Grapevines have a natural defense mechanism against Glassy-winged sharpshooter, a notorious vector for Pierce’s disease, that researchers are trying to learn more about. Watch this brief interview with Julie Pedraza from the Fresno State Viticulture & Enology Research Center and read more about it n American Vineyard Magazine.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) announced $1.78 million in Alliance Grants for five projects that aim to increase the speed and the scale at which safer, more sustainable pest management practices are adopted across the state. Each project will promote innovative Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems and practices in agricultural, urban or wildland settings.
“Alliance Grants directly support the department’s mission to foster methods and tools to reduce reliance on pesticides and their impact on human health and the environment,” said DPR Director Julie Henderson. “We are excited by the potential of these five projects and will continue to invest in projects that promote the development and use of safer, more sustainable pest management.”
DPR’s Alliance Grants Program funds projects that promote IPM, an approach that uses the least-toxic, effective method to solve pest problems. Since 2007, DPR has awarded more than $7.8 million in Alliance Grants. The enhanced funds for the 2022 DPR Grants Programs cycle were allocated by the 2021-22 state budget and represent a more than five-fold increase in available funding opportunities compared to historical funding levels.
Alliance Grants are awarded to groups of experts and partners, also referred to as Alliance Teams, who work collaboratively to accomplish the goals of a given project.
Alliance projects funded for agricultural pest management:
Alliance projects funded for urban pest management:
Alliance projects funded for wildlands pest management:
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation protects human health and the environment by fostering safer and sustainable pest management practices and operating a robust regulatory system to evaluate and register pesticides and monitor and regulate their sale and use across the state.
DPR’s work includes conducting scientific evaluations of pesticides to assess and mitigate potential harm to human health and the environment prior to and following registration registering all pesticides prior to sale or use in California, monitoring for pesticides in the air and water, and enforcing pesticide laws and regulations in coordination with 55 County Agricultural Commissioners and their combined 400 field inspectors across the state’s 58 counties. DPR invests in innovative research, outreach, and education to encourage the development and adoption of integrated pest management tools and practices and conducts outreach to ensure pesticide workers, farmworkers and local communities have access to pesticide safety information.
The ongoing drought is putting more than enough pressure on our dairy feed producers as it is in California; however, alfalfa weevil also continues to wage war over the state’s alfalfa crop as insecticide resistance for this pest continues to build. Watch this brief interview with Ian Grettenberger from the UC Cooperative Extension as he explains the situation. Read more about it in California Dairy Magazine.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Clean Energy for their industry support.
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) today opened the application period for the 2023 Alliance and Research Grants cycle, offering $4.65 million in potential funding to accelerate the transition to safer, more sustainable pest management in agricultural, urban and wildland settings.
“California is a leader in the development of more sustainable pest management,” said DPR Director Julie Henderson. “DPR-funded grant projects are critical to identifying and fostering new methods and tools to reduce reliance on pesticides and their impact on human health and the environment.”
The increased funding for the 2023 Alliance and Research Grants, provided for in the 2021-2022 state budget, supports the state’s goal to accelerate and increase the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in agricultural, urban, and wildland settings. IPM is an innovative approach to pest management that uses the least-toxic, most effective method to solve pest problems.
Over the last 20 years, the department has invested more than $22 million to fund 92 projects within the Research and Alliance Grant programs. Last year’s DPR Grants Programs cycle represented the first year of increased funding allocated by the state budget. The department awarded $3.75 million in Research Grants to fund 10 research projects that explore IPM tools for urban, non-agricultural and agricultural pest management. DPR expects to award an additional $1.8 million in Alliance Grants funding later this month.
The 2023 Research Grants Program will award grants for projects up to two and a half years in length that develop pest management tools and practices to reduce the use of high-risk pesticides or decrease the impacts of pest management chemicals on public health and the environment. Project budgets may range from $50,000 to $3.15 million. Research Grant applications will be accepted through Thursday, September 22, 2022.
Highlights from past Research Grants projects include:
The 2023 Alliance Grants Program will award grants for projects up to two and a half years in length that promote or increase the implementation, expansion and/or adoption of effective, proven and affordable IPM systems or practices. Project budgets may range from $50,000 to $1.5 million. Alliance Grant applications will be accepted through Thursday, December 8, 2022.
Highlights from past Alliance Grants projects include:
For more information on the Alliance Grants and Research Grants Programs, including how to join our virtual information sessions aimed at providing grant applicants with additional information and answering questions on how to apply, please visit our department’s website.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation protects human health and the environment by fostering safer and sustainable pest management practices and operating a robust regulatory system to evaluate and register pesticides and monitor and regulate their sale and use across the state.
DPR’s work includes conducting scientific evaluations of pesticides to assess and mitigate potential harm to human health and the environment prior to and following registration, registering all pesticides prior to sale or use in California, monitoring for pesticides in the air and water, and enforcing pesticide laws and regulations in coordination with 55 County Agricultural Commissioners and their combined 400 field inspectors across the state’s 58 counties. DPR invests in innovative research, outreach, and education to encourage the development and adoption of integrated pest management tools and practices and conducts outreach to ensure pesticide workers, farmworkers and local communities have access to pesticide safety information.
The Pierce’s Disease/Glassy Winged Sharpshooter Board (PD/GWSS Board) recently voted to set the grower assessment rate in support of the Pierce’s Disease Control Program (Program) at $1.25 per $1,000 of crop value for the 2022 harvest. This assessment provides vital funding for research on GWSS and other designated vineyard pests and for research on developing crop resistance to PD.
“CAWG fully supports this important program and we thank growers for their funding of the program,” said Tom Slater, Chair of the California Association of Winegrape Growers. “Inflation has increased costs of every aspect of our industry which includes research and costs of the Pierce’s Disease Control Program. CAWG appreciates the volunteer work of the PD/GWSS Board members, who represent the industry. Their due diligence, including choosing to invest in a science audit, helps contain costs and assure our assessment dollars are spent wisely.”
“Wine Institute commends the Pierce’s Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board and staff for their decades of work to protect California’s vineyards from invasive pests and diseases,” said Robert P. Koch, President & CEO of Wine Institute. “This commitment to research will continue to provide significant benefits to our wine communities.”
In considering the 2022 rate adjustment, the PD/GWSS Board sought sufficient funds to support testing of clean plant material at UC Davis and an audit by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). NAS will create an interdisciplinary committee to assess the current struggles facing the California wine grape industry in controlling grapevine viruses, with a specific focus on Grapevine red blotch virus and Grapevine leafroll associated virus type 3.
“As the PD/GWSS Board discussed the assessment rate, we were mindful of the cost pressures our industry is facing and carefully constructed the upcoming budget to best balance our assessment dollars for maximum impact,” said Will Drayton, PD/GWSS Board chair. “We also know California winegrape growers continue to face pressure from grapevine viruses. As we set the Board’s budget for the coming year, we want to ensure growers have clean plant material and that the Board continues to wisely invest grower dollars in the best research for solutions to pests and diseases.”
The committee will review the current and recent research activities of the PD/GWSS Board, and help direct a future funding approach to address the knowledge and management gaps required to minimize the spread of, and economic losses due to these viruses. The committee will also identify ways in which the PD/GWSS Board can draw from a wider breadth of researchers and utilize cutting edge genetic tools and platforms to combat these virus problems.
Over the 21-year history of the program, the assessment has ranged from a high of $3.00 in 2001 to a low of $0.75 in 2015. The average annual harvest assessment is $1.40. The assessment was $1.00 for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 harvests. The 2022 harvest assessment will provide an estimated $3.5 million in funding.
Since 2019, the PD/GWSS Board has committed more than $11 million to research that benefits vineyard health. Below are a few examples of the outcomes of that research:
Discovery of potential biological control of PD using Paraburkholderia phytofirmans by Steven Lindow at UC Berkeley. The Board funded a new project this year at UC Davis to assess efficacy and compare with other biological control PD control tools, with the goal to produce data that would help directly lead to commercialization.
The recent successful laboratory use and publication of CRISPR/Cas9 genetic technology in GWSS through work at UC Riverside, which has the potential to revolutionize PD vector control by making GWSS unable to vector PD.
Improved understanding of the effects of grapevine red blotch on vine physiology and wine composition through recent work at UC Davis.
Improved understanding and communication of research-based control measures for Pierce’s disease as well as Board-designated viral diseases (red blotch, leafroll and fan leaf) through work at UC Cooperative Extension, Cornell University, and UC Berkeley.
The Program has also had great success in treatment of GWSS in rural, suburban and urban settings. This includes nursey treatments, area wide management and the ongoing treatment for GWSS in residential Vacaville.
A recent study led at UC Cooperative Extension, Kern County, found that Program-led efforts in area wide management of GWSS in the southern San Joaquin Valley have been a success and a good model for disease control.
As planting season begins across the West, Western Plant Health is reminding farmers about the importance of following basic steps that will help ensure the ongoing stewardship of pesticide-treated seeds, which help reduce the overall use of pesticides.
This major agricultural advance provides seed treatments that help protect developing seeds during their most vulnerable time – at planting and germination. Their highly targeted, precise application means less impact on the surrounding environment.
Studies have shown that without this innovation, up to 5X’s more pesticides would have to be applied by traditional means to the crop. Fewer applications also require fewer tractor passes, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions and offers yet another way for farmers to mitigate climate change.
Treated seeds represent one of many valuable and innovative approaches enabling farmers in the West to be more productive, while using resources more efficiently and protecting the environment. That is why adopting these best practices is critical:
1) Follow label directions on seed containers;
2) Eliminate flowering plants and weeds in the field prior to planting;
3) Minimize dust by using advanced seed flow lubricants and mechanisms;
4) “Bee Aware” of honey bees and hives located near the field;
5) Ensure that any spilled seeds are removed to protect wildlife and the environment; and
6) Remove all treated seed left in containers and equipment after each planting, and dispose of any remaining seeds after planting is completed.
These are simple, effective and important stewardship practices when it comes to treated seeds. Let’s help protect this critical technology for farmers by observing these practices. Remember, always follow label directions on seed containers for proper handling, storage, planting and disposal to minimize risk to applicators, wildlife and the environment!
Farmers are the original environmentalists; properly using treated seeds is a way to continue that tradition and value to protect the land for future generations. – By Renee Pinel, President & CEO of Western Plant Health Association
Mold is something that most people try to avoid, but NASA may soon welcome a certain type of mold aboard its spacecraft.
On long-distance space voyages of the future, astronauts will have to grow some of their own food. That could be problematic, as there is notoriously little unused space aboard ship and crops take a long time to grow. But what if science could find a way around those issues?
“Some plants grow extremely fast, like many common weeds, while others grow very slowly,” said Chris Dardick, molecular biologist at the Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, WV. “What if we could make crop plants grow as fast as weeds? We have done just that.”
ARS scientists found that an airborne fungus, Cladosporium sphaerospermumstrain TC09, speeds up plant growth. TC09 produces gasses, known as volatiles, that dramatically accelerate plant growth. TC09 is commonly found indoors and is not known to cause disease in plants or any ailments to humans or animals.
“When the mold is grown alongside plants in a sealed container, the TC09-exposed plants grow 2 to 5 times faster,” Dardick said. “And if you feed the plants sugar at the same time, they can grow 10 to 25 times faster in the presence of TC09.”
Not only do the plants grow faster, they tend to have thicker stems, larger leaves, and a more robust root system than plants not exposed to TC09. They also produce far greater yield – pepper plants produced up to 213% more fruit. Lettuce, arugula, kale, basil, and other leafy greens showed similar results.
“How TC09 stimulates such rapid plant growth is currently unknown,” he said, “but it has become the interest of NASA to find out.”
According to Dardick, NASA has tested TC09 on some of their most prized crops including “outredgeous” (red romaine) lettuce and mizuna, finding that TC09 worked extremely well in the artificial media typically used in spaceflight. In addition, NASA is constructing two plant growth chambers similar to what is used on the International Space Station that will be housed at the ARS research lab in Disney’s Epcot Center.
Discovering how TC09 works could give NASA the solutions it’s looking for, regarding space and time limitations, Dardick said. Such technology could also revolutionize food production here on Earth as farmers face the challenge of feeding a population projected to reach 9.9 billion by 2050.
This initial investigation was sponsored by the ISS U.S. National Laboratory, which works in coordination with NASA to fully utilize the orbiting laboratory to bring value to our nation through space-based research and technology development. – By Scott Elliott, USDA-ARS Office of Communications. Autumn Canaday contributed to this story.
Root rot is a term referring to any disease where the pathogen damage and deteriorate the plant’s root system. Root rot can occur on most woody and herbaceous plants. Root rot is caused by many soil-borne fungi. Most fungi causing root rot to prefer wet soil conditions. Some of them produce spores (microscopic biological particles that allow fungi to be reproduced) that can survive for a long time in soil or plants debris.
Symptoms
Cause
Management
Before infection
After Infection
— By Amir Rezazadeh, University of Florida Extension
Reference:
UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Avocado
https://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/avocado/Phytophthora-root-rot/