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Northwest Berry Foundation
Week 31
July 31, 2019
THIS ISSUE
Regional Field Reports
Blueberry Development
Industry Calendar
Iudustry News
Pests & Disease
Crop Management
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Northwest Berry Foundation
is a 501c3 with the mission
to support a more sustainable
Northwestern berry industry
through research, education,
and reducing food waste.
The Small Fruit Update is an
industry newsletter produced
weekly and supported entirely
by the region’s growers
through their regional berry
commissions.
Blackberry heart, Heather Fara 7/30/2019
TOM PEERBOLT
Northwest Berry Foundation
SWD continues to be the biggest threat to our berry crops as we move
into August. Take all precautions possible. These include:
• Shortening intervals between insecticide applications.
• Cutting back/eliminating Himalayan blackberries in border habitat.
• Picking more often.
• Optimizing insecticide coverage—especially bush interiors where
SWD will likely hang out.
• Sampling fruit in the field for early detection of problems, concen-
trating on ‘hot-spots’ where SWD have been previously found.
• Treating adjacent fields that are done harvesting. Especially varieties
that tend to have leftover fruit like Legacy.
Again—here’s some pointers for fruit sampling for SWD larvae—This is
the primary tool we use in checking fields to determine SWD status.
• Here’s the ‘official’ method: ‘A filter Method for Improved
Monitoring of Drosophila suzukii Larvae in Fruit’
• Here are two links from B.C. demonstrating variations on the
protocol that are a little less formal:
• Testing fruit quality in the field (one minute video)
• Saltwater assessments for SWD larvae in fruit
Quote of the Week
This week the Capital Press ran a piece on Jim McFerson, who has con-
tributed greatly to the tree fruit industry over the past twenty years. Jim’s
someone I’ve admired since I started working with berry crops.
“The red flags I see are the same ones industry sees...We can’t afford
to sell below production costs. We need to innovate where it makes
sense. We have to deliver products consumers are willing to purchase
and provide producers with a reasonable rate of return. The producers
are the ones taking the big risk. There is no single solution, whether
it is research, marketing or producing a new cultivar.” (Western
Innovator: A proponent of fruit research, 7/26 Capital Press)
Yes, we’ve got plenty of ‘red flags’ and plenty of work to do. We also
produce great products and possess a solid base of expertise in research,
marketing and production on which to expand and compete.
Have a good week,
Tom
 R EG I O N A L F I E L D R E P O RTS 2

FRASER VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Tuesday July 30th
Blueberries: Draper is picking now as of the past weekend and is filling some of this requirement. A bit of
Liberty is also picking. But it'll be next week before we really get into that variety. Next week should also see
a small amount of Calypso. There really isn't a very significant amount of this variety mature enough yet to
make a difference in fresh intakes. Elliots are getting considerably more colour and we could see some early
picks by mid month. Fruit softness has been a issue in most varieties lately.

Raspberries: We will wrap up at the end of this week for Meeker, Chemainus and Rudi varieties. Wakefield
will carry on for a while yet. The mild, damp July weather really saved this crop from being a bust.

Click here for BC

Blueberry Council's
Latest field report

WASHINGTON
Tuesday July 30th
Blueberries: "One thing I can say about our diverse blueberry industry this year is yields are heavy, berry
size is large, and the quality is excellent," Washington Blueberry Commission president Alan Schreiber. Listen
to his full interview at Fruit Bites:

• Part one (7/29, 1.5 Minutes)

• Part two (7/30, 1.5 minutes)
• NW blueberries to Viet Nam (7/26, 1.5 minutes)

WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON

Tuesday July 30th

Blueberries: Our temperate harvest weather continues with a little warmup into the mid 80’s this past
week. Dukes are finished, Drapers are well past peak as are Top Shelf, Bluecrop and a lot of other mid-sea-
son varieties. Liberty, Legacy are now picking consistently. Aurora’s are showing some shrivel and sunburn
on the ripening fruit. Main problem area remains the high SWD pressure. Probably moderated some by these
warmer temps but really need to stay on the management. Some great quality and quantities of blueberries
 B LU E B E R RY B U D D E V E LO PM E N T 3
Willamette Valley, Oregon: Week 30
Photos are from the same fields and taken close to the same day each year.

aurora last call

2019: Week 30, July 27th

2018: Week 30, July 27th

2017: Week 30, July 28th

aurora last call

 I N D U ST RY C A L E N D A R 4

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 & BLACKBERRY COMMISSION MEETING
10:30am - 2:30pm. Hayden's Lakefront Grill, 8187 SW Tualatin-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. Email Alan Schrieber for more information.

DECEMBER 2-3
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
FOR THE NORTHWEST
CENTER FOR SMALL
FRUITS RESEARCH
Save the date! Details to come.

DECEMBER 4-6
SMALL FRUIT
CONFERENCE & LYNDEN
AG SHOW
Go here for more information and to
register.

DECEMBER 4-6
WASHINGTON
RED RASPBERRY
COMMISSION ANNUAL
MEETING
8:00 AM , 204 Hawley St. Lynden, WA

FEB 3
OREGON BLUEBERRY
CONFERENCE
Grand Hotel, Salem, OR Go here for
more details and to register.
 I N D U ST RY N E WS
Highlights
Blueberries in Charts: Higher market volumes lead to
price cuts (7/30, Fresh Fruit Portal)
Michigan blueberries thriving (7/30, Brownfield) 99
million lbs. this year…
Peru set for another big increase in blueberry exports
in 2019-20 (7/30, Fresh Fruit Portal)
Black raspberry harvest finishing up in Oregon (7/18,
Fresh Plaza)
Editorial: All pain no gain? (7/26, Ellsworth
American) Government, global markets & wild Maine
blueberries…
Food Safety Regulations
California seeks small grower information for FSMA
compliance (7/26, The Packer)
Food Safety
Listeria in frozen food research nets Cornell professor
food safety award (7/25, Produce Processing)
Marketing
Well-Pict sponsored article: Marketing berries to the
next generation (7/30, The Packer)
Driscoll’s wins award at PMA Foodservice (7/29, The
Packer)
California: Strawberry commission challenges
consumers (7/25, The Packer)
Fruit Recovery
Reducing food waste key to focus for Treasure8 (7/27,
The Packer)
Strawberries
California: Ample late-season berry supplies expected
(7/25, The Packer)
Fresh raspberries
USDA approves raspberry imports from Morocco
(7/24, The Packer)
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Technology
Delta Trak showcases next-gen mini loggers (7/25, The
Packer)
Precision ag tech ready for takeoff in specialty crops
(7/22, Growing Produce)
Pest management
Michigan spotted wing drosophila update (7/24, MSU
Extension)
UAV-IQ and Koppert team up for drone-based aerial
biocontrol in California (7/25, Fresh Fruit Portal)
Organic
Produce growers changing to keep up with organic
demand (7/22, The Produce News)
Labor
Washington high court sets farmworker overtime pay
hearing for October (7/30, Capital Press)
Europe
Blueberry prices plummet in Poland (7/17, Fresh Plaza)
Trade
Potential Impacts of the ‘new NAFTA’ on Florida and
Georgia (7/25, VSC News)
Companies
Hortifrut CCO Felipe Juilerat leaves company (7/24,
Fresh fruit Portal)
Pollinators
Entomologist working to understand, control threats to
honeybee population (7/23, CBS Baltimore)
Applied Research
Should you consider photoselective netting for your
orchard? (7/22, Growing Produce) Research done on
apples but with implications for berry crops.
 I N S ECT & D I S E A S E P E ST 6
Click any blue text to learn more.

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 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 Anthracnose Ripe Rot, Caroline Teasdale
masses form on infected berries. After harvest, spore
masses form rapidly on infected fruit when in cello-
phane-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) manage- Shock virus 5/27/19, Jason Myer
ment (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 aph-
icide 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.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 particularly sus-
ceptible but other varieties have also tested positive.
Powdery mildew on both leaves and fruit of Sweet
Sunrise 2015, Bernadine C. Strik
 C RO P M A N AG E M E N T W E E K 31
All Crops
• As fruit starts coloring, begin sampling fruit for
SWD infestation, continue sampling throughout
harvest and treat as needed.
• Weed management.
• Fertility management.
• Water management.
Blueberries
• Bird management.
• Scout for mummyberry infected fruit.
• Stay on top of aphid management where scorch
virus transmission is an issue.
• Scout for leafroller larvae and treat as needed.
• Scout for virus symptoms and send in samples
for testing as needed (Shock virus; Scorch virus).
• Scout for winter moth/bruce spanworm larvae.
Scout for scale insects.
Scout for weevil notching on leaves and for adult
weevils.
• Scout for azalea bark scale in southern fields.
• Scout for blueberry gall midge damage.
• Can use pheromone traps to monitor for leafrollers.
• Scout for berry symptoms like green fruit botrytis,
hail damage, mummyberry, etc.
• Can apply clean up insecticide just before harvest
for crop contaminant management.
Raspberries
• Scout for yellow rust and assess treatment options.
• Scout for twospotted mites and yellow mites.
• Scout for virus symptoms and send in samples for
testing as needed.
• Can have pheromone traps out to monitor for leaf-
rollers.
• Scout cane blight and botrytis symptoms.
• Watch for fruit molds and treat as needed.
• Scout for weevils and treat as needed.
Early detection is
key with SWD.
Outbreaks are
extremely hard
to control.
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Blackberries
• Scout for leafroller larvae and treat as needed to
prevent fruit contaminant problems. (orange Tortrix
and oblique Banded)
• Scout for virus symptoms and send in samples for
testing as needed.
• Scout for cane and leaf rust.
• Scout for and treat as needed blackberry rust in
Evergreen blackberries.
• Scout for two spotted spider mites and treat as
needed in susceptible cultivars.
• Can apply horticultural oil for Redberry mite at
green fruit stage in susceptible cultivars
Strawberries
• Evaluate weak growing areas and check plants for
weevil larvae, root rot and/or cold damage.
• Scout for weevil adults and notching.
• After harvest, can treat for SWD control if field is
adjacent to other susceptible, ripening, crops.
• Weed control at strawberry renovation (6/26/12,
Michigan State Extension)
• Treat post harvest for SWD if in close proximity to
other ripening berry/stone fruit crops.
• Mow and treat immediately for SCM if needed.
• Mow and renovate 2-4 weeks after harvest unless
pressure requires mowing and treating.
• Scout for lygus bugs.
• Scout for fruit damage symptoms like cat facing,
slug damage, anthracnose, etc.
• Monitor ripe and ripening fruit for SWD larvae.
• Can apply slug bait as needed.
Scout for powdery mildew and treat as needed.
• Scout for two spotted spider mites and predatory,
beneficial mites.
• Scout for aphids, lady beetles, aphid mummies
(parasitized aphids), and other beneficial insects that
feed on aphids.
SWD, Hannah Burrack, NC State University
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