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Northwest Berry Foundation

Hood Strawberries 5/3/20 by Julie Pond

Week 18
May 6, 2020
Julie Pond
Northwest Berry Foundation
W H AT ' S INSIDE
Regional Reports
'Tis the season for the bulk of strawberry and caneberry planting. While soil
Industry Resources prep is a bit different depending on location (Washington growers are currently
fumigating preplant beds) the actual plants going into the ground may have
Industry News shifted to keep with social distancing recommendations due to COVID-19.
There is some buzz going around farms on how to best account for keeping
Industry Calendar a full crew planting while still following current practices. One of the many
things I have learned is that growers are the best at making adjustments to
Pest Management their machinery and this is no exception.

One such suggestion came up at our dinner table a few weeks ago because
what else would a horticulture-centric family talk about at the dinner table?
The nursery my husband manages has had to roll with the punches like the
rest of the industry. While the photo below is of adjustments made to a tree/
shrub planter, much of those adjustments can be adopted for other planting
equipment. I'm no expert on processing lines but I assume similar adjustments
SUBSCRIBE >> are being made for those lines. Fiberglass (or even shower curtain) partition
barriers hang from a few overhead rods, add a mask and a face shield to each
of the crew on board and let's hope that this creates the appropriate barriers
needed. It's not a perfect science by any means but much of this is being done
on the fly with adjustments made along the way.

The only silver lining has been the relatively ideal planting weather we've had
for the last little while and projecting out over the next week. While the lack of
precipitation thus far has been a bit alarming, dodging weather in addition to
COVID-19 is no fun either. Bask in the sun, folks. It's good for the soul

Photo by David Pond 5/5/20

Small Fruit Update is

produced once a week
during the growing
season and then
bimonthly outside the
growing season.
 R EG I O N A L F I E L D R E P O RTS 2

Columbia Star blackberries near Silverton, OR 5/4/20 by Tom Peerbolt

Click Here to read an SWD
field update
WESTERN OREGON, WILLAMETTE VALLEY

• Blueberries (5/1): Blueberry bloom is racing along in the valley. We’re into fruit expansion in
Patriots and well on the downside of Duke bloom. Petal fall stage even in Aurora. We’ve had
plenty of good bee flying weather over the last two weeks but it just seemed like a short bloom
window especially given the mild weather. Duke harvest looks more and more like it could start
in mid-June and it could be condensed. As with everyone else, I hope our labor is there when we
need it. Could see some fresh quality fruit going into the processed market?

• Blackberries (5/4): Bloom is just beginning in Columbia Star. Bloom sprays are now starting to
go on. Some variation in fields from very strong to some with gaps in lateral emergence.

• Fresh Market Strawberries (5/3): In our organic strawberries we are seeing a big difference in
the two-year-old field vs the October 2019 planted baby field. The two-year-old field is in full
bloom and plants are full of green berries ,and some turning red, enough red to fill the belly of
my 2-year-old daughter. Our baby field has some variations between the varieties. The Sweet
Ann's are blooming (5%+), the Albion have maybe 1% and the Cabrillo's you have to hunt hard for
the few blooms that are out there. We hope this week’s warm temperatures will help this field
catch up!

• Strawberries (5/3): Totem fields are around 50-75% boom, Marys Peak should be 10% by the
end of this week, and Hood is full bloom. Albion is full bloom with thimble or larger green fruit
Rough Strawberry root weevil is pupating right now. Aphids are more clear in the fields this
season instead of mites which makes sense with the weather we have been having this spring.
Heat sounds like it’s on the way next week so perhaps the tables will turn.

Ripening berry from two-year Hail damage from this The quality control officer by
old field by Amanda Stevens weekend's heavy rain and Amanda Stevens
hailstorm by Amanda Stevens
 R EG I O N A L F I E L D R E P O RTS 3

Female hummingbird
in Liberty blueberries
5/3/20 by Julie Pond

NORTHERN WASHINGTON, WHATCOM & SKAGIT COUNTIES (5/5) From Tom Walters,
Walters Ag Research, Anacortes, WA.:

• Blueberries: There is finally lots of bloom out on later varieties and fields in Skagit and
Whatcom, and the bees have plenty to do when the weather’s good enough for flying.
Thankfully, we have some good weather coming, right on time. Strikes should start turning up
in mummyberry affected fields within the next week or so. Weather is supposed to turn warm
later this week, so make sure irrigation systems are up and running, especially newly planted
fields with tiny root systems.

BRITISH COLUMBIA, FRASER VALLEY (5/3)

• Blueberries: So far the weather really hasn't co-operated for optimum pollination to occur as
the early bloom progresses. Cool days are interspersed with wind and rainstorms and today
(May 3) we had a couple hail storms during the early and late afternoon. There has been some
damage reported but it will take a few days to see to what extent. Bloom percent is rather
erratic throughout the valley but Dukes ranged by late week from 15%, to nearly 80-90% on
the very earliest sandy soils. There is bloom on virtually all varieties now and hopefully the
environmental conditions improve to allow bees activity to improve.

• Raspberries: Raspberries are progressing well with Meekers finally showing a definite
improvement in growth and development.

BRITISH COLUMBIA, FRASER VALLEY (5/4)

• Blueberries: Weather has been terrible for pollination to date. When its not raining and the
sun is shining it is cold and windy. According to my weather station there was only 1 day this
past week with a temperature over 16 degrees C and it topped out at about 19 degrees C. Hail
rolled through areas yesterday with some significant damage to some fields. Varying levels
of bloom depending on variety and where you are in the valley. Really hoping we see some
warm temperatures with no wind to get the bees out doing their jobs. I have noticed a lot more
bumblebees around in some fields this year which is a help but they certainly can’t do it all.

BRITISH COLUMBIA, FRASER VALLEY (5/4) From Eric Gerbrandt, Research Director BCBC/
RIDC/BCSGA:

• Blueberries: There was a rash of hailstorms in parts of the Fraser Valley over the weekend. A lot
of blueberry flowers and torn/damaged corollas on the ground in my area in Chilliwack with
perhaps 10-20% flower damage, depending on the variety. It’s hard to say how widespread this
was across the region, but I’m hoping fruit sizing will compensate for the flower thinning. Some
of the more advanced blueberry fields are likely to receive a second round of fruit rot protectant
sprays this week.

• Raspberries: Early raspberry varieties are presenting flower buds.

• Strawberries made a big push in development the last couple of weeks.

 B LU E B E R RY B U D D E V E LO PM E N T 4

Willamette Valley, Oregon

Photos are from same fields on close to the same day from each year

PATRIOT BLUEJAY DUKE DRAPER TOP SHELF LIBERTY AURORA LAST CALL

Week 17: 5/1/20

Week 17: 4/26/19

Week 17: 4/27/18

Week 17: 4/28/17

PATRIOT BLUEJAY DUKE DRAPER TOP SHELF LIBERTY AURORA LAST CALL
 I N D U ST RY R E S O U RC E S 5

SPOTTED WING DROSOPHILA UPDATE by Tom Peerbolt

• We’re recording adult trap counts that are very high this season. About 10% of traps had
counts over 100 and one trap actually had over 1,500 for one week.

• These high counts are all in/close to the field borders and are generally associated with
chronic, year-after-year hotspots. I wish we had the resources for investigating these spots to
get to the bottom of what causes the differences.

• Sometimes a nearby cherry orchard, wild cherries or other obvious SWD hosts/habitats
make it obvious but in most cases it isn’t obvious.

• If the weather stays this mild, SWD pressure will be very high this year. The main variable
that could change the equation would be a hot spell of a few days around 90-95 F (32-35C)
which would suppress the population.

• In years with this kind of pressure, it would be wise to inventory your border areas and
remove/suppress whatever SWD habitat is there. Mainly wild cherry and/or Himalayan
blackberries. A useful OSU Extension Factsheet: Noncrop host plants used by SWD (Dec.
2019)

Raspberries
• Raspberry IPM Newsletter (5/1, BC Raspberry Council)

Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission

• ORBC Newsletter (5/4)
• A great resource for MRL Charts for the Pesticide Decline Project in
Caneberries
• Don't miss an important message from Bernadine Strik!

BLOG POST ON MY FARM TALK

NEW Agriculture is an Essential Service (4/19/20)

COVID-19 Resources
Analysis: The impact of COVID-19 on the food and agricultural industry (4/23, Fresh Fruit Portal)

COVID-19 Updates: Its impact on Specialty Agriculture (Live Blog) (5/5, Growing Produce)

California Strawberry Commission Coronavirus News & Resources

What the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program means for farmers (4/21, Growing Produce)

Reaction: $2.7 billion in financial relief for special crops ‘inadequate’ (4/20, Fruit Grower News)
 I N D U ST RY N E WS 6

Highlights
Lighthizer seeks report on raspberry competition Visit
of imports into U.S. (5/1, Capital Press)
The Weather Cafe®
B.C.: COVID-19 spread at processing plants &
farmworkers tracked (4/29, Country life in BC) Rufus La Lone's uniquely
informative long-range
‘Murder hornets’ in the U.S.: the rush to stop the forecasts for the PNW ®
Asian giant hornet (4/3, NY Times)

Georgia: Blueberry farmer reflects on lost crop

following hailstorm (5/1, VSC News)
The West
Opinion: How the supply chain might look after Survey: California farmers turning to labor-saving
COVID-19 (4/29, Fresh Fruit Portal) crops, automation (5/1, Fruit Grower News)

An insider’s analysis of the Chilean blueberry North America

industry (4/29, Blueberry Consulting)
OSU Research Station could boost blueberry
production in Eastern Oregon (5/4, Hermiston
Herald)
California: A family of strawberry growers had
big dreams. Then came the pandemic (4/29, L.A.
Times)
Labor
Oregon issues pandemic farming rules (4/30,
Good Fruit Grower)
Mexico grower introduces sanitation tunnels for
worker safety (5/1, Fresh Plaza)
South America
“Peru will have 20,000 hectares of blueberries in
the next five years” (5/5, Fresh Plaza)
Strawberries
Overview of the global strawberry market (5/1,
Fresh Plaza)
Spain: “Just three varieties account for almost 72%
of the total” (5/1, Fresh Plaza)

Washington growers fear farmworker housing Researchers identify factors to obtain strawberries
cuts of up to 50% (4/27, Growing Produce) with better properties and flavor (5/5, Fresh Plaza)

Guest worker flow to Canada increasing (4/20, The Invasive species

Packer) WSU scientists enlist citizens in hunt for giant,
bee-killing hornet (5/4, Fruit Growers News)
Poland: Labor issues expected for Polish soft fruit
(5/4, Fresh Plaza)

Companies
After panic-buying fluctuations, the berry market
seems to have stabilized (4/30, Fresh Plaza)
Interview with Jerald Downs of Berry People

Sun Belle, Giddings Mexico enter long-term

partnership for berries (4/30, The Packer)

Driscoll’s debuts Berry Big Strawberries (4/30, The

Packer)

Food Banks/Food loss

California sees $3.64 million boost for produce
donations (4/29, The Packer)

Food loss: Why food stays on the farm or off the

market (5/4, Fruit Grower News) Pacific Treefrog found in Clockwork
blueberries 4/30/20 by Greta Dupuis
 I N D U ST RY C A L E N D A R 7

MAY 8 WEBINAR
MSU Webinar Series: Dr. Zach Miller and Dr. Rachel Leisso from MSU. 9AM
Pacific Time. “Fresh berry cold storage trails, research in berry quality measurements, labor management,
and highlights of data from MSU trails." Join URL: https://zoom.us/j/460436211

MAY 13 ZOOM
Oregon Strawberry Commission Meeting. 1PM. This is a call-in or video meeting, your
preference. Meeting ID: 397 063 6110 Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/3970636110

MAY 27-28 WEBINAR

2020 MRL Workshop Webinar. 8:30AM-12:30PM. View Agenda here. Registration is required
and can be accessed here.

JUNE 10 CANCELLED
Strawberry Field Day. 1-4PM. OSU NWREC, Aurora, OR. OSU has made the difficult decision to
cancel all three berry field days this year. Read further details in ORBC News (5/4).

JUNE 22-24
Global Berry Congress. The leading annual event for the international soft fruit business.
Rotterdam, Netherlands. View program and registration details here.

JULY 8 CANCELLED
Caneberry Field Day. 1-5PM. OSU NWREC, Aurora, OR. OSU has made the difficult decision to
cancel all three berry field days this year. Read further details in ORBC News (5/4).

JULY 22 CANCELLED
Blueberry Field Day. 1-5:30PM. OSU NWREC, Aurora, OR. OSU has made the difficult decision to
cancel all three berry field days this year. Read further details in ORBC News (5/4).

AUGUST 18-19
North American Strawberry Growers Association Summer Tour. Portland, OR.
More details coming soon!

To add your event to our calendar here and online, email info@nwberries.org

Beneficial insect: Lady beetle Beneficial plant: Native

larvae 5/3/13 by Jason Myer camas 5/11/18 by Jason Myer
 P E ST M A N AG E M E N T, W E E K 18 8

PEST AND DISEASE ALERTS

SPOTTED WING DROSPHILA

Since its first detection in Oregon and Washington in 2009, Spotted Wing
Drosophilla (SWD) has become the most damaging and economically important
pest in NW berry production. Spring is the time to place traps in the field and
begin monitoring. Assessing population levels is important for gauging if/when
control methods are necessary.

• Visit this link to learn more about "Monitoring Traps for Spotted Wing
Drosophila (SWD)" by OSU Extension

SWD under microscope SWD Trap

by Jason Myer deployed by PCM

RECENT SWD PUBLICATIONS FROM OREGON STATE EXTENSION

Published in December 2019

• Monitoring Techniques for SWD

• How Seasons Affect Population Structure, Behavior and Risk on SWD

• Optimizing Chemical Control of SWD

• Noncrop host plants used by SWD

• Biocontrol of SWD

• Cultural Control Strategies to Manage SWD

• Improved Chemical Control Strategies for SWD

• Potential Impacts of Irrigation on Biocontrol of SWD

• Host Range and Characteristics Affecting Fruit Susceptibility to SWD

 P E ST M A N AG E M E N T, W E E K 18 9

MUMMY BERRY RISK IN BLUEBERRIES

Keep your management program going as consistently as possible all the way through the end
of bloom. We’re still in the infection stage for this disease.

• Mummy berry fungus details from the PNW Pest Management Handbook

YELLOW RUST IN R ASPBERRIES

Yellow rust is now changing spore stages: from black
overwintering spores (teliospores) to yellow/orange colored
‘blisters’ (spermagonia) located on the top surface of leaves. This
is followed closely by the distantly visible orange/yellow spore
stage (aecia). The fourth spore stage (uredinia) appears later in the
season as yellow ‘dust’ on the bottom of leaves. This last stage is
the one that multiplies quickly and can quickly defoliate canes if
left untreated. Evaluate disease incidence and stage to determine
whether (& when) fungicide applications are warranted. Yellow Rust 5/3/18
by Jason Myer

SCORCH VIRUS IN BLUEBERRIES

Scorch virus is vectored by aphids. An effective aphid

management plan should be in place to control over-wintering
populations. Control measures are necessary for reducing
population size before reproduction and dispersal begins.

Scorch 5/8/07
How to recognize symptoms of blueberry
by Tom Peerbolt
shock and scorch by Michigan State University

SHOCK VIRUS IN SOUTHERN BLUEBERRIES

Symptoms of shock virus should be visible in many fields starting

this week. This disease is vectored by pollinators. There is no
treatment or cure. Infected bushes generally display symptoms
for one year and then return to productivity.

Shock Virus 4/24/14

by Tom Peerbolt
 S P R I N G P EST M A N AG E M E N T 10
ALL CROPS
• Scout and plan for Voles. Vole activity is apparent in many blueberry, caneberry, and
strawberry fields. Management of voles is most effective in the spring before the population
starts growing.

C ANEBERRIES
• Raspberry Crown Borer: If you've had borer problems in the past,
spring is the time to drench for crown borer management in caneberries.
Begin to monitor the base of cane buds and search for any young larvae.
If you notice any swelling or galls forming at the base of the plant this
could be due to larval feeding.

• Strawberry Crown Moth: In Oregon and Southwest Washington, this

borer looks to do as much, if not more, damage in caneberries as the
Raspberry Crown Borer. The treatment is the same as for RCB- a spring
(or fall) insecticide drench.

• Rose Stem Girdler (RSG): This small, metallic beetle is a pest of cane Evidence of Rose Stem
fruit and has been found throughout the Willamette Valley of western Girdler 4/16/18 by Jason Myer
Oregon. Pruning and cane removal can help reduce populations. There
are no insecticides currently labeled for RSG control. The larva feeds all
season on the tissue right under the bark girdling the cane (see photo).

BLACKBERRIES
• Redberry Mite (Evergreen blackberries): Delayed-dormant sprays of lime/sulfur can be
applied as needed in spring after new floricane lateral growth is 2 to 6 inches longs.

• Purple Blotch: Check for cane lesions that are easy to see as the weather warms. Spring a
good time to assess disease level and plan for later treatments.

R ASPBERRIES
• Phytophthora Root Rot: This disease is most sever in fields with heavy, clay soils or low-lying
areas that retain excess moisture. As temperatures continue to rise throughout the spring, be
on the look out for the most common symptom, wilting. Infected plants may develop yellow or
bronze leaves.

SOUTHERN STRAWBERRIES
• Clay Colored Weevils: This early emerging species is usually considered a pest of raspberries
in northern growing areas where it feeds on newly emerging shoots and buds. But in the last few
years, emerged adult Clay Colored Weevils have been recovered from SW Washington southern
strawberry fields and blueberry fields.

• Scout for Strawberry Crown Moth.

BLUEBERRIES
• Treat for Mummyberry as needed.

• Scout for Shock Virus. Symptoms should be visible in many fields

during spring. This disease is vectored by pollinators. Infected bushed
typically display symptoms for one year and then return to productivity.

• Scout for leafroller larvae. Larvae can be found feeding on new

growth. Damage is easily recognized by rolled leaves that are held
together by silken threads. Pheromone traps are an excellent way to
monitor adults and should be place in the field in April or May.

• Scale Insects: Begin scouting for "crawlers". Monitoring when "crawlers"

begin to move is important for target control measures. Scale Insects 7/9/18
by Tom Peerbolt
• Winter Moth: Spring is the time when winter moth larva will start to
hatch and begin feeding on developing buds. Monitor fields for larvae,
silken webbing, and feeding evidence on buds.
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About the
Small Fruit Upate
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