California Ag Network

Tag: Pest Control

  • American Pistachio Growers Awarded $1 Million for Regional Pest Management Collaboration

    American Pistachio Growers (APG), in collaboration with Washington State University, University of California – Riverside, UC Cooperative Extension, the USDA Agricultural Research Service and regional nut industry partners, has been awarded a $1 million grant through the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS) Program to develop a Regional Integrated Pest Management (IPM) network for Navel Orangeworm (NOW) — the most damaging pest in California’s tree nut industry.

    The project, led by Dr. Houston Wilson (UC Riverside), Dr. David Crowder (WSU), Dr. Jhalendra Rijal (UC IPM), and Dr. Charles Burks (USDA ARS) will pilot a groundbreaking Decision Aid System (DAS) that integrates real-time trap data, weather models, and crop phenology into a single communication platform. The goal is to improve the timing and precision of pest control decisions while fostering regional cooperation among almond, pistachio, and walnut growers.

    “This project moves us beyond the farm gate,” said Joe Coelho, APG’s Director of Sustainability and Member Outreach, who serves as Technical Agronomist and PCA on the project. “For the first time, growers across commodities will have access to shared regional data and communication tools that allow them to anticipate pest pressure before it hits their fields and ultimately make precise, timely treatment decisions. The outcome is fewer sprays, lower costs, and higher quality nuts.”

    Through field-level data acquisition, the system’s meta-analytics will identify regional flight trends coupled with crop-specific phenological development and enhance forecasting of NOW flights — critical steps in breaking the pest’s lifecycle across neighboring farms. Ultimately, the program is expected to help reduce pesticide use, improve nut quality, and lower aflatoxin risk associated with pest damage.

    APG will serve as the grower administration partner, coordinating grower participation and outreach. Carlee Branco, APG Grant Programs Administrator, will conduct on-farm grower coordination, engagement and data collection. “This is a major milestone for sustainable pest management,” said Coelho, “and it demonstrates APG’s leadership in advancing research that directly benefits growers.”

    The Regional IPM for Navel Orangeworm Project represents a pivotal step toward the state’s Sustainable Pest Management (SPM) Roadmap by providing a scalable, data-driven framework that can be expanded statewide.

    “This is exactly the kind of innovation California agriculture needs,” said Dr. Wilson. “Regional coordination is essential to long-term pest reduction, especially for highly mobile insects like the navel orangeworm, and this project will now put those ideas into practice at scale.”

    The program launches in early 2026, with pilot regions in West Fresno County and Modesto, serving as the foundation for a future statewide expansion. Growers within these territories who are interested should contact Carlee Branco for more information at cbranco@americanpistachios.org.

    American Pistachio Growers (APG) is a non-profit trade association representing more than 800 growers and processors across California, Arizona, and New Mexico. APG’s mission is to enhance grower profitability through global marketing, industry research, and sustainability initiatives that promote economically viable and environmentally responsible pistachio production.

  • Scouting for Vine Mealybug and Other Pests with American Vineyard Live

    Kent Daane, UC Cooperative Extension Entomology Specialist, and Jeannine Lowrimore of Pacific Bio Control join American Vineyard Live to discuss some of the best practices for control of Vine Mealybug and other vineyard pests this summer. Watch the one hour presentation now or listen at the links below.

    Special thanks to the title sponsor Pacific Bio Control.

    Watch our previous Presentation: What Weeds are Telling You About Your Soil Health with American Vineyard Live

  • Mealybug Management – In or Out of Sync

    UC IPM Advisor David Haviland recently shared some tips on mealybug control. The goal is to lower mealybug populations, prevent movement, protect the cluster and keep the vines compatible for biocontrol (especially postharvest). Some insecticides effective against vine mealybug include: Chlorpyrifos (delayed-dormant treatment), Buprofezin (best against crawlers), Spirotetramat (foliar applied/systemic in the phloem and xylem), and Neonicotinoids (some soil, some foliar applied).

    Moving into 2018, Haviland recommended growers and PCAs consider how temperature and weather impacts pest populations. “Insect development is often driven by temperature,” he said. “When the temperatures are higher, the mealybugs are more active and develop more quickly. In some springs, temperatures gradually warm up over time, and mealybug development is fairly synchronized. This allows growers to use products or growth regulators geared toward controlling the crawler stage in the spring, and they are very effective when the insects are synchronized in their development stage.”

    “But in other years, early season temperatures vary from warming up to cold again with inconsistent weather patterns, and this confuses the pest as they start to develop. This puts them out of synchronization as far as development, leading to all stages of the pest present at the same time in the vineyard. In such a case using a pesticide that goes after one stage of the pest will be much less effective.”

    As we never know what the weather will bring, growers and PCAs need to pay close attention to weather patterns and spring mealybug populations to determine the most effective IPM approach to take for successful mealybug management.

    David Haviland to speak at Malcolm Media’s Annual Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo

    Haviland will be presenting his latest research on vine mealybug management through mating disruption technology with sprayable pheromone at the annual Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo coming up on November 14th at the Big Fresno Fairgrounds. The expo will run from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Haviland’s presentation will begin at 10:30 a.m. Growers and PCAs are invited to attend with free admission. Don’t miss Haviland’s presentation, the many other informative grower seminars that will take place.  Pre-register for the expo here.

    -By Matthew Malcolm, American Vineyard Magazine

  • Using Seaweed to Kill Invasive Ants

    Riverside, Calif., (May 24, 2017) – Scientists at the University of California, Riverside have developed an inexpensive, biodegradable, seaweed-based ant bait that can help homeowners and farmers control invasive Argentine ant populations.

    The researchers found the “hydrogel” baits, which look like liquid gel pills but have a jello-like consistency, reduced ant populations 40 to 68 percent after four weeks. After a second treatment, between weeks four and five, ant population reductions were maintained at 61 to 79 percent until the experiment ended after eight weeks.

    “A 70 percent reduction is really successful, especially considering we are not spraying an insecticide but instead using a very targeted method that is better for the environment,” said Dong-Hwan Choe, an assistant professor of entomology at UC Riverside and an assistant cooperative extension specialist. “With 70 percent control, homeowners really don’t see any ants.”

    Jia-Wei Tay, a post-doctoral scholar in Choe’s lab, is the lead author of the paper. Co-authors are Choe; Mark Hoddle, an entomologist at UC Riverside; and Ashok Mulchandani, a distinguished professor of chemical and environmental engineering.

    In addition to the applications for homeowners in an urban environment, which was the focus of this paper, the hydrogels have applications in agriculture, including in citrus groves and grape vineyards.

    For example, the Asian citrus psyllid has decimated citrus trees in Asia, South America, Florida and now threatens California’s citrus industry. To combat the bug in California, Hoddle coordinated the release of wasps that are native to Pakistan and a natural enemy of the Asian citrus psyllid. Unexpectedly, Hoddle found Argentine ants were killing the wasps.

    This summer, the team will coordinate research in citrus groves in southern California. The team wants to measure the effectiveness of hydrogels in controlling Argentine ant populations. If the hydrogel baits can control the ants, the wasps can do their job protecting citrus trees from Asian citrus psyllid, which transmit Huanglongbing, a bacterial disease that kills citrus trees.

    The Argentine ant is an invasive species with a worldwide distribution. It is a major nuisance in southern states including Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, and North Carolina, and also in California. In fact, a 2007 survey found that 85 percent of all urban pest control services in California were focused on the Argentine ant.

    A common method for managing the Argentine ant has been insecticide sprays. However, the downside of this tactic is that the insecticides can harm non-target organisms that do beneficial things. The misuse of the pesticide sprays can also cause environmental contamination.

    As a result of these downsides, research has focused on liquid baits that use a combination of sugar water (to attract the ants) and a small amount of toxicant to kill the ants. The problem with the liquid baits is that they need to be dispensed in bait stations, which are costly to maintain.

    “Hydrogels eliminate the need for the bait stations. The hydrogels are applied on the ground where the ants forage. Once an ant finds the hydrogel, it drinks from the surface of it. It then goes back to its nest and shares the toxic liquid with nest mates. The ants also create a trail to the hydrogels that their nest mates will follow,” Tay said.

    The hydrogels are designed to be slow-acting, so it takes several days before the ants die. By that time tens of thousands will have ingested the liquid bait.

    The hydrogels created by the team are highly absorbent – the material used is similar to what is used in diapers. They retain water so that they will remain attractive to ants for an extended amount of time.

    The researchers used sugar water containing 0.0001 percent of the insecticide thiamethoxam in the hydrogels. “This is 100-fold less than it is used in a standard ant gel bait and 1,000 times less concentrated than spray insecticides containing thiamethoxam,” Tay said.

    Future research will address the potential use of the hydrogels on other pest insects as well as how quickly the hydrogels biodegrade.

    The article, published in Pest Management Science, is called “Development of an alginate hydrogel to deliver aqueous bait for pest ant management.” The research was funded by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and the Early Career Chair in Urban Entomology Fund.

    The UCR Office of Technology Commercialization has filed a patent application for the inventions above

    By Sean Nealon

  • Practical Grape Growing Seminar in Paso Robles, May 17

    MAY EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR

    May 17, 2017
    1:00 – 4:00

    “Practical Grape Growing” is a seminar series offered by IGGPRA in 2017 that provides attendees with practical tips and industry knowledge from local experts. All grape growers are invited and encouraged to attend. Registration is free for IGGPRA members and costs $20 per seminar for non-members.

    Held at the La Quinta Inn in Paso Robles from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., this seminar will cover the following topics:

    • Labor Contractor Liability

    Speaker: Philipda Modrakee, Wage and Hour Investigator, US Dept of Labor

    • Ag Order 3.0

    Speaker: Chris Rose, Director, Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program, Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB)

    • Bloom Time Tissue Analysis for Vineyard Fertility Management

    Speaker: Carter Pierce, General Manager, JM Lord, Inc

    • Issues and Options for Vertebrate Pest Control

    Speaker: Dale Everson, Farm Supply

    IGGPRA serves its members by providing farming resources, continued education, hands-on training seminars and networking opportunities.

    RSVP here or call (805) 591-4204

  • CDFA Announces Vacancy On The California Cotton Pest Control Board

    Sacramento, Calif., (February 28, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Integrated Pest Control Branch is announcing three vacancies on the California Cotton Pest Control Board. This advisory Board makes recommendations to the CDFA Secretary on all matters pertaining to the Pink Bollworm Control Program.

    The term of office for a board member is unlimited. Members receive no compensation, but are entitled to payment of necessary traveling expenses in accordance with the rules of the Department of Personnel Administration. Members are considered public officials and must be willing to comply with necessary disclosure requirements.

    The three vacancies are for cotton growing representatives in Tulare County, Kern County and a representative from either Madera, Merced, or Tulare County. Individuals interested in being considered for the board appointment should send a brief resume by March 2, 2017 to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Integrated Pest Control Branch, 3294 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, California 95832, Attention: Sara Banchero.

    For additional information, visit the branch’s web page at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/ipc/pinkbollworm/pbw_hp.htm ; or contact: Victoria Hornbaker, Chief of the Integrated Pest Control Branch at (916) 262-1102, by fax (916) 262-2020, or e-mail IPCInfo@cdfa.ca.gov

  • CDFA Announces Vacancy On The Beet Curly Top Virus Control Program Advisory Board

    Sacramento, Calif., (February 27, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Integrated Pest Control Branch is announcing one vacancy on the Beet Curly Top Virus Control Board. This Advisory Board makes recommendations to the CDFA Secretary on all matters pertaining to the Beet Curly Top Virus Control Program.

    The term of office for a board member is unlimited. The members receive no compensation, but are entitled to payment of necessary traveling expenses in accordance with the rules of the Department of Personnel Administration. Members are considered public officials and must be willing to comply with necessary disclosure requirements.

    The vacancy is for a Southern California District member, District I; representing beans, peppers, spinach, sugar beets, and/or tomatoes. Individuals interested in being considered for the board appointment should send a brief resume by March 2, 2017 to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Integrated Pest Control Branch, 3294 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, California 95832, Attention: Branch Chief.

    For additional information, visit the branch’s web page at: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/ipc/curlytopvirus/ctv_hp.htm; or contact: Victoria Hornbaker, Chief of the Integrated Pest Control Branch at (916) 262-1102, by fax (916) 262-2020, or e-mail IPCInfo@cdfa.ca.gov.

  • CDFA Announces Vacancy On The Vertebrate Pest Control Research Advisory Committee

    Sacramento, Calif., (February 23, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Integrated Pest Control Branch is announcing a vacancy on the Vertebrate Pest Control Research Advisory Committee. The committee makes recommendations to the CDFA secretary on all matters pertaining to vertebrate pest control research.

    The term of office for a committee member is unlimited. Members receive no compensation, but are entitled to payment of necessary traveling expenses in accordance with the rules of the Department of Personnel Administration. Members are considered public officials and must be willing to comply with necessary disclosure requirements.

    The vacancy is for an agricultural industry representative. Applicants should have an interest in agriculture and vertebrate pest control. Individuals interested in being considered for a committee appointment should send a brief resume by April 2, 2017 to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Integrated Pest Control Branch, 3294 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, California 95832, Attention: Sara Banchero.

    For additional information, visit the committee web page at: http://www.vpcrac.org/; or contact: David Kratville, Senior Environmental Scientist with the Integrated Pest Control Branch at (916) 262-1102, by fax (916) 262-2020, or e-mail David.Kratville@cdfa.ca.gov.

  • Holy Guacamole

    Photo Credit: Sonia Fernandez

    Santa Barbara, Calif., (January 23, 2017) – There’s a new pest in town and it’s threatening one of the area’s top crops: avocados. First discovered in Los Angeles County in 2003, six-legged Asian shot hole borers have been found by UC Santa Barbara researchers in their own backyard.

    Last year, the insects appeared in avocado orchards in Ventura County. The UC Santa Barbara research team also detected them at many sites along the Santa Clara River. Now they’ve been spied in oak and sycamore trees in Montecito.

    “Shot hole borers will bore into almost everything, including avocado trees, which is why they are getting a lot of attention,” said graduate student Shelley Bennett, a member of UC Santa Barbara’s Riparian InVasion Research Laboratory. “But these beetles also affect many native tree species.”

    Dark brown to black in color, the insects are minuscule in size.Bennett and her fellow UC Santa Barbara researchers are tracking the movements and impacts of these insidious insects in Ventura County. Working with Akif Eskalen and Richard Stouthamer at UC Riverside and the UC Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center, they are exploring ways to better detect the borers’ presence and to manipulate their behavior in hopes of curtailing infestations. Eskalen and Stouthamer have been involved with this research in San Diego and Los Angeles counties since the problem was first detected.

    Native to Southeast Asia, the tiny borers are part of an insect group known as ambrosia beetles. Two species, the polyphagous shot hole borer and the Kuroshio shot hole borer, have been found in the area stretching from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. Dark brown to black in color, the insects are minuscule in size. Females range from 0.07 to 0.1 inches long and the males are even smaller, usually about 0.05 inches long.

    Both species carry a pathogenic fungus that affects tree xylem, the vascular system that conducts water from the roots to the leaves. The fungus causes a disease called Fusarium dieback, which stops the flow of water and nutrients in at least 137 tree species.

    The insects carry the fungus in special compartments called mycangia. Pregnant females bore through the bark and create galleries underneath, where they plant the fungus. If the tree is susceptible, the fungus grows and spreads. The females then lay eggs and, when they hatch, the larvae eat the fungus.

    It takes about a month for the larvae to reach adulthood, with more developing into females than males. Within seven weeks, one female can produce 57 more females. Virgin females can produce unfertilized male eggs and mate with their male offspring to produce a new colony. Once pregnant, females pick up some of the fungus and leave through the entry holes created by their mothers to start the process again.

    The UC Santa Barbara team’s efforts are largely focused in Ventura County, which has the second largest avocado crop in the state. Valued at about $400 million in Southern California alone, avocado production is a critical part of the state’s agriculture, making threats to the industry crucial to address as quickly as possible.

    At the same time, natural riparian areas are fundamental for protecting biodiversity, with roughly half of the listed species locally — and nationally — associated with wetland ecosystems. A better understanding of the direct interactions between agricultural lands and adjacent riparian systems is imperative to protect and sustain both agriculture and natural resources.

    “We need to confirm whether shot hole borers are resident in riparian systems regionally and, if so, what potential risks there are of dispersal from these areas into the agricultural system,” said UC Santa Barbara’s Tom Dudley, whose team hopes to find additional funding to extend its research efforts into Santa Barbara County. “Protecting high-value locations, such as nest sites of endangered birds, expensive ornamental trees or at-risk avocado orchards, can be accomplished by implementing measures using deterrent chemicals.”

    Pesticides can provide a certain level of protection for trees with no or recent beetle colonization, which according to researcher Adam Lambert, another investigator on the UC Santa Barbara team, is not enough. “The search is intensifying for biological solutions specific to this species and its biology,” he said. “The goal is to provide a cost-effective, environmentally compatible and permanent solution to the problem.”

    Adam Lambert, Shelley Bennett and Tom Dudley with a shot hole borer trap in a sycamore tree.

    The UC Santa Barbara researchers are also working with the UC Cooperative Extension, the Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and local partners such as the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

  • New Ways to Repel Beet Leafhoppers in the Field

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    At a vegetable crop pest meeting in Five Points, beet curly top virus in tomatoes was a key topic of discussion. In order to stop the spread of this disease, Farm Advisor Joe Nunez is going after the vector, beet leafhopper. Watch his video interview as he shares his approach to repel the pests by coloring the soil, and read more in Vegetables West Magazine.