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Northwest Berry Foundation's

WEEK 23 • JUNE 6, 2019 Marionberris - May 19, 2014, near Amity, Or. Photo by Bill Dinger

THIS ISSUE
Regional Field Reports
Industry Calendar
Industry News
Insect/Disease Alerts
Crop Management • Regional Harvest Timing: Right now, the northern growing are-
as (B.C. & northern Washington) are running a little ahead of last
year as far as degree days go while SW Washington, Western Or-
egon and Eastern Washington are all running behind. We could
see harvests overlap more than usual.

• Rose stem girdler Alert: For blackberry and raspberry growers in

southwest Washington and the Willamette valley, the rose crown
girdler alert posted in last week’s SFU is repeated this week. Click
here to go to page 8 for more information. The next couple of
weeks are the best time for preventing damage from this pest.

• Spotted Wing Drosophila: So far this year our trap counts are
running close to last year. Our continued mild weather will favor
their continued development. Be prepared for what at the mo-
ment looks to be a high risk season for SWD.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS
NEWSLETTER
• Field days! Strawberry harvest has begun. The OSU Strawberry
field day is coming up next week on June 12th. See the calendar
below for details.
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FOUNDATION supports Have a good week,
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industry through research, Tom
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THE SM ALL FRUIT UPDATE

is a weekly update for the
Northwest berry industry,
supported entirely by the
region’s growers through
their regional berry
commissions. U-picked Hoods 5-31-18. Photo buy Joanna Peterson
 REGIONAL FIELD REPORTS 2
WILL A METTE VALLEY, OREGON 6-2-19
Strawberries: Processor harvests are beginning with some growers commenting that fruit
size is up compared to past years. Most fresh market production is in full swing right now.
Seeing some occasional slug feeding through fields but the fields look lush

WILL A METTE VALLEY, OREGON 6-2-19

Weather this last week was very mild with high temps just one day going over 80F (26C). No major rain
or other weather events. The forecast for the coming week is similar.
Blueberries: Blueberries are well into fruit expansion. Haven’t seen any coloring yet—
probably the first this week. Pollination looks very good. Hives are in the process of being
removed. Shock symptoms are lingering and re-emerging on some plants, again weather
related. In particular, watching all the new releases and how they handle it. There's a Last Call
field that gives indication of taking two-three years to recover from shock and that field could
be maybe 30% down in yields due to shock both last year and this year. Also—Cargo is finally
coming out of shock—what’s it going to do?
Blackberries: Blackberry bloom is moving along at a good pace. Again, the weather is
allowing for good pollination and very little plant stress.
Strawberries: June Bearing strawberries have just started harvest. Other than some herbicide
errors, we’ll see how much labor shows but conditions are such that the fruit should hold OK
in the field.

Blue Gold Blueberry 5-30 Photo by Tom Peerbolt.

Lady beetle in raspberry flower.

Photo by Tom Perbolt

 REGIONAL FIELD REPORTS 3
FR ASER VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA 6-4-19
Blueberries: Recent moderate weather in BC, as for Oregon, has been really good for crop
development, and fruit sizing is showing we had really good pollination in most varieties. A
few blue fruit showing up in Reka and Duke here and there.
Raspberries: Also seeing a few ripening fruit in the earliest varieties. Good primocane
growth under current conditions, and this is due in part to a lack of competition for
resources from the damaged floricane crop.
Strawberries: Harvest of the first Junes should be underway soon (if it hasn’t started by the
time this update comes out). Big push of ripe fruit in this first flush of Albion, but not sure
how sustained this will be before we hit a lull in production.

FR ASER VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA 5-31-19. From BC Blueberry Council.

Go here for the full BC Blueberry Council Blueberry IPM newsletter.
As bees are being removed from the fields, spray for aphids where present at high levels.
This is especially important in fields that have a history of scorch virus.
Mummyberry green berry infections have now been found in some fields, and at this point
in time there are no management options for this disease.

Fresh Market Strawberry Bulletin (6/3) from the Northwest Berry Foundation

Below: Photos from on-farm trials of new cultivars & Advanced Selections

Left: Ruby June. Photo by Julie Pond; Right: WSU 12.216-3. Photo by Amanda Stevens

Strawberry harvest, 2008. Photo by Tom Peerbolt

 BLUEBERRY BUD DEVELOPMENT 4

Willamette Valley, Oregon

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

PATRIOT BLUEJAY DUKE DR APER TOP SHELF LIBERTY AUROR A L AST C ALL

WEEK 22, 5-31-19

WEEK 22, 6-1-18

WEEK 22, 6-2-17

WEEK 22, 6-3-16

PATRIOT BLUEJAY DUKE DR APER TOP SHELF LIBERTY AUROR A L AST C ALL
 INDUSTRY C ALENDAR 5
JUNE 12, 2019: OSU STR AWBERRY FIELD DAY
1:00 PM- 4:00 PM at North Willamette Research and
Extension Center, 15210 NE Miley Road, Aurora, Oregon.
For more information contact 503-678-1264 x110. Go
here for the agenda.

JUNE 24 - 26: INTERNATIONAL BLUEBERRY

ORGANISATION SUMMIT “Join us in beautifulRichmond,
bc, canada for the 2019 ibo summit. Through continuous
research and innovation, we are setting standards and
winning fans among consumers and industry alike. From VISIT TH E WE ATH E R C A FE ®
food safety to sustainable practices, ours is an industry Go here for Rufus La Lone's
that is building strength on strength." Go here for more uniquely long-range forecasts
information and registration. for the PNW.®

JULY 17: OSU BLUEBERRY FIELD DAY 1pm - 3pm.

North Willamette Research and Extension Center, 15210
NE Miley Road, Aurora, Oregon. For more information
contact 503-678-1264 x110. Go here for the agenda.

AUGUST 7: OSU CANEBERRY FIELD DAY 1pm - 3pm.

North Willamette Research and Extension Center, 15210
NE Miley Road, Aurora, Oregon. For more information
contact 503-678-1264 x110
D EG R E E DAY I N FO R M ATI O N
SEPTEMBER 4: WASHINGTON RED R ASPBERRY Go here for Dr. Len Coop's
COMMISSION MEETING 1pm - 5pm. 204 Hawley St., Degree Day information.
Lynden, WA.
SEE THE FULL INDUSTRY C ALENDAR ON WWW.
NWBERRYFOUNDATION.ORG/CALENDAR

Bernadine Strick talking to growers during a previous OSU field day. Photo by Tom Peerbolt
 INDUSTRY NEWS 6

H I G H LI G HTS
U.S. ships fresh blueberries to Vietnam for
the first time (6/5, Fresh Fruit Portal)
Serbia claims a loss of 80% of raspberry
crop (6/3, Fresh Plaza) An update on this story.
‘Claims’ is the operative word.
In tariff talks, Mexico negotiators fear
crisis in U.S. relations & politics back home
(6/5, Washington Post)
Proposed trade pact produces split in
Georgia agriculture (5/31, Atlanta Journal-
Constitution) Blueberry growers on losing end.
Blueberries’ effect on cardiometabolic
health, metabolic syndrome eyed (5/29,
Fruit Grower News)
Industry-funded study of the week:
blueberries again (6/3, Food Politics) A semi-
critical view of some health research.
FR ESH M A R K ET R A SPBER R I ES
Double cropping tunnel-grown
raspberries can increase overall yields
(5/28, Fruit Grower News)
TR A D E
‘New NAFTA’ fails growers, says Florida
Farm Bureau (5/30, Fresh Fruit Plaza)
U.S. to hit Mexico with tariffs on all
imports (5/30, Fresh Fruit Portal)
L A BO R
B.C. minimum wage and other farm costs
go up (6/5, Country Life)
CLI M ATE/WATER
California snowpack 202% of average for
this time of year (6/2, Capital Press)
B.C.: Drought risk deepens (5/22, Country
Life in B.C.)
R ESE A RCH
Multistate research fund details specialty
crop automation projects (5/30, Fruit
Grower News)PhPP

TECH N O LO GY
CRISPR gene-editing will change the
way Americans eat – here’s what’s coming
(5/30, The Guardian)
CRISPR-Cas technology precisely
improves plants (6/4, Fresh Fruit Portal)
Robotic fresh raspberry harvester rolls out
in UK (6/3, Growing Produce)

N O RTH A M ER IC A
It’s looking like a sweet summer for New
Jersey (blueberries) (6/3, The Packer)

I NTER N ATI O N A L
Spain: “The future of blueberries in
Huelva is a cause for concern” (6/5, Fresh
Plaza)
Australia: Future of growing strawberries
uncertain (5/31, Fresh Plaza)
Russia doubled imports of blueberries
(5/31, Fresh Plaza)
Photo by Tom Peerbolt
Argentina sets its sights on the Chinese
blueberry market (5/29, Fresh Plaza)
 INSECT & DISEASE PEST ALERTS 7

ROSE STEM GIRDLER (AGRILUS CUPRESCENS) in Caneberries. From Justin O'Dea (WSU Clark, Cowlitz,
and Skamania County Extension)
The first emerged adult rose stem girdler of the year was observed at OSU NWREC in Aurora, OR
on May 25th. I have not observed any emerged in Clark or Cowlitz County, though I just recently
found some adults in canes. We expect emergence to begin in SW WA this week or early next week
and to continue for ~3 weeks. Based on what we know so far, management priorities are:
1) new plantings of raspberry or blackberry, and any primocane varieties 2) any fields you have that
clearly have rose stem girdler damage in them already 3) caneberry field areas bordered by feral/
wild brambles (Himalayan blackberry, wild rose, evergreen blackberry etc.)
Damage from this pest is widely variable, likely because:
1) many infested & girdled canes are often culled out during routine pruning operations in
commercial caneberry plantings 2) not all rose stem girdler larvae appear to survive and live long
enough to girdle the canes.
In this situation, the pest is most likely to infest rows along field edges from wild hosts each
year, even if it's not in your field currently. We've found it widespread in wild brambles this year
throughout southwest WA. Sometimes also canes in fields are not effectively girdled even though
a viable girdler is inside the cane. Girdlers can also emerge from pruned out canes that were not
destroyed or buried with tillage. New plantings are most vulnerable to infestations because the pest
can fully kill the plant before it is well established. Established plantings that become infested are
likely to experience yield loss via girdling of the floricane around harvest time.
The attached presentation gives tips for scouting for rose stem girdler and insecticides that are
effective on rose stem girdler, including some that are listed for use in caneberries in WA (and some
OMRI-listed materials for organic plantings). The revised description of rose stem girdler PNW
Pest Management Handbook is listed here.
Full cover sprays throughout the emergence and egg laying period (~3 weeks long) are needed
to kill rose stem girdler and prevent egg laying. Once eggs have been laid the new larvae will be
largely protected from insecticides until next year's emergence. Individual adult girdlers live for ~1
week, so spray programs that do not allow more than a 1 week gap throughout in coverage during
the 3 week emergence period are likely to be most effective.
As always, read and follow all label instructions, and adhere to extra precautions/protocols needed
during bloom to avoid damage to pollinators.

ALTERNARIA FRUIT ROT As blueberry

bloom starts to finish, it's time to consider
whether you need to prevent Alternaria
and Anthracnose problems from showing
up in the fruit. Alternaria can infect the
fruit beginning at the end of bloom and
throughout the fruit development stage, up
until harvest. Infections remain latent until
the fruit ripens. Infected fruits exhibit a
shriveling or caving-in of the side of the
berry and become watery in storage.
Alternaria Fruit Rot. Photo by Caroline Teasdale.
 INSECT & DISEASE PEST ALERTS 8

ANTHRACNOSE RIPE ROT If you've had

problems with Anthracnose, prevention
of a reoccurrence begins at petal fall.
Symptoms: First, blighting of shoot tips;
then, a few flowers turn brown or black.
Leaf spots, when they occur, are large or
small and roughly circular. As infected
berries ripen, the flower end may soften
and pucker. Under warm and rainy
conditions, salmon-colored spore masses
form on infected berries. After harvest,
spore masses form rapidly on infected
fruit when in cellophane-covered baskets
or in plastic clamshell packs. Anthracnose Ripe Rot. Photo by Caroline Teasdale.

YELLOW RUST in raspberries

• Yellow rust is now changing spore stages from black overwintering spores (teliospores) to yellow/
orange colored ‘blisters’ (spermagonia) on the top surface of leaves.
• This is followed closely by a very visible, almost day-glow 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 & can quickly defoliate canes if left
untreated.
• Evaluate disease incidence and stage to determine whether (& when) fungicide applications are
warranted.

SCORCH VIRUS in blueberries.

Vector (aphid) management (From an April,
2011 B.C. Pest Alert): “Blueberry scorch virus
is transmitted by aphids. An effective aphid
control program should be used by all growers.
Fields should be treated before bloom with
a registered aphicide to control the over-
wintering aphids before they reproduce and
disperse.”

SHOCK VIRUS in southern blueberries.

• Symptoms should be visible in many fields
starting this week. Shock virus, 5/27/19, photo by Jason Myer.
• 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.

POWDERY MILDEW in Southern strawberries.

Dry, warm, humid conditions favor powdery
mildew in strawberries. We’re seeing the
disease beginning to get going in some area
fields.

SILVER LEAF DISEASE in blueberries.

This is a recently identified disease. Draper
seems to be particularly susceptible but other Powdery mildew on both leaves and fruit of the strawberry
varieties have also tested positive. cultivar Sweet Sunrise., 2015. Photo by Bernadine C. Strik.
 CROP M A N AGE M ENT, WEEK 23
ALL CROPS
• Vole management.
• Weed management.
• Fertilizer program.
• Scout for virus symptoms & send in samples
for testing as needed.
• Can put out monitoring traps for Spotted
Wing Drosophila, orange tortrix leafrollers,
obliquebanded leafrollers and/or strawberry
crown moth.
BLUEBERRIES
• Bring in bees around 10% bloom.
• Bloom applications to prevent fruit molds.
• Blueberry Gall Midge, southern blueberries.
Tip damage from this midge is due to begin
showing up in southern blueberries. Damage
is usually deemed to not be economic except
in specific situations like new vigorous fields
where gall midge can occasionally cause too
much stunting of new growth.
• Azalea Bark Scale. This scale's telltale
bright white egg sacs on the lower branches of
infested plants are becoming more apparent in
some southern blueberry fields.
• Treat for Mummyberry as needed. (See
Alert above) You can scout for sprouting
mummyberries on the ground, but they can
be very difficult to find. Base your treatment
decisions on plant stage, environmental
conditions and the past mummyberry history
of the field and surrounding fields.
• Scout for Pseudomonas (Bacterial Blight)
Water-soaked lesions in some fields that then
develop into reddish brown to black cankers
or dead buds. Click here for a PCM Research
Update on bacterial blight first posted on
1/3/13.
• Scout for leafroller larvae feeding.
• Scout for Shock virus symptoms in southern
area fields.
• Scout for Clay Colored Weevils - This early
emerging species is a pest in northern growing
areas where it feeds on newly emerging shoots
and buds.
• Winter Moth/ Bruce Span Worm
blueberries: Scouting for winter moth larvae
should start as soon as the buds start swelling.
More of an ongoing issue in the northern
growing regions but also an occasional, locally
severe problem in some Oregon and SW
9
Washington fields.
• Scale blueberries
• Scout for weevil notching.
• Scout for root rot issues.
BLACKBERRIES
• Scout for Rose Stem Girdler.
• Burn back primocanes as needed.
• Scout for Purple Blotch lesions.
• Scout for virus symptoms & send in samples
for testing as needed.
• Can apply a phosphite material for stronger
root growth and root rot prevention.
• Scout for Cane and Leaf Rust and assess
treatment options.
• Can apply fungicides starting at 10% bloom
to prevent fruit mold
EVERGREEN BLACKBERRIES
• Can apply lime/sulfur for blackberry rust.
RASPBERRIES
• Burn back primocanes as needed.
• Scout for Twospotted mites and Yellow mites
• (northern areas) Scout for Clay Colored
Weevil.
• Scout for virus symptoms & send in samples
for testing as needed.
• Can apply a phosphite material for stronger
root growth and root rot prevention.
• Scout for Yellow Rust and assess treatment
options
STRAWBERRIES
• Can apply phosphite material materials to
strengthen root systems and manage root rot.
• Watch for weak growing areas and check rots
for weevil larvae, root rot and/or cold damage.
• Scout for Root Weevils. Adults of Black
Vine, Rough Strawberry, Strawberry Root
Weevils are now being recovered from some
strawberry fields.
• Can apply fungicides starting at 10% bloom
to prevent fruit mold.
• Scout for Strawberry Crown Moth in
southern strawberries.
 10
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