The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will be providing  one-day training in cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) and bacterial fruit blotch (BFB) of cucurbits 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on  May 1 and on May 2, 2014, at the CDFA Plant Pest Diagnostics Branch, 3294 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, CA 95832.

The training is geared toward county agricultural commissioners’ staff and cucurbit seed and transplant growers of Yolo, Sutter and Colusa counties.  This training will be provided in collaboration with members from the seed industry and the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Topics covered will include:

• CGMMV/BFB 2013 detections, subsequent actions taken, current status and future perspectives;
• Impact on California seed industry;
• Biological perspectives – symptoms, biology, management;
• Field detection protocols and bio-security measures;
• Sterile seed sampling and seed law considerations;
• Federal perspectives on CGMMV and other invasive species.

Training to other counties will be provided on later dates.

Seating is limited and early registration via RSVP is mandatory by April 24, 2014 to the California Seed Association (CSA). Register  by email: betsy@agamsi.com or fax: 916-446-1063.  See attached flyer for registration and more information. Parking is free and lunch will be provided by CSA.

Featured Photo by Dennis H. Hall. (UC Davis IPM): Cantaloupe leaves infected with Cucumber Mosaic Virus showing vein clearing, mosaic and necrosis.