UC ANR Integrated Pest Management Program

A sugar volcano is one symptom that shows your avocado tree might be infected with Fusarium dieback, a fungi spread by a beetle called the shothole borer. But what you might see if your tree is being attacked by shothole borer, varies among the different kinds of tree hosts. The symptoms—staining, sugary exudate, gumming and beetle frass—are often noticed before the tiny beetles (1.5–2.5 mm) are found.

As its name suggests, these beetles bore into trees. Near or beneath the symptoms, you might notice the beetle's entry and exit holes into the tree. The female tunnels into trees forming galleries, where she lays her eggs. Once grown, the sibling beetles mate with each other so that females leaving the tree to start their own galleries are already pregnant. Males do not fly and stay in the host tree.

Shothole borers have a special structure in their mouth where they carry two or three kinds of their own novel symbiotic fungi. Shothole borers grow these fungi in their tree galleries. It's these fungi that cause Fusarium dieback disease, which interrupts the transportation of water and nutrients in the host tree. Advanced fungal infections will eventually lead to branch dieback.

Early detection of infestations and removal of the infested branches will help reduce beetle numbers and therefore, also reduce the spread of the fungus.

• Chip infested wood onsite to a size of one inch or smaller. If the branch is too large to chip, solarize them under a clear tarp for several months
• Avoid movement of infested firewood and chipping material out of infested area

Avocado is one tree host. Shothole borers successfully lay eggs and grow fungi in many tree hosts, with some of these trees susceptible to the Fusarium dieback disease. For more information about tree host species, where the shothole borer is in California, and what symptoms look like in other tree hosts, visit the UC Riverside Eskalen Lab website.

Californians can help in the fight against invasive species by learning and participating during California Invasive Species Action Week, June 2–10.

During the week, spend your lunch with us learning the latest about invasive tree killing pests, aquatic nasties like quagga mussels and nutria, and how the invasive weed/wildfire cycle is altering our ecosystems! http://ucanr.edu/sites/invasivelunch/

Content in this post taken from the UC IPM Avocado Pest Management Guidelines. Faber BA, Willen CA, Eskalen A, Morse JG, Hanson B, Hoddle MS. Revised continuously. UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines Avocado. UC ANR Publication 3436. Oakland, CA.

And more about Shot Hole Borers

http://ucanr.edu/sites/pshb/

Stormwater and Sediment Management in Plasticulture Tunnels

13 June, Wednesday 8:30 AM-NOON
At UC Hansen Agricultural Center at Santa Paula
(from hwy 126 exit Briggs, the entrance gate is ~1000 ft on the left on Briggs road)
8:30 Registration, (interpretation into Spanish provided for the program).
9:00 Update on Agricultural Conditional Waiver and nutrient management requirements
9:20 Establishment of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in post rows in raspberry plasticulture tunnels
9:30 Effect of BMPs on nitrogen
9:50 Effect of BMPS on phosphorus, turbidity of runoff and sediment movement
10:10 Effect of BMPs on weeds
10:20 Costs of the tested BMPs
10:30 Look at treatments, demo of Polyacrylamide, questions and survey
11:00 Lunch

• VCAILG (Ventura County Ag Irrigated land) credits have been requested from RWQCB.

If you require special arrangements, translation into Spanish or have further questions, please contact Oleg Daugovish at UCCE –Ventura: (805) 645-1454 or odaugovish@ucdavis.edu

El Manejo de Aguas Pluviales y Sedimentos en los Túneles de Plasticultura
13 de Junio, Miércoles de 8:30 al Mediodía
En el UC Hansen Agricultural Center de Santa Paula
(de la 126 se toma la salida Briggs, la puerta de entrada queda a 1000 pies a la izquierda en la Briggs road)
8:30 Registración, (interpretación en español disponible) .
9:00 Actualización de la Exención Condicional Agrícola y los requisitos para el manejo de
nutrientes
9:20 Establecimiento de Mejores Prácticas de Gestión (BMP) en las filas con postes en los túneles de plasticultura de la frambuesa
9:30 Efecto de estas prácticas (BMP) sobre el nitrógeno
9:50 Efecto de estas prácticas (BMP) sobre el fósforo, turbidez de la escorrentía y
movimiento de los sedimentos.
10:10 El efecto de estas prácticas (BMP) sobre la maleza.
10:20 Costos de estas prácticas que ya se han experimentado
10:30 Vistazo a los tratamientos, demostración de la poliacrilamida, preguntas y encuesta
11:00 Lonche
• Se han solicitado créditos VCAILG al RWQCB.
Si usted requiere arreglos especiales, traducción al español o tiene otras preguntas, favor de comunicarse con Oleg Daugovish a UCCE –Ventura: (805) 645-1454 o odaugovish@ucdavis.edu

UC ANR Statewide IPM Program, Writer/Editor, (530) 750-1237

Spring is in full swing and summer is right around the corner. If you work in agricultural, turf, landscape, or structural settings, you are probably at your busiest. If you handle pesticides as part of your work, you most likely wear some sort of personal protective equipment (PPE). However, do you know if you are wearing the right type for the job that you do? Wearing the appropriate PPE, taking it off the right way, and correctly cleaning it prevents unnecessary pesticide exposure to yourself and others. Learn the steps so you don't expose your family members or those around you to pesticide residues by viewing a brand new online course on Proper Selection, Use, and Removal of Personal Protective Equipment from the UC Statewide IPM Program (UC IPM).

The course is approved by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) for 1.5 hours in the Laws and Regulations category. This course is designed for all pesticide handlers with the goal to provide them with information on pesticide labels and the California Code of Regulations (CCR) to help them select, wear, remove, and dispose of or store PPE.

In California, all pesticide handlers (applicators, mixers, loaders, those who transport pesticides, or those who fix application equipment) are legally required to wear PPE. However, in order to get the most protection from PPE, it must be used correctly. Violations involving the incorrect use of PPE were the second most commonly reported type of agricultural-use violation in 2017 as reported by DPR (PDF).

The new PPE online course opens with a scenario describing a real example of an accident reported to DPR that led to an incident of pesticide exposure because the correct eye protection was not worn. The content that follows is divided into six instructional modules, highlighting types of PPE, how to select it, and when certain items should be worn. Answer short questions about the different types of PPE. Open pesticide labels to learn how to select the right PPE and learn when certain items should be worn. Short how-to videos and animated sequences demonstrate the proper way to put on or remove items such as gloves, coveralls, respirators, and eyewear. You must pass a final test with 70% or higher to receive your certificate of completion and continuing education hours.

If this is the year to renew your license with DPR, get a jumpstart on it. Take this new course and all the other UC IPM online courses to refresh your knowledge and get the CEUs you need. There is a $30 fee for taking Proper Selection, Use, and Removal of Personal Protective Equipment. You are welcome to view the content for free on YouTube, but without the activities, final exam, and continuing education credit. For more information about license renewal, visit DPR.

A recent call about the poor control of marestail (horseweed, Conyza canadensis) to glyphosate (Roundup®) wasn't surprising, but that paraquat didnt do the trick was.  It turns out that there is multiple resistance to the materials.  If horseweed is resistant to glyphosate it is possibly going to be resistant to paraguat  which also means that hairy fleabane which has glyphosate resistance could also show resistance to paraquat.  A recent study reports on the increased Conyza resistance to paraquat (Distribution of Conyza sp. in Orchards of California and Response to Glyphosate and Paraquat, Moretti et al, https://doi.org/10.1614/WS-D-15-00174.1):

Resistance to glyphosate in hairy fleabane and horseweed is a problem in orchards and vineyards in California. Population genetic analyses suggest that glyphosate resistance evolved multiple times in both species, but it is unknown if resistance to other herbicides is also present. Two approaches of research were undertaken to further evaluate herbicide resistance in Conyza sp. in the perennial crop systems of California. In the initial study, the distribution of Conyza sp. in the Central Valley, using a semistructured field survey, was coupled with evaluation of the presence and level of glyphosate resistance in plants grown from field-collected seed. In a subsequent study, single-seed descendants representing distinct genetic groups were self-pollinated in the greenhouse and these accessions were evaluated for response to glyphosate and paraquat. Conyza sp. were commonly found throughout the Central Valley and glyphosate-resistant individuals were confirmed in all field collections of both species. The level of glyphosate resistance among field collections varied from 5- to 21-fold compared with 50% glyphosate resistance (GR50) of the susceptible, with exception of one region with a GR50 similar to the susceptible. When self-pollinated accessions from different genetic groups were screened, the level of glyphosate resistance, on the basis of GR50 values, ranged from 1.7- to 42.5-fold in hairy fleabane, and 5.9- to 40.3-fold in horseweed. Three accessions of hairy fleabane from different genetic groups were also resistant to paraquat (40.1- to 352.5-fold). One glyphosate-resistant horseweed accession was resistant to paraquat (322.8-fold), which is the first confirmed case in California. All paraquat-resistant accessions of Conyza sp. identified so far have also been resistant to glyphosate, probably because glyphosate resistance is already widespread in the state. Because glyphosate and paraquat resistances are found across a wide geographical range and in accessions from distinct genetic groups, multiple resistant Conyza sp. likely developed independently several times in California.