Pests and Diseases

UPDATE! Expanded ACP Quarantine

UPDATE! Expanded ACP Quarantine in Stanislaus and Merced Counties

Two ACPs Found in City of Turlock

Stanislaus County has been placed under quarantine for the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) following the detection of two ACPs within the City of Turlock.  The expanded ACP quarantine also includes a portion of northern Merced County along its border with Stanislaus County.  The quarantine zone measures 101 square miles, bordered on the north by East Service Road; on the south by August Avenue; on the west by Blaker Road; and on the east by North Hickman Road.  The quarantine map for Stanislaus and Merced is available online at: www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/acp-maps.

The quarantine prohibits the movement of citrus and curry leaf tree nursery stock, including all plant parts except fruit, out of the quarantine area and requires that all citrus fruit be cleaned of leaves and stems prior to moving out of the quarantine area.  An exception may be made for nursery stock and budwood grown in USDA-approved structures which are designed to keep ACP and other insects out.  Residents with backyard citrus trees in the quarantine area are asked not to transport or send citrus fruit or leaves, potted citrus trees, or curry leaves from the quarantine area.

ACP county-wide quarantines are now in place in Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Ventura Counties, with portions of Alameda, Fresno, Kern, Madera, Merced, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Stanislaus counties also under quarantine.

The ACP is an invasive species of grave concern because it can carry the disease huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening.  All citrus and closely related species, such as curry leaf trees, are susceptible hosts for both the insect and disease.  There is no cure once the tree becomes infected; the diseased tree will decline in health and produce bitter, misshaped fruit until it dies.  In California, HLB has only been detected in 2012 and 2015 on residential properties in Los Angeles County.  This plant disease does not affect human health.

Residents in the area who think they may have seen ACP or symptoms of HLB on their trees are urged to call CDFA’s Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899 or your local agricultural commissioner’s office (Stanislaus County (209) 525-4730; Merced County (209) 385-7431).  For more information on the ACP and HLB, please visit: www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/acp.

2021-05-12T11:06:00-07:00December 28th, 2015|

Ruthann Anderson, CAPCA’s New CEO

Ruthann Anderson, CAPCA’s New CEO, Talks Leadership

By Brian German, Associate Editor

On January 1, Ruthann Anderson will become the new President and CEO for the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA), based in Sacramento.

Anderson told CaliforniaAgToday.com, “I’ve been with CAPCA for several years, and I have grown up here in the Valley. I’m a big proponent of agriculture and what we do, and the whole idea of how our PCAs fit into the bigger picture of agriculture.”

PCAs assist growers in pest, disease and weed control—all threats to ag production. PCAs recommend control products that will either prevent issues or control them outright. Anderson explained, “We like to call them our plant doctors. And really they are so vital, not only on advising our growers, but also in making sure we protect California’s agriculture, we maintain the yields that we need, and we continue to move forward as the global leader in producing and feeding the world,” noted Anderson.

Anderson said she is excited about what 2016 will bring to CAPCA members, “We are excited to launch new projects, including the Leadership Institute for our PCAs to really showcase their professionalism as well as their ability to be leaders here in agriculture.”

Anderson noted the CAPCA Leadership Program is a legacy plan started by former long-term CEO, Terry Stark. “Terry drafted the program, and we are just building on it and making it even better,” said Anderson.

CAPCA represents about 3500 members throughout California.

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Link:

California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA)

2021-05-12T11:06:00-07:00December 28th, 2015|

Avian Influenza

Waterfowl  Migration Flyways Have Poultry Industry on Guard

By Brian German, Associate Editor

We are at the peak of migrating bird traffic flying north to south, and poultry operations throughout California and the rest of the country are looking skyward with dread. The industry aims to detect all flyways as migrating birds are suspected of spreading Asian Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1) virus that devastated the poultry business last year throughout the Midwest with some lesser problems in California. In fact, more than 48 million birds, primarily turkeys and laying hens, were infected and had to be depopulated last year throughout the Midwest.

“These global flyways waterfowl use to move north and south and back again every year are basically like freeways,” said Maurice Pitesky, a Veterinarian and UC Cooperative Extension assistant specialist and UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine lecturer in Population Health & Reproduction. “And in those freeway lanes,” he continued, “different birds interface with each other. We have a Pacific flyway that covers California, which can interface with the East Asia and Australian flyways. If you look at the genetics found in North America, especially in California, the genetics match some of the HPAI found in South Korea.”

Locating birds in flyways can alert poultry operations to implement immediate measures to prevent potential HPAI spreading on anything on the outside or inside of the poultry house.

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Feral Swine Also a Problem

Pitesky noted a great abundance of feral swine in California, and the geographical extent is poorly understood. “But what we do know with respect to influenza is that although feral swine, and swine in general, are unique species, influenza viruses from humans and influenza viruses from birds can infect swine. That represents one of the ways we get new strains of Avian Influenza that could adversely affect all animals, including birds and potentially humans,” he noted.

Of course, poultry HPAI is not a problem for humans. Pitesky noted, “When people say ‘highly pathogenic,’ it has nothing to do with whether humans get it or not. The ‘highly pathogenic’ label is specifically for birds in that it makes birds sick. There is no evidence any of those strains we found in North America are zoonotic, meaning able to infect humans, at this point,” he said.

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Biosecurity Explained – 6 Simple Steps

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) wants to help poultry owners keep their birds healthy by practicing biosecurity to reduce the chances exposure to animal diseases such as avian influenza (AI) or exotic Newcastle disease (END).

APHIS advises the following consistent daily biosecurity practices:

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The USDA’s Fall 2015 HPAI Preparedness and Response Plan to preventing and responding to future HPAI cases, in collaboration with industry and State partners, includes:

 Promoting improved on-farm biosecurity practices in order to prevent future HPAI cases to the greatest extent possible

 Improving HPAI surveillance in wild birds as a means to provide “early warning” risk information to States and industry

 Expanding Federal, State and industry response capabilities, including availability of personnel, equipment, and depopulation, disposal and recovery options

 Improving USDA’s capabilities to rapidly detect HPAI in domestic poultry and to depopulate affected flocks within 24 hours to reduce the environmental load of HPAI viruses and their subsequent spread

 Streamlining the processes for payment of indemnity and the cost of eliminating viruses so that producers receive a fair amount quickly, to assist them in returning to production

 Enhancing our ability to communicate in a timely and effective way with producers, consumers, legislators, media, and others regarding outbreaks and other information

 Making preparations to identify and deploy effective AI vaccines should they be a cost beneficial addition to the eradication efforts in a future HPAI outbreak.

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Resources:

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine 

2015 Avian Influenza News (Bird Flu)

California Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) Laboratory System

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CDFA

Poultry Facility Biosecurity Risk Assessment Guide: “We will always be one step ahead.”

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak in the United States

Avian Entry Requirements into California Update

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USDA

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

2015 Avian Influenza News 

Avian Influenza Disease

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2021-05-12T11:17:15-07:00December 22nd, 2015|

PIGS RESISTANT TO PRRS VIRUS

FIRST PIGS RESISTANT TO PRRS VIRUS

By Laurie Greene, Editor

First detected in the U.S. in 1987, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRS Virus or PRSSv), a recently recognized incurable viral disease of pigs that can cause animal reproductive failure, reduced growth and premature death, costs American farmers approximately $600 million in damages each year.[1] Genus PIC, a global pioneer in animal genetics, announced the development of the first pigs resistant to PRRS Virus through a long-standing collaboration with the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. Specifically, they bred pigs that do not produce a protein necessary for the virus to spread.

The swine industry is invaluable to California’s agriculture, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and the demand for swine in California is increasing greatly. Expanding ethnic populations have created new demands in the marketplace.

CDFA’s Animal Health Branch aids in the management of swine diseases because of the highly contagious nature of some diseases to swine, other species of livestock and/or people. Due to expanding international trade and travel, highly transmissible foreign animal disease can spread rapidly if undetected or detected but not reported.

Currently, CDFA participates in monitoring for PRRSv through the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System; however, since no vaccine has been effective and no control program has been proposed, preventing the spread of PRRSv within and between pig populations is a critical component of a farm’s disease control program.

CDFA Animal Health and Food Safety Services’ swine health experts recommend farmers look for blisters on hooves and on the snout, unusual or unexplained illness, hemorrhagic septicemias, unusual skin lesions ranging from cyanotic patches on the ears and abdomen to raised, scabby lesions mainly on the legs, high morbidity or mortality. If you suspect you are dealing with such a disease, contact CDFA at (916) 900-5002 or your district office.

Genus is dedicated to the responsible exploration of new innovations that benefit the wellbeing of animals, farmers, and ultimately consumers. PIC, a subsidiary of Genus, is the global leader in providing genetically superior pig breeding stock and technical support for maximizing genetic potential to commercial pork producers. PIC has been delivering genetic improvements for over 50 years.

The University of Missouri has signed a global licensing deal for future commercialization with Genus. If development continues, Genus will seek approvals and registration from governments before a wider market release. Genus expects that it will be at least five years until PRRSV resistant animals will be available to farmers.

(Photo Source: USDA)

[1] Holtkamp, Derald J.; Kliebenstein, James B.; Zimmerman, Jeffrey J.; Neumann, Eric; Rotto, Hans; Yoder, Tiffany K.; Wang, Chong; Yeske, Paul; Mowrer, Christine L.; and Haley, Charles (2012) “Economic Impact of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus on U.S. Pork Producers,” Animal Industry Report: AS 658, ASL R2671. Available at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ans_air/vol658/iss1/3

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Sources

Basi, Christian, Pigs that are Resistant to Incurable Disease Developed at University of Missouri: Discovery about PRRS virus could save swine industry hundreds of millions of dollars; Exclusive deal signed with global leader in animal genetics, December 8, 2015

CDFA Swine Health Information And Resources

California Pork Producers Association

Genus tackles major pig disease with breakthrough technology, December 8, 2015

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS)

Schmidt, Stephen, Big Cat Collaboration: CAFNR geneticist teams up with Kansas State researcher to make PRRSv-resistant pigs, December 8, 2015

2016-05-31T19:27:01-07:00December 16th, 2015|

Pesticides Registered in California

30-Day Final Decision Notice To Register Pesticide Products

Pursuant to Title 3, California Code of Regulations section 6255, the Director of the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), files this Notice of Final Decisions to Register Pesticide Products with the Secretary of the Resources Agency for posting.  For products conditionally registered pending the submission of specific data, the Director found that the use of the products during the time period(s) while the data are being developed is not expected to cause any significant adverse effect on the environment; there is a clear need for the products in California while the data are being developed; and that the benefits of using the products outweigh risks to human health and the environment.  Conditional registration cannot be granted unless all the data required by Title 3, California Code of Regulations section 6200 and the other requirements of that section are satisfied.  This notice must remain posted for a period of 30 days for public inspection.  Contacts regarding this notice should be made to the Department of Pesticide Regulation’s Pesticide Registration Branch at (916) 445-4400.

Ann M. Prichard, branch chief, California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) Pesticide Registration Branch, posting the following TODAY:

Pesticides

California’s pesticide use reporting program, according to the DPR, is recognized as the most comprehensive in the world. In 1990, California became the first state to require full reporting of agricultural pesticide use in response to demands for more realistic and comprehensive pesticide use data. Under the program, all agricultural pesticide use must be reported monthly to county agricultural commissioners, who in turn, report the data to DPR.

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Link:

California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR)

2016-05-31T19:27:02-07:00December 11th, 2015|

Technology Advances Agriculture

Mike Wade: Technology Advances Agriculture

By Charmayne Hefley, Associate Editor

As it improves, technology advances agriculture; growers find ways to incorporate new advances. Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition, said, “Agriculture has always adopted new available technology once it becomes affordable. Farmers are willing adopters to become more efficient, whether it’s drip irrigation, soil management or reducing evapotranspiration.”

Wade said farmers are using drones on their farms to further advance their agricultural efficiency. “Drone technology isn’t something magical,” he said, “it’s simply a way to fly sensors over a field to gauge water use, evapotranspiration, plant stress, disease pressure and any number of different sensors a drone can carry to gather information for farmers to make better crop production decisions.”

Wade said, “California agriculture leads the world in food production and food quality. We have a direct partnership with consumers around the world. It’s important for agriculture to tell its story, for farmers to talk about the great improvements made with the new technology they adopt and to enhance the relationship we have with the consumers who buy our food.”

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The California Farm Water Coalition was formed in 1989 in the midst of a six-year drought. CFWC was formed to increase public awareness of agriculture’s efficient use of water and promote the industry’s environmental sensitivity regarding water.

2016-05-31T19:27:02-07:00December 7th, 2015|

More Rain, More Fungi, More Use for Multiuse Fungicides

With More Rain, More Fungi, More Use for Multiuse Fungicides

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Deputy Editor

With spring rains, many vegetables, tree fruits, grapes and nuts succumb to fungi pressure. However, during the past few years, only trivial amounts of spring rain have moistened California’s soil and lulled farmers to abandon their vigilant watch for fungi proliferation. But now, the strong likelihood of El niño-driven wet weather this spring could catch growers off-guard.

“We have an El niño coming that has already been tagged, ‘Too big to fail,’ which will bring a lot of rain. So it’s really important for folks to think about switching gears this year on their pest management mindset. With more rain, comes more fungi disease. We always see really high pressure disease years with rain,” said Kate Walker a technical services representative with BASF Corporation on the Central Coast, who advises use of a multiuse fungicide product already on hand.

Anthracnose in Strawberries, UC Statewide IPM Project

Anthracnose in Strawberries (Source: UC Statewide IPM Project

Strawberries, in particular, are vulverable to fungi. “We have heard from our strawberry growers,” said Walker, “that these fungal diseases are always present in California, but they vary significantly in their severity year-to-year depending on the weather,” noted Walker.

“One major disease that accompanies higher moisture, Anthracnose, often called leaf, shoot, or twig blight,” Walker explained, “results from infection caused by the fungus Colletotrichum. I’ve heard some growers have not experienced Anthracnose issues in 10 years,” said Walker. “As it emerges and becomes more problematic in strawberries, farmers really need to know which types of fungicides to use to manage this and other diseases.”

“It is very important for farmers and PCAs to walk through and scout their fields for disease,” Walker said, “and when they identify one, to become very aggressive with their fungicide management program. So, as representatives for BASF, we are lucky to have multiuse fungicide products available to control these diseases, such as Merivon Fungicide.”

Walker noted Merivon has two modes of action, “so it is very broad-spectrum. Typically we position Merivon in California for use on powdery mildew and Botrytis, but what we seldom talk to growers about is its utility for Anthracnose. We see a lot more  Anthracnose in Florida and on the East Coast due to the increased rains; whereas, it usually doesn’t come through every year in California. So it is good to for farmers and PCSs to know that the product with which they are familiar for use in Botrytis, is also very effective with other issues, like Anthracnose.”

Walker offered, “Another very common disease that flourishes with increased rain, Rhizopus, occurs post-harvest, after the berries are picked up from the field. Again, Merivon has utility for Rhizopus as well, so growers don’t have to change or reinvent their program to manage these diseases.”

Walker said, “Rhizopus is an airborne bread mold. It is very common in the air and in the soil, so anytime a fruit or a nut is exposed to the spores blowing in the wind, it is vulnerable to infection with this disease.”

2016-05-31T19:27:02-07:00December 4th, 2015|

Avian Influenza Mapping Plan to Prevent CA Outbreaks

High Pathogenic Avian Influenza Mapping Plan (HPAI) to Prevent Outbreaks in California

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Deputy Editor

In 2014 and 2015, the outbreak of High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) caused unprecedented damage to the mid-western commercial poultry industry, requiring the depopulation of 48 million birds, particularly turkeys and laying hens. There were isolated cases in last autumn in California as well. Migrating birds, generally considered to be the source of HPAI, move throughout the state in their flyways this time of year.

USDA Pacific Flyway Map

USDA Pacific Flyway Map

Maurice Pitesky, a UC Cooperative Extension population health & reproduction assistant specialist with an appointment in poultry health and food safety, emphasized the importance of the flyways, “These global flyways that waterfowl use to move north and south and back again every single year are like freeways. And in those freeway lanes, different birds interface with each other.  So, we might have a Pacific flyway that covers California, but that Pacific flyway can interface with the East Asian and Australian flyway in the Northern Arctic. If you look at the genetics of the strains that were found in North America, especially in California, the genetics match some of the HPAI found in South Korea for example,” Pitesky said.

The Avian Influenza Mapping Plan is like overlaying maps of birds’ flying patterns for an early warning system for commercial operations. Pitesky observed, “We’re really just scratching the surface in how we can utilize maps with respect to surveillance and risk-mapping. For example, if I can locate on a map, where waterfowl, flooded rice fields, or wet fields are, and I can also determine where commercial poultry operations are, then I can start understanding which operations are at highest risk.”

I can triage my focus, outreach, and biosecurity efforts to those farms that are most closely located.

“New techniques are available so our national network of weather radar can actually be leveraged, and that data can be utilized remotely to understand in real time where waterfowl are hanging out. Eventually we can use that information to warn farmers in real time if there are migrating waterfowl near their farm,” he said.

2016-05-31T19:27:03-07:00November 18th, 2015|

Subsurface Drip Efficiency

Subsurface Drip Efficiency in Pomegranates

By Charmayne Hefley, Associate Editor

Subsurface drip irrigation, a more efficient form of water delivery, is growing in popularity and utilized on a widening range of crops. Claude James Phene, a research consultant for the UC Cooperative Extension, said subsurface drip efficiency is evident with both water and nitrogen in pomegranates.Pomegranate tree

Using a lysimeter, a big box on a calibrated truck scale that measures evapotranspiration, Phene can calculate the precise water requirement for pomegranates according to the soil moisture feedback indicated by the machine. Based on these calculations, Phene can make clear water recommendations to growers so they can accommodate the needs of their plants without exceeding them.

Because it is buried and targeted, subsurface drip irrigation also helps control weeds and reduce animal and traffic disturbances.

This six-year study has also demonstrated these drip lines prevent leaching—the loss of nutrients in the soil—that occurs with other types of irrigation systems. Phene explained, “The lysimeters are equipped with a drop-tube at the bottom so we can measure the nitrogen in any output to determine how much leaching occurs and to make recommendations on fertilizer.”

2016-05-31T19:27:04-07:00November 4th, 2015|

Winegrape Rootstock Trials

Winegrape Rootstock Trials for Pest Resistance and Vine Productivity

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Deputy Editor

Larry Bettiga, a viticulture farm advisor with UC Cooperative Extension, Monterey County, is working with county growers on winegrape rootstock trials to increase vine productivity.

“Several things have happened,” noted Bettiga,“we are replanting vineyards on former vineyard lands, where a build-up of soil pests already exists. Farmers used to grow a lot of beans and tomatoes in the Valley, so we’ve had a lot of root-knot nematode populations from past cropping patterns.”

“We’ve recently seen ring nematode populations developing at multiple vineyard sites,” Bettiga continued. “With the loss of more effective fumigants, and then the loss of post-plant-type nematicides, the use of nematode-resistant roots is becoming more critical to the success of replanting these vineyards. We have hopes that Andy Walker, a UC Davis viticulture professor and grape breeder, is going to supply us with some better options than we currently have.”

“We have a site where we are comparing five new rootstocks that were released from UC Davis with a number of our standard rootstocks. We are just starting that work, so obviously we have to look at them for several years to get a good feel for how those stalks will fit in comparison to what we are now using,” he noted.

2016-05-31T19:27:05-07:00October 30th, 2015|

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