- Author: Shimat Villanassery Joseph
- Author: Mark Bolda
Two spotted spider mite (Fig. 1A) is a major pest of strawberry and caneberries. The spider mites lay 0.14 mm eggs (in diameter) on the undersides of strawberry leaves. Once the eggs hatch and the larvae go through three stages and molt into adult males, and reproductive females. As the name suggests, they are called two spotted spider mite because of one or more dark spots on the bottom half of each side of the body. They are typically dull or yellow colored organism but during the winter months, they undergo diapause (a resting stage) and appear as reddish or orange color (Fig. 1B) which often is confused and misidentified as carmine mite or presumably a new mite never seen before. Carmine spider mite is a bright red colored mite (Fig. 1C) but do not have spots on the either side of the body. They rarely cause economic injury to strawberry. They occurring during the winter and spring months in the Salinas/Watsonville strawberry fields. Predatory mites are also greyish, pale reddish or orange colored in general but they are shiny and moves very fast on the leaves (Video).
For further reading click the Pest Management Guidelines for mites in strawberry (http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r734400111.html)
- Author: Shimat Villanassery Joseph
The soil-dwelling springtail (Protaphorura fimata) is a serious pest of lettuce in the Salinas Valley of California. This springtail is ~ 2.5 mm long and white and has no jumping organ (furcula) and eyes. They feed primarily on the radicle of the germinating lettuce and broccoli seeds causing stunted seedling growth, and their high densities at planting is associated with poor lettuce stands. Most springtails are saprophytic feeders considered as beneficial organisms because they aid in the decomposition of decaying plant material, thereby contributing to the cycling of carbon and nitrogen, which in turn improves soil health and structure. These springtails typically known to feed on fungi in the soil.
There is no grower-friendly monitoring method to determine incidence and abundance of springtails in the lettuce and broccoli fields of California's central coast. Garden symphylan another soil-borne arthropod pest that occurs in vegetable fields, is commonly monitored using a potato slice bait. Potato slices are typically deployed on the soil surface, and they attract garden symphylan. The utility of potato slices for captures of springtail has not been investigated. Because potato slices are off-white in color, it might be difficult to quickly quantify lightly-colored arthropods such as springtail and garden symphylan on the potato surface. Beets are dark red in color and may provide background contrast and to help quantify lightly-colored organisms on it.
Recent research suggest that beet and potato attract springtail when placed in lettuce fields and these baits could be used to monitor in commercial field settings. It could only provide the presence or absence information, which might be still important to avoid unnecessary insecticide application with no or low captures on baits. Capture of springtails on the baits suggests that their populations are likely developing in the upper soil profile especially near the root system. Also, the incidence and abundance of springtail is subjected to soil moisture and their captures likely decline sharply as the upper soil layer loses moisture. It is likely that springtail populations multiply as the pre-plant irrigation is initiated. Monitoring the field using baits before or during the initial irrigation may provide an indication of active springtail population in the upper soil profile. Study also show that greater numbers of springtails were collected on beet one day after deployment than extended days of exposure. Perhaps deployment of baits for extended periods of time in soil may cause desiccation and make them less attractive to springtails.
Therefore, beet and potato can attract springtail in the soil and could be used for monitoring springtail.
If you are interested to read further on the published article, click the link below.
- Author: Tunyalee A. Martin
Wildlife and people have been in the news lately. Perhaps you've heard of coyotes wandering in your neighborhood. You might have also read about how you shouldn't feed wildlife. Did you know they are connected? It's a problem when people feed coyotes either intentionally or unintentionally through uncovered garbage and outdoor pet food. Available food may encourage coyotes to associate closely with humans and to lose their natural fear of us. These interactions will be discussed during a special symposium on urban coyotes at the 27th Vertebrate Pest Conference.
The Vertebrate Pest Conference is held every two years, mostly in California. This year, the meeting will be Monday through Thursday, March 7to 10 in Newport Beach. Meetings are held in cooperation with the Pesticide Applicators Professional Association (PAPA). The leading authorities with vertebrate management expertise from around the world congregate to present the latest research and extension information. Are you an animal control official, wildlife manager, agricultural producer, pest control adviser, consultant, educator, researcher, or natural resource manager? Then this meeting is for you. California Department of Pesticide Regulation and California Department of Public Health continuing education units are available for participants.
Special symposia include bird management, wild pig management, and urban coyotes. In Cooperative Extension Advisor Niamh Quinn's backyard of extremely urban Southern California, these coyote-human conflicts occur. With over 3 million people in Orange County, 8 state parks and beaches, countless city parks and 19 county parks and wilderness areas, conflicts with urban coyotes are bound to happen. Managing coyotes includes managing people's behavior too.
- Author: Michael D Cahn, Ph.D.
Tomorrow we will host the 2016 UC Irrigation and Nutrient Meeting at the Agricultural Center in Salinas CA. We also have a field meeting following a pizza lunch to discuss the use of cover crops in strawberries. 4.5 hours of Certified Crop Adviser educational credits will also be available. This year we will include a panel discussion about how growers are implementing practices to better manage water and nitrogen fertilizer as well as a presentation on the sustainable groundwater management act. Please see the agenda below:
2016 Irrigation and Nutrient Management Meeting
Agricultural Center 1432 Abbott Street, Salinas, CA
Wednesday, February 17
7:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.
4.5 CCA Credits applied for
7:45 Registration
8:00 Summary of N use of crops in Region 3 and current water quality regulations
Chris Rose, Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
8:30 Fertilizer value of N in irrigation water
Michael Cahn, Irrigation and Water Resources Farm Advisor, Monterey County
9:00 Field studies on N and water management (broccoli and spinach)
Richard Smith, Vegetable Crops Farm Advisor, Monterey County
9:30 Denitrification beds for removing nitrate from tile water
Tim Hartz, Vegetable Specialist, UCD
10:00 Break
10:30 Potential for increasing groundwater recharge on agricultural land
Toby O'Geen, Soil Specialist, Dept of Land, Air and Water Resources, UCD
11:00 Groundwater Sustainability Act – Where are we headed in Monterey County
Stephanie Hastings: Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber and Schreck Law Firm
11:30 Panel discussion on Grower implementation of BMP's
Salvador Montes, Christensen and Giannini; Manual Mercado, River Valley Farms;
Eric Morgan, Morgan Consulting
12:00 Conclusion and Pizza Lunch
Afternoon Session:
12:45 Field trip to see conservation practices
1:45 Conclusion