What's it like to be the North Coast Area Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Advisor?
That would include the four-county area of Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and Lake.
You'll learn what it's like from UC Davis doctoral alumna Cindy Kron when she presents a seminar hosted by UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology at 12:10 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 4 in 122 Briggs Hall.
It also will be on Zoom. The Zoom link: https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/95882849672
Kron, part of the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) team, will discuss "Adventures of the North Coast Extension Entomologist."
"As the North Coast IPM Advisor with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, I advise on insect pests and invasive species that impact commercial grapes, walnuts, pears, and olives in Sonoma, Napa, Lake, and Mendocino counties," Kron says in her abstract. "I serve as a liaison between UC researchers and industry members and growers. I conduct ongoing needs assessments that guide applied research projects and then develop programming that extends knowledge gained and addresses my clientele’s needs. Extension programming includes presentations, grower articles, hands-on workshops, tailgate talks, field days, demonstrations, monthly meetings, etc. I have multiple projects that are ongoing that span my four main crops, but I will focus on the finding of an unknown flathead borer larvae damaging pear fruit."
Flatheaded Borers
Flatheaded borers (family Buprestidae), are also called flatheaded wood borers, metallic wood borers, or jewel beetles. "Many are considered serious pests in the United States with different species known to attack walnut, apple, pear, peach, apricot, plum, prune, cherry, as well as many other trees and shrubs," according to an article, "Flatheaded Borer Damage in Pear Fruit," published in July of 2024 in the North Coast Diversified Agricultural Systems Notes and co-authored by Clebson Gonçalves, Diversified Agriculture advisor, and Kron. The larvae kill or weaken trees by girdling the trunks and lower branches.
"Flatheaded borers," the authors wrote, "often invade sunburned areas on the trunk of newly planted first-year trees. Since flatheaded borers are wood-feeding insects, this pest has generated a lot of curiosity among UC Cooperative Extension specialists, commodity advisors, integrated pest management advisors, and pest control advisers, as this family of insects had not been previously documented attacking any fruits."
"In collaboration with the California Pear Advisory Board and professors from the University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University, we (UC Cooperative Extension Advisors) have taken all necessary steps to correctly identify this species via molecular diagnostics. Taxonomic identification was also performed from adults that were reared from larvae on artificial diet. Adults were also reared from larvae that were left undisturbed in the pear fruits showing that this species can complete its life cycle on pear fruit alone. The results from molecular analysis and taxonomic identification confirmed this species as the Pacific flatheaded borer (Chrysobothris mali). (See more information on flatheaded borers on the UC IPM website)
Kron, who specializes in IPM, entomology and viticulture, received her doctorate in entomology in 2018 from UC Davis, where she studied with UC Davis Distinguished Professor (now emeritus, but on recall) Frank Zalom of the Department of Entomology and Nematology. She received her bachelor's degree (2013) from UC Davis in viticulture and enology, with a minor in agricultural pest management. Kron joined UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) as area-wide IPM advisor for Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and Lake counties in September 2019. Before joining UCCE, Kron served as a USDA research entomologist in its Crop Disease, Pests and Genetics research unit.
For technology issues, seminar coordinator Marshall McMunn may be research at msmcmunn@ucdavis.edu.
Cover image: View from Bodega Head, Sonoma County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)