- Author: Chris M. Webb
Today Ventura County Cooperative Extension Staff Research Associate Maren Mochizuki shares with us site considerations for local spotted wing drosophila research. As you will see much preparation, thought and cooperation is involved in research planning.
Because we are interested in the movement of spotted wing drosophila to/from host crops, we selected locations with one or more host crops (e.g. blueberries, raspberries, strawberries) adjacent to one another. Growers are very cooperative in allowing us monitor on their properties every week.
In early June, we installed traps in Oxnard and Camarillo (blueberries next to strawberries, blueberries next to raspberries and blueberries next to blueberries). In July, we added one location in Santa Paula (blackberries adjacent to nectarines, peaches, plums, apples and strawberries).
For this monitoring project, we had several considerations for trap locations:
1) Proximity to host crops. For example, for a blueberry field with strawberries on its north and west sides, we installed two traps each along those two edges but none to the south and east.
2) Crop cultural practices and maintenance. Normal activities in the field such as harvesting and watering adjacent farm roads to keep dust down (thanks to the grower who reminded us of this) could disrupt the traps. We tried to place them securely and several feet away from roads.
3) Wind direction. Because insects can be carried by wind, they may first appear in downwind areas.
4) Shading. Traps were placed in the shade of the plant canopy and partially buried in the case of blueberries or strawberries or hung under the canopy in the case of nectarines and blackberries to maintain a cooler bait temperature.
5) Replication. Multiple traps at the same property provide a more thorough survey.
For more information about this pest, please read previous posts or visit UC ANR’s intergrated pest management website.
Blueberries adjacent to strawberries in Ventura County.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Spotted wing drosophila (previously known as the cherry vinegar fruit fly) is an invasive species that was first spotted in California in August 2008 in Santa Cruz County. It can now be found all throughout California and further north to Canada and arrived in our area late last spring. It has been found on a variety of commercial and backyard host crops including: cherry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, boysenberry, varieties of Japanese plums, plumcots, and nectarines.
The spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is native to Southeast Asia. It lays its eggs in fresh soft fruit underneath the skin. The larvae hatch and then burrow inside the fruit to continue their development. In the earliest stage of infestation there is virtually no visible signs of damage to fruit. This pest has the potential to create severe economic losses for commercial growers and a loss of produce at home and community gardens.
Much work is being done by UC researchers throughout the state to find safe and effective ways to combat this insect. Monitoring is being conducted in Ventura County by Farm Advisors Oleg Daugovish and Ben Faber, Research Associate Maren Mochizuki, and Lab Assistant Marjie Bartels.
What can you do? Stay informed. Up-to-date information regarding this pest can be found on the UCR Center for Invasive Species Research website .
A prior version of this post incorrectly stated SWD had been found in apples and pears. There have been no reports of damage to these fruits in California or Oregon. For further information, please refer to this UC IPM page.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The Ventura County Branches of the American Association of University Women organizes an annual program for students in 5th through 9th grade called Brighter Horizons. Volunteers introduce their careers and conduct hands-on workshops to motivate students, especially girls, to excel in science, math, and technology.
For the past few years, Maren Mochizuki, UCCE-Ventura Staff Research Associate, has presented a popular workshop called “Where Does Our Food Come From?” Students discuss which botanical plant parts constitute some of their favorite foods. Soil contains nutrients for plants and students learn to identify and detect properties of soil by feel.
This year, the program was held on Saturday, March 6 from 8 am to noon at Cal Luthern University in Thousand Oaks.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Today, Ventura County Cooperative Extension Staff Research Associate Maren Mochizuki shares information with us about local water quality education and improvement.
UCCE-Ventura’s water quality education program is a partnership with UC Riverside, Ventura County Resource Conservation District (RCD) and Ventura County Farm Bureau to conduct seminars and field tours, create educational materials, and conduct research.
In addition, funds are available to provide the following services to growers in Ventura County at no cost:
- Irrigation efficiency evaluations and improvement recommendations
- Conservation planning
- Best management practice review, recommendation, and implementation assistance.
For more information or to schedule an on-site visit, please contact:
Vic at 805-216-3641 or Katrina at 805-386-4489, ext. 100.
Resource Conservation District-Ventura County, 3380 Somis Rd, Somis, CA 93066.
On the web at: www.conserveventura.org
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Like the rest of our researchers, Ventura County UCCE Farm Advisor Oleg Daugovish and Staff Research Associate Maren Mochizuki are busy with many projects. What will be shared with you today is a summary of one of Oleg and Maren’s projects that have the potential to increase agricultural yields using captured greenhouse gases.
More than 7 billion tons of green house gases (GHG) were released in the United States in 2006. Most of the gases are attributable to the combustion of fossil fuels used for electricity and transportation. While current CO2 capture technology focuses on geological storage, an incentive to capture emissions may be offered by agriculture: CO2 could be supplied to plants for uptake and sequestration as an alternative to underground storage. Agricultural plants with C-3 carbon assimilation pathway have shown increased productivity at CO2 levels elevated above the ambient air concentrations. One plant that has such a pathway is the raspberry, which is the fastest growing high value crop in Ventura County (annual value ~$85 million) and appears very suitable for carbon dioxide sequestration: it is a perennial C-3 crop with multi-layered canopy, is grown in tunnels/hoops that protect the CO2 delivery to leaves from wind and rain, and, has existing support structures for the gas delivery system.
Working with collaborators, we evaluated several plant productivity parameters such as fruit yield, berry size, cane size in a large scale replicated study.
The delivery system was successfully designed and installed, applying a total of about 60 tons of CO2 to three specific hoops during the four-month trial. Diurnal measurements of leaf stomatal conductance, CO2 assimilation, and fluorescence showed a mid-day depression, enabling us to make an informed decision about optimum application time. We avoided application at the time of the day when plants would be unable to take up the applied CO2, thereby minimizing waste. We found CO2 concentration in the hoops where gas was applied were 20-25% higher than ambient CO2 concentration during delivery periods (8 h/day), generally returning to ambient levels during hours when gas was not applied. We also found that leaves in the middle and lower canopy, rather than the top, were the most active, prompting us to place our CO2 drip tape for delivery at about 90 cm (35 inches) above ground level.
The number of baskets from the full hoops in which CO2 was applied increased by 36% after CO2 application. Berry weight also increased 0.1% per berry in the CO2 hoops. Cane height, number, and diameter as well carbohydrate content of fruit were similar after CO2 application in all measured plants.
Further information about this study can be obtained by contacting our office.