When: Thursday May 2, 2013 and Friday May 3, 2013 11:30 AM – 2 PM

Alfalfa stem impacted by Blue Alfalfa Aphid feeding. Photo by S Mueller

Contact: Pete Goodell, pbgoodell@ucanr.edu

Where:

• Thursday May 2, Willow Ranch Restaurant, Buttonwillow (27770 Lagoon Dr, Buttonwillow, I5 & Hwy 58)
• Friday May 3, Dale Hale Community Center, O’Banion Park, Dos Palos  (SE Corner Center and Lorraine Streets)

What: Informational meeting on Blue Alfalfa Aphid outbreak and future action

Who: PCAs, alfalfa producers, crop protection industry

Why: Severe outbreaks of Blue Alfalfa Aphid have been reported in the San Joaquin Valley as well as other locations in CA. Large populations have been difficult to manage in March and April and delayed growth and reduced production is reported as a result of feeding by this pest. This meeting is designed to provide an interactive forum to exchange information, experience and develop background evidence to increase our understanding of this outbreak and prepare for the future.

Agenda:

11:30: Lunch provided

Noon- What do we know about the outbreak?  Pete Goodell, Larry Godfrey

• Pest biology, damage and identification
• The extent of the outbreak
• Management successes or failures

12:45 – How can PCAs provide essential information to improve our understanding of the outbreak? Open Discussion

PCAs can play a major role in helping us understand this outbreak by keeping records from the fields that suffered high aphid populations. Useful background information includes:

• insecticide use pattern in field (weevils aphids) in 2013,
• efficacy and residual control,
• presence of natural enemies (including fungi),
• variety, year of production
• date of outbreak, and
• severity of damage symptoms and estimate of loss.

1:15 – What is the possibility of additional insecticides to manage the problem in the future? Update from industry

• Status of a Section 18?
• Information and data required to initiate the process.
• New registrations on the horizon?
• Other products?

 2:00 – Adjourn

Organized by Cooperative Extension, UC ANR, Statewide IPM, UC Davis, Department of Entomology

Co-sponsored by Dow Agro Sciences, Wilbur Ellis and San Joaquin Sustainable Farming Project