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Northwest Berry Foundation's

Irrigation big gun, 6-8-19. Photo by Tom Peerbolt

WEEK 25• JUNE 20, 2019

THIS ISSUE
Regional Field Reports
Industry Calendar
FSMA Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training, June 26th:
Industry News For the NBF Fruit Recovery Program participants, we’ve been
Insect/Disease Alerts working with the Oregon Department of Ag to set up a Grower
Training workshop on the FSMA Produce Safety Rule.
Crop Management There’s room for more participants so feel free to join us!
Wednesday, June 26th at the Oregon Food Bank West in Beaver-
ton; 7:30-5:00. Go here to register and see more details. Cost is
$35 per person. Attendees receive a certificate of completion. 2-3
pesticide credits.

Pest Status comments:

Spotted wing Drosophila:
• With ripe fruit in the fields, adult trap numbers are not a re-
liable indicator of SWD risk. The ripening fruit competes too
much with the attractant in the traps.
• Fruit sampling is the primary method for monitoring crop
risk in the field.
• With temperatures staying fairly moderate across the region,
we continue with prime conditions for SWD populations to
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS increase and for fruit infestation risk to increase as the season
NEWSLETTER goes along.
Other pests:
• Higher than normal aphid numbers in some blueberries.
Sticky leaves out there.
NORTHWEST BERRY
• Rose stem girdler in southern caneberries: We’re still finding
FOUNDATION supports
a sustainable NW berry
adults in the border blackberries so the assumption is that
industry through research,
they are still a threat to commercial blackberries and raspber-
education, and reducing
ries. Go here for the alert information that’s been included
food waste. Visit our
for the last couple of weeks.
website and follow our • Mummy berry – alert for organic growers. Blue Ribbon, one
facebook page to learn of our newer cultivars, is very susceptible to mummy berry
more about our latest work. infection. Under conventional management this disease is
pretty easy to keep under control with fungicides. However,
THE SM ALL FRUIT UPDATE that’s not true under organic management. Cultivar suscepti-
is a weekly update for the bility to mummyberry is a much more important economic
Northwest berry industry, factor to consider before planting.
supported entirely by the
region’s growers through Busy time for all right now. Have a good week. Tom
their regional berry
commissions.
 REGIONAL FIELD REPORTS 2
WILL A METTE VALLEY, OREGON 6-12-19
Strawberries: Processed strawberry harvest
wraps up this week in the Willamette Valley.
Fresh day neutral harvest continues with flowers
just starting to cycle in again. After talking to
some NW Washington processed strawberry
growers it sounds like the bulk of harvest started
late last week
From Beradine Strick. At the OSU-NWREC
we will be hand harvesting our younger, third
growing season Duke the middle of next
week. Fruit size and quality looks really good.
Blackberries are sizing nicely. We have started
to hand pick some black raspberry and will
machine pick for the first time later this week
(Munger next week). Red raspberries are coming Lady beetle larvae on an Albion bloom,
along nicely. Finishing up later strawberry 6-17-19. Photo by Julie Pond.
cultivars (short-day plants). Bloom is done in
kiwiberries so males have just been pruned. Fruit set looks good on the female vines.
6-17-19 From Tom Peerbolt. This is a transition week for Northwest berry crops.
• June bearing strawberry harvest is tapering off quickly as the growers and the proces-
sors shift their resources to blueberries and caneberries.
• Duke blueberry harvest has started in Eastern Washington and Southern Oregon. The
main more northern growing areas in the Willamette Valley will be picking within a
week.
• Oregon machine harvested blackberries are starting. Some early ripening Obsidians.
Black Diamond and Columbia Star will begin very soon.
WILL A METTE VALLEY, OREGON 6-18-19
Blackberries: I was wrong about sunburn, don’t see any in the Black Diamond or
Columbia Star which was my main concern, have heard reports of sunburn in Metolius
and Obsidian but have not seen those varieties. Could not ask for any better berry
weather, no stress and berries are sizing nicely, we will be starting Black Diamond harvest
end of the month, Columbia Star a few days later and Marion types after July 4. I still
think it is an average size crop, don’t see anything with big yield potential but quality
should be excellent. Including a Boysen pic just for something different and it is my
favorite variety.

Left: Boysenberry, Right: Black Diamond. June 16, 2019. Photos by Bill Dinger
 REGIONAL FIELD REPORTS 3
NORTHERN WASHINGTON,
WHATCOM COUNTY
Raspberries have improved this
last month, but we will still pick a
lighter than normal crop. Winter
injury could still cause these
raspberries to collapse, but I'm
more optimistic than I was a month
ago. Blueberries look good in all
varities, except for the normal drop
and shock symptons. Our biggest
pest issue continues to be worms
(leafrollers) up in the northern part
of the county next to the border

FR ASER VALLEY, BRITISH

COLUMBIA
Go here for the B.C. Raspberry IPM
Newsletter for June 14.
6-18-19 Blueberries: Looks like we
will start hand harvest Dukes on
June 24 in the Sumas prairie area
on the coarse sandy soils. Lots of
colour has developed area wide over
the last week. Weather conditions
are really very good with moderate
temps and relatively stress free
conditions for the plants.

6-18-19 Raspberries are slow to

ripen with the cooler temps of this
Calypso blueberry, Willamette Valley, 6-14-19.
week . Probably 10 days or so to
Photo by Tom Peerbolt
start machines on Rudis and 14 -15
days for Meekers. Meeker fruit size looks small and laterals are not well leafed. I think the
Meeker crop is really going to end up affected by the winter damage.

FR ASER VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA

6-16-19 Blueberries are coloring fast. The high tmperatures seemed to have affected
sizing a bit in some cases as you have mentioned as color has come on quickly. Seems like
things are a bit earlier than normal at this point but cooler temperatures predicted for the
next couple weeks may put us back to historical start times for machine. It's hard to say
for sure though with the amount of color on the plants. Looks like we may even get some
showers week of June 24th. Making sure sprayers are ready to get going on SWD controls
this week. Overall crop appears decent.

Cargo blueberry,
Willamette Valley, 6-14-19.
Photo by Tom Peerbolt
 REGIONAL FIELD REPORTS 4
FR ASER VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA 6-14-19. From BC Blueberry Council.
Go here for the full BC Blueberry Council Blueberry IPM newsletter.
Highlights

The earliest berries are continuing to ripen. Set up spotted wing drosophila traps in the
early varieties to monitor for female presence. Once ripe berries are in the fields and
females are caught, the first SWD sprays should begin.

Beneficial insects have been found in many fields and are actively preying on aphids
where they are found.

FR ASER VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA 6-16-19 F rom Er ic Gerbrandt , Research Director,

BCBC/ R IDC/ BCSG A
The weather in BC has been warm and dry this past week with just one very hot day that
pushed a lot of fruit development as noted for Oregon.

Blueberries: Conditions for fruit sizing and vegetative development continue to approach
ideal, which means that demand for nutrients, water and photosynthate are pushing
plants toward their genetic capacity. Watching for, and correcting if necessary, any plant
deficiencies under the demand of a heavy crop is key as we approach the season. I spoke
with a wholesaler who was getting some very early ‘Duke’ last week, but serious volumes
are likely right on top of what was described for Oregon, starting in the last week of June.

Raspberries: Very good fruit set and growth in varieties like ‘Chemainus’ that escaped the
worst of the winter damage seen in ‘Meeker’ and Wakefield™. Fresh pick of early varieties
continues to trickle in.

Strawberries: ‘Albion’ is now just finishing up the early crop, coming off its sharp peak last
week. By the time this newsletter comes out, June-bearing varieties will be more than 1.5
weeks into harvest, but the heat we had last week may compact the season, so we will see
most of the volume finish up by the end of June.
 BLUEBERRY BUD DEVELOPMENT 5

Willamette Valley, Oregon

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

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

WEEK 24 6-14 -19

WEEK 24, 6-14-19

WEEK 24, 6-15-18

WEEK 24, 6-16-17

WEEK 24, 6-17-16

PATRIOT BLUEJAY DR APER DUKE LIBERTY TOP SHELF AUROR A L AST C ALL
 INDUSTRY C ALENDAR 6
JUNE 24 - 26: INTERNATIONAL BLUEBERRY
ORGANIZATION 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
food safety to sustainable practices, ours is an industry
that is building strength on strength." Go here for more
information and registration.

JULY 17: OSU BLUEBERRY FIELD DAY 1pm - 3pm. VISIT TH E WE ATH E R C A FE ®
North Willamette Research and Extension Center, 15210
Go here for Rufus La Lone's
NE Miley Road, Aurora, Oregon. For more information
uniquely long-range forecasts
contact 503-678-1264 x110. Go here for the agenda.
for the PNW.®

AUGUST 7: OSU C ANEBERRY 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

SEPTEMBER 4: WASHINGTON RED R ASPBERRY

COMMISSION MEETING 1pm - 5pm. 204 Hawley St.,
Lynden, WA.

D EG R E E DAY I N FO R M ATI O N
SEPTEMBER 10: OREGON R ASPBERRY & Go here for Dr. Len Coop's
BLACKBERRY COMMISSION MEETING 10:30Am Degree Day information.
- 2:30pm. Hayden's Lakefront Grill, 8187 SW Tualatin-
Sherwood Rd, Tualatin, OR 97062

SEPTEMBER 27 - NOVEMBER 10: ONLINE To add your event to t he

BLUEBERRY PHYSIOLOGY, PRODUCTION SYSTEMS ca lenda r, ema i l Nor t hwest
& M ANAGEMENT. 6-week course taught by Bernadine Ber r y Foundat ion or ca l l
Strick. For more information and to register, go here. t he of f ice at 503-285 - 0908

For more information, go here.

 INDUSTRY NEWS 7
H I G H LI G HTS
Fall Creek founder’s insights into L ATI N A M ER IC A
“changing” blueberry industry (6/18, Fresh
Imports from Latin America make
Fruit Portal)
up a growing share of U.S. blueberry
North American Blueberry Council & the consumption (6/14, Fresh Plaza)
U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council prepare
Argentina exports 95% of blueberry
for new leadership as Mark Villita retires
production (6/10, Impulso)
(6/18, USHBC)
International demand drives Peruvian
WinCo recalls frozen raspberries from 10
exports of raspberries & blackberries (6/13,
states because of norovirus test (6/17) Rader
Andina)
Farms in Whatcom County is the source of the
fruit. Columbia sends first blueberry export of
the year to U.S. (6/17, Fresh Fruit Portal)
Global blueberry industry to gather in BC
this month (6/13, Fresh Plaza)
Blueberries in Charts: Finding FO O D SA FET Y
opportunities in the gaps (6/18, Fresh Fruit Eastern Canada: Recall on Chilean
Plaza) raspberry products sold in Quebec (6/11,
Mexico’s protected agriculture growth Fresh Plaza)
harms Florida, study says (6/17, The Packer)

CLI M ATE/WATER
Hot, dry conditions in greater Victoria no
surprise for Galey Farms (6/13, Gold Stream
Magazine)
TECH N O LO GY
New pot increases blueberry production
yield (6/ 17, F l o ra l D ai ly)
New berry trellis innovations improving
grower efficiency (6/ 14 , F re s h Pl a z a)
10 Precision Ag to watch for U.S. specialty
crop markets (6/ 18 , G ro w i n g P ro d u c e)
TH E WEST
Seasonal berry desserts return to
Burgerville for the summer (6/13, QSR
Magazine)
BR EED I N G
Driscoll’s introduces two “high-flavor”
berries for summer (6/12, Fresh Fruit Portal)
CO M PA N I ES
Berry People transitions to Pacific
Northwest blueberry supplies & announces
late-season organic offering (6/13, Fresh
Fruit Plaza)
TR A D E
After Trump drops tariff threat against
Mexico, U.S. produce associations push for
USMCA passage (6/12, Fresh Fruit Portal)

N O RTH A M ER IC A
Eastern Canada: Haskap berry growers co-
op launches in the Maritimes (6/18, Fresh
Plaza)
Florida’s blueberry harvest recap (6/16,
Central Florida Ag News)
B o x e l d e r b u g , 6 -14 -19 .
Mexico: Planasa opens a new strawberry & Ph o t o b y To m Pe e r b o l t
raspberry plant nursery (6/17, Fresh Plaza)
 INSECT & DISEASE PEST ALERTS 8

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
Alternaria Fruit Rot. Photo by Caroline Teasdale. become watery in storage.
 INSECT & DISEASE PEST ALERTS 9
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 Anthracnose Ripe Rot. Photo by Caroline Teasdale.
clamshell packs.
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.

Shock virus, 5/27/19, photo by Jason Myer.
• Symptoms 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.

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.

Powdery mildew on both leaves and fruit of the strawberry
This is a recently identified disease. Draper cultivar Sweet Sunrise., 2015. Photo by Bernadine C. Strik.
seems to be particularly susceptible but other
varieties have also tested positive.
 CROP M A N AGE M ENT: WEEK 25
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
• 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 Washington fields.
10
• 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.
 11
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