
All proceeds go to Master Gardener Scholarships.

World Potato Congress Webinar: “Best Management Practices for Seed Potato Handling from Storage to Planting”

All Crops    All Locations

Posted on: April 10, 2019 by Jeff Miller

World Potato Congress Inc. Offers its Third Webinar with Dr. Gary Secor Presenting: “Best Management Practices for Seed Potato Handling from Storage to Planting”.

The World Potato Congress (WPC) is very pleased to be offering its third webinar in its 2019 series with Dr. Gary Secor. Dr. Secor is a Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota, USA. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Montana State University, and his PhD from the University of California-Davis. He has worked with numerous potato diseases, concentrating in recent years on new disease discovery, potato late blight, zebra chip, fungicide resistance management in pathogens of potatoes and sugar beet, seed treatment, variety development, Fusarium diseases, bacterial soft rot, blemish diseases and post-harvest diseases.

Dr. Secor is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Dahl Excellence in Research from NDSU, Inspiring Teacher from NDSU, Meritorious Service Award from the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association, Distinguished Service Award from the Sugar Beet Industry of MN and ND, Meritorious Service Award from the National Potato Council, Honorary Life Membership from the Potato Association of America, Distinguished Service Award from the Potato Association of Chile, Distinguished Service Award from the American Society of Sugar Beet Technologists, and 2018 WPC Industry Award.

Dr. Secor’s presentation “Best Management Practices for Seed Potato Handling from Storage to Planting” will be live on April 25, 2019 at 08:00 a.m. Central Standard Time. The purpose of this webinar is to provide best management practices for selection and handling of seed potatoes from storage to planting to maximize seed potato performance in the field for quality and yield. This presentation will discuss factors affecting seed potato growth, how to select quality seed potatoes, and the importance of proper handling of seed potatoes during loading, transport, unloading and pre-plant storage. It will also discuss preparation of seed for planting, whether to use whole seed or cut seed, seed cutting and considerations for using of dust and liquid seed treatments. Descriptions of important early season diseases will be presented with suggestions for management by cultural and fungicide practices. This webinar will be valuable to seed growers, but it will be particularly valuable to anyone who buys and plants seed potatoes.

The host for the WPC webinar series will be WPC Director, Dr. Nora Olsen (norao@uidaho.edu).

Interested participants can register and will be able to interact with the presenters of the webinar. To register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_m2OyZ_UIShGmOEdFWZU-aA. Following your registration, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the webinar.

The webinars will be recorded and therefore, those who are unable to join us live can view these webinars via the WPC website www.potatocongress.org until December 31, 2019.

Please also mark your calendars for WPC’s fourth webinar with Cedric Porter. Mr. Porter is the Editor of Brexit Food & Farming, a unique monthly briefing tracking and analysing the impact of Brexit on the food and farming industries. Mr. Porter also co-edits World Potato Markets, a weekly briefing on global potato production, trade and prices. Mr. Porter webinar’s presentation will be: “World Potato Output and Trade” on May 14, 2019 at 09:00 Eastern Standard Time.

WPC looks forward to interacting with you during this initiative. We welcome all your feedback via info@potarocongress.org.

Worker Protection Standard Training

Announcements    Treasure Valley

Posted on: April 3, 2019 by Jerry Neufeld

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture is hosting a Worker Protection Standard, Train the Trainer session in Caldwell, ID April 9, 2019. Click on the pdf below for more information.

Dormant oil spray

Landscape and Garden    Treasure Valley

Posted on: March 15, 2019 by Maria Held

Despite the fact that we call it “dormant oil”, the timing of a horticultural oil spray is not when trees are still dormant. A better term would be a “delayed-dormant” application, because the oil should be applied after bud swell. This coincides with the increasing activity of the overwintering insect, such as aphid eggs, scale nymphs, and peach twig borer larvae.

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