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Northwest Berry Foundation's
WEEK 30
JULY 24, 2019
THIS ISSUE
Field Reports
Industry Calendar
Industry News
Disease/Pest Alerts
Crop Management
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Small Fruit Update is an
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First year Albion field 7/15/2019 by Julie Pond
TOM PEERBOLT
Northwest Berry Foundation
One of the great frustrations that growers often face is evident again
this year: You can produce a great product but often can’t get the ‘return
on value’ needed to make it pay off. In so many ways Northwest berry
growers are doing an excellent job, both ongoing and improving, every
year to produce high-end premium products. And the truth is presently
we need to do that just to stay competitive given today’s market dynam-
ics. Most likely, next year the bar will be raised even higher. And that’s
just the way it is…
Some comments from this past week:
• All the time, money and effort spent in developing overseas markets
for blueberries is showing signs of paying off. In Oregon this past week
we had the annual visit from a South Korean official to inspect blueberry
fields and processors in support of that market. We’ve also had much
higher than expected demand for shipments to Vietnam in the first year
that country has opened up. Even if you’re not directly involved in over-
seas markets, every pound of fruit sold over there is a pound not compet-
ing with you in the domestic market.
• Good to see our great weather conditions have somewhat ameliorated
the damage done to raspberry fields in northern Washington and B.C. by
the February extreme weather. Great quality crop. Just not the quantities
seen in the past.
• SWD continues to be evident at low levels. Growers have gotten used
to maintaining a consistent management program. My biggest concern is
the later harvests when SWD pressure will be much higher and there will
be a lot more ripe fruit out there. If temps stay in this moderate range,
keep a close watch on whether you need to shorten the interval between
control applications.
• Getting to the end of harvest for the main raspberry and blackberry
varieties. Still a lot of blueberries and late season caneberries out there.
Hard to believe it’s almost August already.
Have a good week.
Tom
 REGIONAL FIELD REPORTS 2
FRASER VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Monday July 22nd
Blueberries: We continue to see large volumes of Duke and some Bluecrop fruit coming into the packers this
week. Most is going process with a slow down in fresh quality coming in. A decent crop of Draper will start
to pick in 4-5 days which will boost fresh fruit intake. Liberty is colouring up but is a way off still. This is a
variety that earlier in the season I thought was not going to amount to much. But it appears that it did get pol-
linated well and there looks to be some very nice fruit developing with good potential volumes. Plant growth
continues as if there never was a crop on board to slow it down. An excellent growing season.

Raspberries: They are still picking but definitely slowed down considerably. Maybe 7-10 days left on
Meeker with Wakefield continuing on for a good while yet. As with the blues, new cane development is very
good.

Monday July 22nd

Eric Gerbrandt, Research Director, BCBC/RIDC/CSGA:
Click here for BC
A hot few days have come and passed giving way to continued Blueberry Council's
warm, humid weather after some on-again, off-again rain last
week. Likely not enough moisture to cause issues for growers
Latest field report
on top of their fruit rot spray programs.

Blueberries: With such a large volume of crop coming in right

now, we’re seeing a heavy and prolonged peak in the Fraser
Valley. Some quality concerns, depending on the variety, pick
and region, but what a year for volume and fruit size! Lot’s of
interesting reads on new varieties like ‘Calypso’ and Valor™
this year, so we’ll have something to digest and consider in the
off-season.

Raspberries: Very good primocane growth as we are firmly

into the second half of the season. Winter damaged fields appear
to be compensating for the reduced crop with growth for the
next season, so hopefully next year will be better.

Strawberries: ‘Albion’ will be ramping up production in the

next several days as rebloom started a few weeks ago.

Draper harvest 7/17/2019 by Julie Pond

 REGIONAL FIELD REPORTS 3
WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON
Wednesday July 23rd
Blackberries: Most main season varieties will be finishing up this coming week. Our present volume
coming into the plants is maybe 25% of what it was at its peak. Columbia Star continues to be the bright
spot. It comes in so clean that we can run it quickly with fewer people on the line. It also finishes early
so that it doesn’t compete with the blueberries for tunnel space. Main quality problem this year is mold.
The cool, mild weather just made it hard to keep it managed. Still coming in: Black Diamond, Thornless
Marion and some Kotata’s.
Blueberries: Had a couple of hot days this past weekend and
this week our high temps are moving up a little into the low
80’s. Should help moderate the SWD population increases a
little. Almost all Dukes are now finished. We’re well into the
second wave – Draper, Bluecrop, Top Shelf, and some Blue
Ribbon. The older varieties like Patriot, Bluejay, Berkeley, etc.
are also being machine harvested for processed. Liberty and
Legacy are also starting up. Saw a couple of Calypso fields that
are also now harvesting. The fruit looked excellent. No major
problems being seen on the field side of things unless it’s some
growers starting to fall behind and over-ripe fruit now starting to
drop.

Strawberries: This July weather is all over the place. Thrips

don't seem to be as big a problem at this point in the season
compared to past years. Perhaps the rain from last week
drowned the Thrips that were there! All the usual pests are fol-
lowing the day neutral crop, SWD and mite flare ups included.
The crop is rotating though flowers, green fruit and ripe fruit
right now so I'm seeing it all. Heavy watering continues.
Korea export inspection 7/17/2019 by Julie Pond

INDUSTRY CALENDAR

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. Go here for the agenda
SEPTEMBER 4: WASHINGTON RED RASPBERRY COMMISSION
MEETING 1pm - 5pm. 204 Hawley St., Lynden, WA.

SEPTEMBER 10: OREGON RASPBERRY & BL ACKBERRY

COMMISSION MEETING 10:30am - 2:30pm. Hayden's Lakefront Grill, 8187 SW Tuala-
tin-Sherwood Rd, Tualatin, OR 97062

SEPTEMBER 27 - NOVEMBER 10: ONLINE BLUEBERRY

PHYSIOLOGY, PRODUCTION SYSTEMS & MANAGEMENT. 6-week course
taught by Bernadine Strik. For more information and to register go here.
OCTOBER 17: RASPBERRY & BLUEBERRY RESEARCH REVIEWS 10am -
4pm.at Mt Vernon WSU. Contact Henry Bierlink or Alan Schrieber.
DECEMBER 4-6 SMALL FRUIT CONFERENCE & LYNDEN AG SHOW
Go Here for more information and to register.
 BLUEBERRY BUD DEVELOPMENT 4
Willamette Valley, Oregon: Week 29
Photos are from the same fields and taken close to the same day each year.

top shelf blue ribbon cargo clockwork calypso aurora last call

2019: Week 29, July 19th-22nd

2018: Week 29, July 20th

2017: Week 29, July 21st

2016: Week 29, July 22nd

top shelf blue ribbon cargo clockwork calypso aurora last call
 INDUSTRY NEWS 5
Highlights Mexico
Drones save blueberry farmers time, The U.S. is the main export market for
money (7/23, Capital Press) Mexican blueberries (7/18, Fresh Plaza)

Vietnam becomes a top Asian customer for Promotions

U.S. blueberries (7/22, Capital Press)
Strong volumes of Washington blueberries
anticipated (7/17, Fresh Plaza)
Partners to study opportunities for
caneberry improvements through gene
editing (6/19, Fruit Grower News)
Fruit commodity groups get millions for
trade promotion (7/22, Fruit Growers
News)
Technology
Farmers earn more from YouTube than
their crops (7/22, AgPro)

What you need to know about Maine’s wild

blueberry industry (7/21, Bangor Daily
News) 1.5 minute video.

B.C.: Ag minister brings cash (7/10,

Country Life in BC)

Labor
Western Innovator: Trust of farmworkers
spells success (7/19, Capital Press) The first
farmer to sign a contract with the United Farm
Workers union.

Washington State AG weighs opening

doors to farmworker housing (7/17, Capital
Press)

H-2A reform finds grower support (7/18,

The Packer)

Updated: H-2A regulatory reform proposal

finally published (7/16, The Packer)

Pesticides
EPA stands by decision to not ban
chlorpyriphos (7/22, Capital Press)

North America
Michigan: Cool spring causes late
blueberry harvests (7/17, Fresh Plaza)

Strawberries
Strawberry supplies from California
improving (7/19, Fresh Plaza)

South America
Analysis of Argentina’s blueberry
producing sector (7/18, Fresh Plaza)

Breeding/Genetics
Berry Breeding, Planasa: “Our focus in
the coming years will be on blackberries,
a berry with a great future” (7/18, Fresh
Plaza)

Black Diamond blackberry 7/19/2019 by Cinzia Ballentyne

 INSECT & DISEASE PEST ALERTS 6

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.

ANTHRACNOSE RIPE ROT If you've had prob-

lems 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 circu-
lar. As infected berries ripen, the flower end may soften
and pucker. Under warm and rainy conditions, salm-
on-colored spore masses form on infected berries. After Anthracnose Ripe Rot, Caroline Teasdale
harvest, spore masses form rapidly on infected fruit when
in cellophane-covered baskets clamshell packs.

YELLOW RUST In raspberries yellow rust is now

changing spore stages from black overwintering spores
(teliospores) to yellow/orange colored ‘blisters’ (sper-
magonia) 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) man-

agement (From an April, 2011 B.C. Pest Alert). Blueberry
scorch virus is transmitted by aphids. An effective aphid Shock virus 5/27/19, Jason Myer
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 repro-
duce and disperse.

SHOCK VIRUS In southern blueberries. 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 powder mildew in straw-
berries. 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 par-
ticularly susceptible but other varieties have also tested
positive.
Powdery mildew on both leaves and fruit of Sweet Sunrise
* Click any blue text above to learn more. 2015, Bernadine C. Strik
 CROP MANAGEMENT WEEK 30
All crops
• Sample for & treat as needed for SWD fruit
infestation as soon as fruit begins to color.
• Vole management
• Weed management
• Fertility management
• Water management
• Scout for virus symptoms & send in samples
for testing as needed.
Blueberries
• Can apply fungicides to prevent fruit molds.
• Can apply insecticides to prevent SWD infesta-
tions.
• 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 mummy-
berries 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.
• Aphid control where scorch virus transmission
is an issue.
• Scout for leafroller larvae feeding.
• Scale blueberries
• Scout for weevil notching.
• Scout for root rot issues
Evergreen Blackberries
• Scout for and treat as needed for blackberry
rust.
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Blackberries
• Scout for Purple Blotch lesions.
• Can apply fungicides to prevent fruit molds.
• Can apply insecticides to prevent SWD infesta-
tions.
• Scout for virus symptoms & send in samples
for testing as needed.
• Scout for Cane and Leaf Rust and assess treat-
ment options.
Raspberries
• Scout for Phytophthora Root Rot. Look for
cane collapse.
• Scout for two spotted mites
• Can apply fungicides to prevent fruit molds.
• Can apply insecticides to prevent SWD infesta-
tions.
• 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
• Scout for Lygus Bugs and treat as needed.
• (Southern strawberries) Can scout for straw-
berry crown moth larvae.
• Can apply fungicides to prevent fruit molds.
• Can apply insecticides to prevent SWD infesta-
tions.
• Scout for Root Weevils. Adults of Black Vine,
Rough Strawberry, Strawberry Root Weevils
are now being recovered from some strawberry
fields.
• Scout for powdery mildew and treat as needed.
• Scout for two spotted spider mites and preda-
tory, beneficial mites.
• Scout for aphids and treat as needed
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