Northwest Berry Foundation

Foggy morning on the farm 11/9/18 by Jason Myer

Week 42
Tom Peerbolt
October 21, 2020 Northwest Berry Foundation

WHAT'S INSIDE
This week we’re introducing a weekly SWD status report. Based on data collected from
Industry Resources our newly implemented year-round SWD adult trapping survey, I’m hopeful that this
will prove to be a valuable grower tool in our ever-evolving spotted wing Drosophila
Grower Resources management strategies.

Industry News For the Northwest Berry Foundation to be able to provide and sustain this service free
of charge to growers, PCM is partnering with Agragene, a company that among other
Industry Calendar things, is rearing sterile SWD males and developing methods for releasing them in
quantities large enough to interfere with SWD mating behavior. This suppresses their
reproduction capacity.

Year-round SWD trapping will enable us to more accurately forecast SWD crop risk
as well as provide a refined insights into regional SWD behavior dynamics and their
seasonal variations. All of which should enable growers to use more economic, precise,
Subscribe here targeted control strategies and tools as they become available.

Starting out, the trapping is being implemented in the northern Willamette valley but
will soon expand into the Hood River cherry growing region. From there, hopefully,
continue to expand into the more northern and southern berry-growing areas.

Right now the primary

insight from the traps is that
we’re into this insect’s fall
dispersal flight with massive
numbers (see photo). Past
data has shown a lot of
variation in fall counts. Hot,
dry weather in late summer/
early fall can greatly impact
this population and help
manage the risk for the SWD trap catch 10/16/20 by Mike Pinker
following season. Not this
Small Fruit Update is year. Post-harvest weather in the Willamette Valley has been way too kind to this pest
produced once a week species.
during the growing season
and bimonthly outside the Thanks to both Agragene and PCM for making this service possible! Have a good week.
growing season (Oct - Feb)
 Industry Resources

Stakeholder Engagement Virtual Events

What directions do you think berry breeding
work should be taking?
• Click here to share your comments with
USDA
• USHBC Conference (9/28-10/1) recordings
available here. Watch sessions for free.
• Online tilth conference will help farmers
connect (10/15, Capital Press) November 9
and 10

Research
• Using Biodegradable mulches for caneberry
production (WSU) There’s a lot here! Mostly
Dr. Lisa Wasko-DeVetter’s work that’s shown
great promise working in establishment-year
raspberries. Potential for blackberries as well
as use past the establishment year needs to be
explored.
• UGA researcher to study potential use of
essential oils in organic blueberries (10/8,
VSC News)
Newsletters
• Southern Region’s Small Fruit News (Fall,
2020) This is a quarterly publication produced by
a consortium of Southeastern U.S. Universities.
• Pacific Northwest Strawberry Bulletin:
Overwintering Report (10/20)
• Whatcom Ag Monthly: October 2020
• Oregon Blueberry Update: Fall 2020
• Oregon IPM Center: Webinar Pesticide
Credits

Podcasts for the Industry

• The Business of Blueberries: A podcast from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council hosted by
Kasey Cronquist and Rod Cook.
• Inspiring Possibilities: Virtual Conference Reflections with Jenni Sparks (10/15)
• PolliNation: A podcast from Oregon State University Extension Service hosted by Dr. Andony
Melathopoulos.
• Episode 156: Shelley Hoover - Preparing hives for winter (October 2020)

Request for Proposals

• The North American Strawberry Growers Association. View research priorities and application
here.
• Deadline for submission is November 1, 2020.

• The Oregon Blueberry Commission has released the 2021 RFP. View full details here.
• Deadline for submission is November 25, 2020.

• The Western IPM Center has released the 2021 RFP. View full details here.
• Deadline for submission is December 4, 2020.

• The Washington Red Raspberry Commission has released the 2021 Research Priorities and RFP.
View full details here.
• Deadline for submission is December 12, 2020.

• The Washington Blueberry Commission has released the 2021 RFP. View full details here.
• Deadline for submission is December 15, 2020.

• WSDA will be releasing the Specialty Crop Block Grant Request for Concept Proposals. View
further details here.
• Deadline for submission is January 14th, 2021.
 Grower Resources

Weather

Click here for Rufus

La Lone’s long-range
forecast for the PNW

Regional Monitoring

October 16th, 2020

View Full SWD Report Sign up for the SWD Report

Location Total
SWD
Sauvie Island 14600

Banks 2960

Forest Grove 630

Count: 9,670
Cornelius 1100

Hillsboro 3180

Yamhill 540

Dundee 3160

McMinnville 4120 Count: 22,320

Wilsonville 1700
 Industry News
Featured Links
Overview of global blueberry market (10/16, Fresh
Plaza)
Agromometrics in charts: Berry prices in the U.S.
market (10/20, Agronometrics) Comparisons with
previous years.
Mexico prepares for a forceful response if the U.S. MSU entomologists join $5.4 million effort for
imposes tariffs on its blueberries (10/19, Blueberry sustainable management of SWD (10/15, Fruit Grower
Consulting)
Washington Dept. of Ecology seeks money to
adjudicate Whatcom County water rights (10/20,
Capital Press)
Joint statement issued by USHBC on the
blueberry 201 investigation (9/28, Fruit Grower
News)
Diversion: Experience midwestern luxury:
Glamping on a blueberry farm (10/19, Forbes)
Spend your vacation on a Michigan blueberry
farm…starting @ $350/night.
ITC blueberry import investigation
Wild blueberry commission ponders probe into
import impact (10/13, Machias Valley News)
Labor
USDA terminates agreement for Farm Labor
Survey that determines H-2A wages (10/6, Fruit
Grower News)
Study available on COVID-19 guidance for
farmworkers (10/1, Growing Produce)
Virus outbreak in Klamath Falls affects dozens of
strawberry harvest workers (10/13, Capital Press)
Councils/Commissions
USHBC honors 11 blueberry industry leaders
at 20th anniversary awards ceremony (10/8,
Perishable News)
Food banks
WSDA predicts COVID-driven demand on food
banks will last years (10/12, Capital Press)
Technology
Automated harvesters power up for strawberries
(10/13, Fruit Grower News)
Ways sprayer tech is coming up fruitful in
orchards (10/12, Growing Produce)
Vineyard shines UV light on powdery mildew
(10/12, Capital Press)
Pollinators
Researchers: Food scarcity, pesticide exposure
shrink mason bee populations (10/12, Cap. Press)
Invasive species
Spotted lanternfly found for the first time in Oregon
(10/9, Capital Press)
Feisty Asian giant hornet escapes into the woods
(10/12, Capital Press)
Pest management research
News)
Climate/weather
La Nina to ease Northwest drought, forecasters say
(10/15, Capital Press)
Drought stirs fears of dust bowl in parts of central
Oregon (10/9, Capital Press)
Trade
U.S. importing and exporting: Understanding the
basics (10/14, Fresh Fruit Portal)
USDA changes fumigation rules for some imported
Chilean blueberries (10/11, The Packer)
How foreign ag relations are benefitting U.S.
blueberries (10/9, Michigan Ag Today)
Ag Secretary Perdue outlines specialty crop trade
policy in Michigan stop (10/9, Fruit Grower News)
South America
Water-smart irrigation sees surge of interest in Chile
and Peru (10/14, Fresh Fruit Portal)
Argentina’s blueberry season faces challenges from
the pandemic (10/13, Fresh Plaza)
Chilean blueberry crop report for Week 41 (IQ
Consulting)
Peru: Fruit exports grow 11% between January and
August (10/14, Blueberry Consulting)
Africa
South Africa: cold winter reduces blueberry harvest
(10/15, Blueberry Consulting)
Strawberries
Driscoll’s and Plenty to grow strawberries indoors
(10/13, Fresh Fruit Portal)
Marketing
Driscoll’s inspires berry lovers in Sweetness Worth
Sharing campaign (10/13, The Packer)
North America
Blueberry supply shortage in October (10/15,
Blueberry Consulting)
Canadian blueberry growers target of trade probe
(10/13, Fresh Plaza)
Australia
The berry pickers: Inside Australia’s seasonal worker
program—a photo essay (10/17, The Guardian)
 Industry Calendar

Blueberries by the McKenzie River 6/24/20 by Greta Dupuis

TODAY: OCT 21
Oregon Strawberry Commission Meeting. 1PM. Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.
us/j/3970636110 Meeting ID: 397 063 6110

OCT 26
Oregon Blueberry Commission Meeting. 7:30AM. This meeting will be held through Zoom.
Please contact the commission at 503-364-2944 if you would like to attend.

OCT 27-29
Nutrient cycling, soil health, and Food Safety Virtual Conference. View event details
here. Register for this event here.

OCT 28
How to Use Orchard Mason Bees for Crop Pollination. 9AM-12PM. A webinar that features
a series of short talks from industry professionals. View registration and details here.

OCT 28
WA Red Raspberry Commission Board Meeting. 1-5PM. This meeting will be held through
Zoom. If you would like to attend, please contact the commission (henry@red-raspberry.org) and they'll send you
the meeting link.

NOV 9-10
Tilth Conference. This year’s conference will be entirely virtual. A virtual industry trade show will take
place throughout the event, along with keynote speeches and social events providing attendees with numerous
networking opportunities. Details and registration available here.

DEC 1-4
Washington Small Fruit Conference. This conference will be held virtually this
year with 10 WSDA pesticide credits available! Registration now open. View conference agenda
here.

DEC 14-16
Northwest Small Fruits Research Virtual Conference. Hosted by the Northwest Center for
Small Fruits Research. Details and registration coming soon!

JAN 4-5
Pacific Northwest Insect Management Conference. This conference will be held virtually.
Now requesting abstracts. View announcement and application details here.

JAN 27-29
Northwest Ag Show. This year's 51st NW Ag Show will be a free virtual event. View details here.

JAN 28-30
Pacific Agriculture Show. BC's biggest agriculture show will be held virtually in 2021. Further details
coming soon! Read initial details here.
The Small Fruit Update
This is the sole industry
publication, gathering grower
and producer news, and regional
field reports to unite, stabilize,
and strengthen the Northwest
berry growing region (Canada
and US).

Production is independent of
government and commercial
control and made possible by
the following commission &
councils.

Triple Crown Blackberry 7/22/12 by Tom Peerbolt

For more information or requests

please contact:
Greta Dupuis, SFU Designer & Editor
greta@nwberries.org
Tom Peerbolt, NBF Director & Editor
tom@peerbolt.com

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