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Groundwater Banking on California Croplands

On-farm groundwater recharge methods include winter flooding, skipped row flooding, subsurface reverse tile drainage, recharge ponds and unlined canals or irrigation ditches (photo courtesy Almond Board of California.)

California relies heavily on groundwater, with 40% of annual demand supplied by aquifers during non-drought years and upwards of 60% during dry years. Approximately 83% of people in California receive part of their annual supply from groundwater, and many communities are exclusively reliant on well water for both ag and domestic purposes(3). Chronic groundwater overdraft, estimated at 2 million acre-feet per year since the 1960s, leaves California communities and farmland vulnerable to water shortages and rising surface water and pumping costs(1).

Groundwater depletion also causes subsidence, or land sinkage, as dry aquifers collapse. Subsidence damages infrastructure, such as roads, powerlines, pipes and canals. The California Aqueduct’s flow capacity has reduced due to increasing subsidence rates, with some areas surrounding the infrastructure sinking almost 1.25 inches per month(4). Groundwater recharge efforts have begun to reverse subsidence in some regions, but aquifer degradation and sunken land is often irreversible, and recharge efforts fail. The collapsed aquifers are irreparably damaged and can no longer store water.

California experienced the worst drought on record from 2012 to 2015, exacerbating groundwater pumping overdraft, water shortages and subsidence. Recharge during rainy years does not replenish the loss, and between 2010 and 2020, roughly 28% of monitored wells in California declined by 5 to 25 feet(3,6,8). State officials responded by passing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014 to bring pumping and recharge into balance by 2040. Local groundwater sustainability agencies, tasked with developing recharge implementation plans, will likely include Agricultural Managed Aquifer Recharge (AgMAR) to meet requirements and balance the groundwater pumping budget(7).

On-farm groundwater recharge methods include winter flooding, skipped row flooding, subsurface reverse tile drainage, recharge ponds and unlined canals or irrigation ditches. Traditional recharge methods like drainage basins require land dedicated solely to water percolation, limiting groundwater banking with high infrastructure construction costs and spatial constraints. Winter surface flooding on irrigated agricultural land can be implemented widely at low cost and with few infrastructure or management changes at the field level. With 5 million acres of California farmland suitable for AgMAR, groundwater banking can scale up dramatically if even a small percentage of acreage can dually purpose for recharge during rainy years(3,6).

University research and early commercial implementation on orchards, vineyards and other crops indicate AgMAR can effectively recharge aquifers and benefit production in multiple ways(3,5,6,7). AgMAR helps growers and landowners secure irrigation water availability for dry years while preventing further aquifer degradation and subsidence. When properly managed, recharge efforts can also improve soil quality by leaching excess salinity below the root zone. Well water quality also improves when clean stormwater dilutes nitrate and total dissolved solids (TDS) accumulated in the basin after years of ag chemical leaching and pumping overdraft. Better soil and irrigation water quality improve crop health and fertilizer use efficiency, leading to lower production costs or increased yield and crop quality.

Implementation
Growers and landowners implementing AgMAR must consider soil suitability for recharge, crop tolerance, water application timing and field management practices to protect both crop health and groundwater quality. Research and field studies conducted over the last 10 years can guide site selection and implementation, but land managers must evaluate their own soils and crops to adjust AgMAR protocols to fit the unique conditions at each ranch.

Site Selection
The Soil Agricultural Groundwater Banking Index (SAGBI), developed by Toby ‘O Geen and collaborators at UC Davis, provides a scoring system to determine farmland’s suitability for AgMAR6. SAGBI assigns scores in five categories, including deep percolation, root zone residence time, topography, chemical limitations and soil surface condition. The weighted average of scores in all categories is used to classify ag land as Excellent, Good, Moderately Good, Moderately Poor, Poor or Very Poor for agricultural groundwater banking. The best ground for recharge is on flat land with sandy or sandy loam soils. Ideally, the soil should have fast water penetration and infiltration, and little to no chemical limitations such as high salinity, nitrates or pesticide residue that could contaminate groundwater if leached into the basin(6,8).

Over 17.5 million acres of farmland in California have been scored using data from the USDA-NRCS Soil Survey Database, and 5 million acres were rated as Excellent, Good or Moderately Good for AgMAR. Most of the land suitable for recharge is found in the eastern Central Valley as well as some locations in Santa Maria, Salinas and Napa(6).

Land managers can look up their ground’s SAGBI score on UC Davis’ web-based mapping app at casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/sagbi/. Recharge suitability indicated by SAGBI scores should be verified on the field level by soil testing and site evaluation prior to AgMAR implementation.

Recharge methods from left to right: surface application to orchards, subsurface application to orchards and basins/water conveyance structures (illustrations by Jennifer Natali, courtesy Almond Board of California.)

Crop Suitability
Crop suitability for AgMAR depends on tolerance to soil saturation, crop value and financial risk, and likelihood of nitrate leaching due to typical fertilization patterns. Groundwater banking on agricultural lands is safest during winter dormancy or when fields are fallow. Surface applications typically flood the field with 6 to 8 inches of water that drains in a week or less depending on soil permeability(2,3,5). Oxygen levels in the soil decline due to standing water, and if saturation persists for too long, the crop’s roots may be harmed. Stressed and damaged root systems cannot absorb water and nutrients effectively, resulting in yield decline later in the season. Damaged roots are also more vulnerable to soilborne diseases such as phytophthora and fusarium, so fields with known disease pressure may not be good candidates for recharge(5,7). Growers can avoid root damage and even improve soil health by choosing appropriate fields and planning surface application to match soil drainage rates and crop tolerance thresholds.

Crops suitable for AgMAR include alfalfa, wine grapes, tomatoes, almonds and other tree nuts. Annual cropping fields can also be used for recharge during the fallow period between plantings. Alfalfa presents a good candidate for recharge because its relatively low value poses less financial risk compared with specialty crops if recharge damages production. AgMAR field experiments with alfalfa found no decline in root health or yield after winter flooding on well-draining soils, demonstrating growers can safely carry out recharge programs if the crop is in its dormant stage. Since alfalfa is sensitive to soil saturation during the growing season, researchers suggest rotating recharge sites to older crops scheduled for replanting the following year, especially if flooding events are expected in late winter or early spring(3,7).

Areas of soil suitability for groundwater banking in California taken from UC Davis web-based application. The application uses the Soil Agricultural Groundwater Banking Index to score specific farmland suitability.

Trees and vines are excellent candidates for groundwater banking, if flooded during winter dormancy, well before budbreak. Crop sensitivity to water logging varies with rootstock, but growers are advised to limit standing water duration to two days to avoid root damage. Wine grapes are fairly tolerant to soil saturation, and since they typically receive less nitrogen fertilizer than other crops, residual nitrate levels during the winter are low. Tomatoes, almonds and other tree nuts generally receive higher nitrogen application rates, posing greater risk to groundwater quality if excess nitrate leaches during flooding events. Low nitrate levels and saturation tolerance position vineyards as the safest crop candidate for recharge, but groundwater banking will be more effective if implemented on the state’s vast almond acreage as well(5,8).

UC Davis research funded in part by the California Almond Board demonstrated AgMAR efficacy on two commercial almond orchards in the Central Valley from 2015 to 20175. Researchers applied a total of 24 inches of water per year, split into multiple flooding events during winter dormancy for two consecutive years. One of the orchards, located near Dehli, Calif., has highly permeable, sandy soil. The second orchard, located in Modesto, has moderately permeable, sandy loam soil. Flood water at both locations percolated below the root zone in less than a week, and researchers found no negative impacts on tree water status, root health or yield at either site. Winter flooding proved an efficient recharge method, with over 90% of applied water percolating below the root zone on the sandy soil and over 80% percolation on the sandy loam. Similar studies on pistachios, wine grapes and tomatoes also resulted in effective groundwater banking while maintaining root health and productivity(2,3,5).

California almond growers have begun implementing AgMAR on their own orchards with promising results. Mark McKean, a prominent grower in the Fresno area, began testing flood irrigation and recharge in 2010, and by 2020 he had experimented with groundwater banking on 350 acres. In 2016, McKean banked 2 ac-ft/ac and in 2019 1.4 ac-ft/ac on a three-year-old almond orchard. McKean found better percolation when flood water was applied for short durations rather than one long set, and he reduces his fall nitrogen application rate on fields slated for winter recharge to prevent excess nitrate leaching below the root zone(7).

When properly managed, recharge efforts can also improve soil quality by leaching excess salinity below the root zone (photo courtesy Almond Board of California.)

Other growers have installed subsurface groundwater banking systems to pump recharge water below the root zone and bypass the risk posed by surface flooding. Diverted stormwater or other source water is piped down to a reverse tile drain system at least 8 feet below the soil surface. Several subsurface systems have been installed in the Central Valley since they were introduced in 2017, and some water districts offer incentives programs to help cover the costs. Subsurface recharge systems are expensive to install, but they facilitate high recharge volumes without impacting roots and crop health(7).

Water Quality Considerations
Groundwater banking on ag lands has the potential to significantly improve water resource security in California, but AgMAR poses a risk to groundwater quality if excess salts, nitrates and other residual contaminants are leached down to aquifers. Preliminary soil testing can assess field suitability for recharge before each rainy season, and sites with excess nitrate, salinity or pesticide residue may be passed up in favor of sites with optimum chemical characteristics. Fields with higher residual contamination may still be good candidates for recharge if enough clean stormwater is available to dilute nitrate and salinity down to safe drinking water quality standards. Growers can also prepare for winter recharge by reducing the proportion of annual nitrogen fertilizer applied in the fall.
Residual contaminants in the vadose zone, the unsaturated area between the soil and the groundwater table, may also pose a risk to groundwater quality. Salts, nitrate and ag chemicals accumulated in the vadose zone after years of commercial agriculture may be mobilized by high-volume recharge events and leach down to the groundwater basin. Hannah Waterhouse and colleagues at UC Davis analyzed soil core data down to 30 feet on 12 fields in the Kings groundwater basin to quantify potential risk of nitrate and salt contamination to aquifers8. The study compared the effects of soil permeability, crop type and fertilizer management on nitrate and salt accumulation in topsoil and below. Fields with lower water infiltration rates had higher nitrate and salinity levels compared with more permeable ground. Soils with slower water infiltration rates stored on average 732 lbs N/ac while lighter, well-draining soils stored 542 lbs N/ac within the 30-foot profile(8). Information gleaned from this study and other research can help determine the source and volume of water required for recharge at each site to ensure that leached contaminants are sufficiently diluted to protect well water quality.

Crop type and grower management also strongly affected nitrate and salinity levels. High nitrogen application rates on tomatoes and almonds were reflected in the soil profile, while wine grapes with lower N applications and deep root systems almost always contained the lowest nitrate levels. Elevated residual nitrate found on one outlier vineyard was explained by the grower’s fertilizer management. While other wine grapes received split N applications, the field with unusually high residual nitrate received the entire year’s N supply in one shot at the beginning of the season, demonstrating management’s strong impact on nitrate leaching8. Regardless of crop type, growers implementing AgMAR can protect underlying groundwater by testing the soil’s N level in fall and adjusting fertilizer management to prevent nitrate leaching.

Groundwater quality monitoring and collaboration between growers, researchers and water agencies will help to safely implement AgMAR and improve recommendations to meet differing requirements at each ranch. Further research is required to understand how the vadose zone’s characteristics will impact groundwater quality in response to AgMAR, but initial studies indicate that the benefits of recharging our groundwater basins outweigh the potential risks when appropriate sites and field management strategies are implemented.
Average groundwater overdraft in California is estimated at about 2 million acre-feet per year, and from 2005 to 2010, the Central Valley alone overdrafted an estimated 1.1 to 2.6 million acre-feet(1,6). Pumping restrictions required by SGMA may cause between 750,000 and 1 million acres of agricultural lands to go fallow without new supply mitigation measures(7). Agricultural lands rated as Excellent or Good by SAGBI can percolate an estimated 1 foot of water per day, and if AgMAR were implemented on suitable wine grape acreage in the Central Valley, growers could bank 460 million acre-feet of water per day(6,8). AgMAR implementation at scale will require supply rights and infrastructure to divert excess stormwater to agricultural fields, but SGMA funding and compliance deadlines will likely motivate stakeholders to facilitate on-farm groundwater recharge efforts. Thousands of acres of wine grapes, almonds, alfalfa and tomatoes are planted on land suitable for groundwater banking, giving growers an opportunity to secure water resources for future crop production and their communities.

References
1. [CDWR]California Department of Water Resources. 2009. Bulletin 160–09: California water plan update. Sacramento (CA): California Department of Water Resources. http://www.waterplan.water. ca.gov/cwpu2009/.
2. Levintal E, Kniffin M, Ganot Y, Marwaha N, Murphy N, Dahlke H (2022): Agricultural managed aquifer recharge (Ag-MAR)—a method for sustainable groundwater management: A review, Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, DOI: 10.1080/10643389.2022.2050160
3. Dahlke H, LaHue G, Mautner M, Murphy N, Patterson N, Waterhouse H, Yang F, Foglia L. 2018. Chapter Eight – Managed Aquifer Recharge as a Tool to Enhance Sustainable Groundwater Management in California: Examples From Field and Modeling Studies. Editor(s): Jan Friesen, Leonor Rodríguez-Sinobas. Advances in Chemical Pollution, Environmental Management and Protection. Elsevier, Volume 3: 215-275. ISSN 2468-9289. ISBN 9780128142998. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.apmp.2018.07.003.
4. Lopes et al. 2017. California Aqueduct Subsidence Study. California Department of Water Resources, Division of Engineering, San Luis and San Joaquin Field Divisions. https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Engineering-And-Construction/Files/Subsidence/Aqueduct_Subsidence_Study-Accessibility_Compatibility.pdf
5. Ma X, Dahlke H, Duncan R, Doll D, Martinez P, Lampinen B, Volder A. 2022. Winter flooding recharges groundwater in almond orchards with limited effects on root dynamics and yield. Calif Agr 76(2):70-76. https://doi.org/10.3733/ca.2022a0008.
6. O’Geen AT, Saal M, Dahlke H, et al. 2015. Soil suitability index identifies potential areas for groundwater banking on agricultural lands. Calif Agr 69:75– 84. https://doi.org/10.3733/ ca.v069n02p75
7. Roseman J, Lee E, Asgil L, Mountjoy D. 2021. Almond Board of California, Document #2021R0060. https://www.almonds.com/sites/default/files/2021-12/WO-6177_ABC_GroundwaterRecharge_Web_SinglePage.pdf
8. Waterhouse H, Bachand S, Mountjoy D, Choperena J, Bachand P, Dahlke H, Horwath W. 2020. Agricultural managed aquifer recharge — water quality factors to consider. Calif Agr 74(3):144-154. https://doi.org/10.3733/ca.2020a0020.

 

The Dynamic Duo: Exploring the Synergy between Irrigation and Nutrient Management

Advancements in irrigation systems, such as drip, micro and pivot systems, have improved water distribution and incorporated fertigation (photo by Taylor Chalstrom.)

As agriculture faces increasing pressure to produce more food with less resources, the role of irrigation and nutrient management has become ever more critical. Efficient irrigation and nutrient management practices are essential not only for maximizing crop yield and quality, but also for promoting sustainability and minimizing environmental impacts. In this article, we will explore the interconnected role of irrigation and nutrient management in agriculture and how growers and advisors can implement strategies to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. By understanding the relationship between these two critical factors, we can promote sustainable agriculture while ensuring food security for generations to come.

Years ago, as I was interviewing many farm managers and their advisors to better understand their irrigation practices, I kept hearing one common statement: “The fastest way to compromise a great nutrition plan is to irrigate improperly.” Efficient irrigation management is crucial to minimize water losses, optimize nutrient use efficiency, improve soil health and increase grower profitability. Their goal is to manage irrigation by applying it at the proper time and rate for the specific crop demand and soil conditions. Excessive watering can cause waterlogging, nutrient leaching, soil erosion, disease and decreased crop yields. Conversely, insufficient watering can result in stunted growth and reduced harvest.

Agronomists have accepted and are committed to the 4Rs of Nutrient Management. While traditionally our 4Rs focus has been on the nutrients delivered with fertilizers, we can use the same paradigm to manage the equally essential, and in some crop systems more limiting, nutrients of hydrogen and oxygen delivered in the form of H2O.

The same paradigm of nutrient management can be used for irrigation management when thinking about right source, right place, right time and right rate. Efficient irrigation management is crucial to optimize nutrient use efficiency.

Right Source
Choosing the right source of water for irrigation is crucial. Water quality can vary significantly, and it is essential to consider factors such as salinity, alkalinity and potential contaminants. Testing the water source and ensuring it meets the required quality standards will help prevent adverse effects on soil health and plant growth. Growers and advisors should consider the following factors regarding water quality:

Salinity
High salt concentration can harm plants, reduce crop yield and quality, and affect soil health. Use electrical conductivity (EC) or total dissolved solids (TDS) meters to measure salinity and manage it through leaching, salt-tolerant crops or water treatment.

pH
Water acidity or alkalinity affects nutrient availability, uptake and soil health. Maintain a pH range of 6.0 to 7.5 through pH-adjusting chemicals or selecting pH-tolerant crops.

Nutrient content
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels in water impact plant growth and nutrient management. Adjust fertilizer rates or choose crops suitable for specific nutrient levels.

Pathogens and contaminants
Water may contain harmful bacteria, viruses and heavy metals that affect plant and human health. Implement water treatment, testing and monitoring practices.

Water availability
Consider the source, quantity and timing of water for irrigation. Implement water management practices to ensure availability throughout the growing season.

Water quality is vital for agricultural irrigation. Though growers cannot control the quality of their water source, they can monitor and adjust it as needed. Consider all relevant factors to ensure suitable water for crop growth without posing risks to plants or human health.

Right Place
The “right place” in irrigation management involves effectively delivering water and nutrients to the plant’s effective root zone. Advancements in irrigation systems, such as drip, micro and pivot systems, have improved water distribution and incorporated fertigation (applying fertilizers through irrigation.) Fertigation increases nutrient efficiency, reduces waste and promotes soil health. Regular maintenance ensures high distribution uniformity, avoiding uneven irrigation. To evaluate distribution uniformity, contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Department or refer to this resource: ucanr.edu/sites/farmwaterquality/files/156399.pdf. Proper installation, maintenance and monitoring optimize the right place for uniform water and nutrient distribution, maximizing crop yield and sustainability.

Right Time
Knowing how much and when to turn on irrigation is crucial for maximizing water efficiency, promoting healthy plant growth, and optimizing crop yield. Consider the following factors:

Crop water needs
Understand the specific water requirements of each crop, considering different growth stages and their corresponding water demands. This knowledge helps determine when irrigation is necessary for optimal crop development.

Soil moisture monitoring
Regularly monitor soil moisture levels using sensors or visual inspection techniques. This information identifies when the soil has dried sufficiently to require irrigation, avoiding both overirrigation and underirrigation.

Weather conditions
Monitor weather forecasts and local climatic patterns. Factors like temperature, humidity, wind and solar radiation influence evapotranspiration rates, affecting water loss from the soil and plants. Adjust irrigation timing based on anticipated water loss.

Plant stress indicators
Observe signs of water stress, such as wilting, leaf rolling and changes in leaf color, to determine irrigation needs. Providing water at the right time prevents water stress, promotes optimal plant growth and minimizes crop yield losses.

Remote plant stress monitoring
Innovative technologies using sensors, aerial imagery or satellite data enable real-time monitoring of plant stress levels. Adjust irrigation timing based on these insights, improving water efficiency and crop performance.

Irrigation scheduling techniques
Utilize techniques like soil moisture-based scheduling, crop evapotranspiration (ET) data or plant water demand. These tools guide when to irrigate, considering crop needs and environmental conditions.

Water conservation considerations
In water-limited regions, time irrigation to maximize water use efficiency. Avoid peak water demand periods, applying water during cooler, less evaporative periods to minimize water loss and optimize utilization.

By considering these factors, growers can determine the appropriate timing for irrigation, ensuring crops receive adequate water when needed the most. This approach maximizes water efficiency, conserves resources and promotes healthy plant growth and optimal crop yield.

Right Rate
Once we know the amount of water the plant needs and when, we need to determine how frequently and how long to apply the water so that we do not have runoff or infiltration below the effective root zone. This might be an area for most improvement. By determining the appropriate rate, we can ensure that water and nutrients remain within the effective root zone, where plants can efficiently utilize them. This minimizes leaching and evaporation, reducing loss and waste.

To determine the right rate of irrigation:

  • Understand soil characteristics, including type, infiltration rate and water holding capacity
  • Determine the irrigation application rate specific to your system
  • Consider the water demand of the crop

Several tools can aid in developing an effective irrigation schedule. These include evapotranspiration models, soil moisture monitoring and plant-based sensors that track water and nutrient uptake. By utilizing these approaches, farmers can align irrigation events with actual plant and soil water needs, maximizing water use efficiency.

As agriculture strives to meet the growing global food demand while conserving resources, the proper management of irrigation and nutrients has emerged as a critical aspect. This article has emphasized the importance of efficient irrigation and nutrient management practices for achieving optimal crop production, maintaining high-quality harvests and reducing environmental harm. By adopting the 4Rs of Irrigation Management that improve the efficiency and efficacy of these practices, growers and advisors can contribute to sustainable agriculture. Through a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between irrigation and nutrient management, we can pave the way for a future where agriculture meets the needs of the present while safeguarding the needs of future generations.

Using Plant Nutrition and Biostimulant Products to Continue Citrus Production in HLB-Infected Trees

The concept of well-balanced plant nutrition in citrus.

Citrus huanglongbing (HLB), previously called citrus greening disease, has been covered in thousands of articles. New technology and management tools continue to be discovered. Yet we still have no definitive cure and it could be a while before we see one. New rootstocks are surfacing, and treatment techniques are having some effect on slowing this devastating disease that has destroyed huge amounts of the world’s citrus trees.

As a Certified Professional Agronomist and a Certified Crop Advisor, I must prepare myself for HLB and its arrival here in the rest of California. It is currently here in one county. Many qualified scientists are approaching this menace with specific technologies, genetic modifications to trees, finding new resistant root stocks and of course trying to find something that will destroy the infections as well as a chemical or biological spray or injection that can combat and even cure the infection.

Others are addressing the psyllid vector, Diaphorina citri, that spreads the disease. Spray timings, mating disruptions, netting to cover the trees and keep the insect off them are being addressed.

Well balanced nutrition programs for citrus may improve yield, tree health, fruit quality and additional years of production in HLB-infected trees.

Nutrition for Management
One approach I have used over the years mainly in Florida and Texas is based on years of repeated trials. It calls for using balanced and adjusted plant nutrition. It is most certainly not a cure, but I have witnessed improved yield, tree health, fruit quality and additional years of production from infected trees. It takes management and a deep knowledge of your citrus trees. When are the critical times of a developing tree, flower, bud development and fruit set, sizing, brix production and even color?

We need to study the amounts and most effective types of nutrients to apply. Balancing your crop nutrition is always critical, but a crop infected with the HLB needs special attention and application changes from a healthy crop nutrition program. A well-balanced program may handle these demands.

We must do more than a normal citrus nutrient program. One should understand the beneficial use of foliar applications of fertilizer nutrients and SAR (Systemic Acquired Resistance) products to maintain the health of HLB-infected trees. Several groves have maintained tree health and production by producing 7 to 10 years of profitable crops. The cultural production programs consist of a foliar spray cocktail of nutrients and SAR products applied three or more times per year to coincide with the initiation of vegetative growth flushes. The application of the nutrient/SAR foliage spray program can reduce and ameliorate HLB leaf symptoms and includes a good soil-applied dry fertilizer.

The greatest gain in fruit retention can be made during fruit set.

We know the movement of the bacteria inside the roots and leaves severely blocks the phloem tissue of these two areas. The interruption and restrictions to the movement of nutrients and sugars results in leaves dropping and remaining leaves being smaller. By using products that can stimulate or increase the efficiency of these affected areas, we should be able to improve movement of nutrients and sugars.

Research showed potassium nitrate resulted in the highest net income increase, $1925/ha/year in HLB-infected Florida citrus.

Research has shown that by applying potassium foliarly, we can improve the health and production of infected trees. Polyamines have also been shown to be effective.

Other Possibilities
If simply changing application methods and fertilizer sources can make major changes, we can start to imagine other possibilities.

Potassium nitrate sprays show less greening in Valencia oranges.

Verdesian Life Science has proven the use of phosphites can improve sugar and size in citrus fruit when compared to citrus trees not using this technology. Phosphites also trigger a plant’s own ability to increase its SAR. Plants have this ability to help them fight off infections.

Verdesian also uses other proven biostimulant products such as Primacy Alpha that through foliar applications increase nitrogen assimilation. The increased effect on the glutamine/glutamate pathway increases production of amino acids, proteins, lipids and other essential building blocks in the plant. We have seen a consistent increase in new root growth. This could lead to a healthier pathway for water and nutrient uptake. Water uptake is essential to carry nutrients and provides much of the fruit weight.

Increased leaf size, chlorophyll production and CO2 fixation were documented in citrus trials using Primacy Alpha.

With Primacy Alpha, we documented increased leaf size, chlorophyll production, and CO2 fixation which could offset the HLB effects on leaves. With the documented increased flowering, we might improve fruit counts. With consistent nitrogen uptake improvement along with whole plant biomass gains, we continue to successfully improve the health and production on healthy and stressed crops. Primacy Alpha also contains a cytokinin precursor. It triggers the plant to produce more natural cytokinin. Cytokinins play a role in cell division. More cells mean bigger fruit.

If plant growth, smaller fruit, leaf development, reduced chlorophyl production and activity plus phloem blockage are results of HLB, it stands to reason that stimulating and improving these restricted systems could benefit the affected crop.

Seeing the effect HLB has on fruit size and fruit color, we must seek ways to offset these things that reduce marketability of fruit.

Products such as Cyto-Red+, a unique blend of patented technologies, help support plant performance through chelation/complexation.

Products such as Cyto-Red+, a unique blend of patented technologies, help support plant performance through chelation/complexation. MAC Trigger upregulates genes involved in the shikimic acid secondary metabolite pathway, which leads to production of flavonoids and anthocyanins, which are the main color components of the fruits.

I could spend days and thousands of additional words and examples to show how using plant nutrition and biostimulant could help at least extend the quality production on HLB infected citrus. It is not a cure but simply a temporary solution to continue producing fruit while we find a permanent solution.

Dial In Spray Coverage for Cost-Effective Spraying

In mature orchards, 65% to 80% of the spray flow should be applied through the top half of open nozzles (all photos by F. Niederholzer.)

The goal of airblast spraying is a uniform pesticide deposition of a known, prescribed pesticide rate throughout the entire target (tree canopy). Done right the first time, a good spray job saves the time and money of a second spray plus income lost due to crop damage in the case of a poor first spray (in tough economic times, a second spray for the same problem may not be in the budget.)

There are several steps to achieving this goal. Skipping any step will reduce spray efficacy and efficiency.

Step 1: The sprayer should travel at an appropriate speed to allow spray to reach the treetops. Too slow sprayer speed wastes time, too fast means poor coverage in the treetops and the risk of income loss due to crop damage.

Step 2: Point larger nozzles at thicker canopy (more leaves and nuts). For most orchard crops, this means 65% to 80% of the spray flow (gallons per minute) should be applied through the top half of open nozzles.

Step 3: Measure gallons per acre sprayed and, using total spray tank volume, determine the amount of pesticide product to add to each tank, to match your PCA’s recommendation.

Step 4: Check coverage with water-sensitive paper (WSP) placed in the canopy.

Details
Ground speed
Airblast spraying uses air from the sprayer’s fan(s) to move the pesticide throughout the tree. If the fan’s air doesn’t reach the treetops, the pesticide won’t either. Ground speed is a simple and effective way to adjust air movement through the canopy, especially between bloom and harvest when spray coverage is most challenging.

The sprayer should travel fast enough so air from the sprayer’s fan reaches up through the tree to just above the tops of the tallest trees. To check this, at a time of day with little to no wind, tie a short (18-inch) length of surveyor’s ribbon to a section of PVC pipe or conduit and run the tubing up through the middle of a tree to a height just above the tallest trees in a planting. With the sprayer fan “on,” drive the sprayer past the tree with the flagging at tractor and sprayer settings you think is appropriate (e.g., full sprayer air delivery and 2.25 MPH sprayer speed).

Tying flagging to the nozzle ports and running the fan can help show you which ports point where in the tree. If the fan’s air doesn’t reach the treetops, the pesticide won’t either.

If the flagging flutters out to 45 degrees from the vertical as the sprayer passes the tree, the speed is appropriate for that planting at that time of the season. If the flagging just barely moves or doesn’t move at all, repeat the process with slower tractor speed. If the flagging kicks up to the vertical (180 degrees from dead hang), repeat the process at a faster tractor speed. Record the tractor and sprayer settings that deliver air movement from the sprayer fan to just above the canopy. Calculate the acres per minute sprayed at that ground speed by multiplying ground speed (feet per minute) by the row width. Note: If spraying on a day with slight winds, drive slower, delivering more fan air to compete with the wind and better cover the upper canopy.

Nozzle selection
With a gallons per acre (GPA) target from your PCA and the appropriate sprayer speed measured with the aforementioned “flagging on a pole” process, calculate the sprayer output (gallons sprayed per minute; GPM) needed.

Gallons per minute = (Gallons per acre) x (Acres per minute)
Now select nozzles to deliver the GPM you just calculated (on paper). More spray should be applied to areas of the tree with more leaf area. Upper-canopy locations often hold more crop than the rest of the tree and are the toughest to cover. Extra spray volume with larger nozzle size targeted there will deliver more uniform coverage.

Step 1: Park the sprayer in the orchard and look where the different nozzle ports are located. Tying flagging to the nozzle ports and running the fan can help show you which ports point where in the tree.

Step 2: Using the manufacturer’s catalog and desired system pressure (for example, 150 psi), select nozzle sizes to locate on different nozzle ports. The goal for mature trees is 65% to 80% of the total GPM going out the top half of the open nozzles. That is, if there are 16 nozzles per side of a sprayer that should be open in a particular orchard based on the sprayer and tree size, the top 8 should have most of the total GPM. Using the same nozzle size at every nozzle port will, at best, overspray the lower canopy while delivering good/decent coverage to the treetops (as long as the ground speed is right.)

Gallons per acre
With the ground speed and nozzles selected, determine the GPA by checking the math you just did in the previous step. Park the sprayer on flat ground and completely fill the tank with clean water. With the nozzles just selected on the sprayer and using the sprayer and tractor settings for the right/appropriate ground speed, turn on the spray booms for a measured amount of time (one minute, two minutes, etc.) and then shut off the flow. Refill the sprayer with clean water using calibrated buckets or a hose with a flow meter to measure how much water was sprayed in the time the nozzles were “on.” Calculate GPM from the volume sprayed and the run time. Adjust GPM, as needed, using the system pressure or by changing nozzle sizes or parts (e.g., two- or four-hole swirl plates for disc/core nozzles) to deliver the recommended GPA.

Check coverage
Water-sensitive papers (WSP) are small cards with yellow coating on one side that turn blue where water (or fingerprints) touches the surface. To check spray coverage, place WSP at different heights in the trees in the orchard. This can be done several ways. If you have a pruning tower, use it to get up into one or more trees in the orchard and directly clip WSP to leaves or attach to nuts. Flag each WSP location so you can find it later. Another method is to attach WSP at different heights on a PVC pole and run the pole up through the middle of the tree canopy.

Once WSP are up in the canopy, spray clean water down the row where WSP are placed using the tractor settings and nozzle selection/location determined earlier. Take down WSP after and compare upper- and lower-canopy locations to see if coverage is generally uniform. You can measure coverage with a smartphone camera and apps, but a visual scan should be enough. Are the lower cards all blue? If so, the lower canopy is getting too much spray. One possible fix for this is to change out lower nozzles for a size smaller and repeat the test. If the upper cards are not getting much coverage, increase selective nozzle sizes that target the upper canopy and/or slow down the sprayer.

Spraying when relative humidity is low (<40%) can cut spray deposition in the upper canopy in half compared to spraying when relative humidity is higher (early morning). This can lead to poor pest control and/or development of pesticide resistance. Especially in warm summer months with low daytime humidity, night and early morning spraying is important to achieving good spray coverage.

Effective pest control with pesticide(s) is a key backstop in a good, cost-effective IPM program. Good spray coverage (and material selection/spray timing) ensures the backstop is solid.

Phytophthora Diseases of Row Crops: A Review

Phytophthora can rot both crowns and roots of row crops (two healthy shallot plants on left) (all photos by S. Koike.)

Phytophthora is the genus name given to a group of fungus-like organisms that have tremendous impacts on plants. Recent research indicates Phytophthora is closely related to brown algae and diatoms. Of the many documented Phytophthoras, a few dozen species cause disease on vegetable, fruit, ornamental and forest plants grown worldwide.

Phytophthora has a notorious record for damaging crops. One of the earliest notable cases involved Phytophthora infestans, which caused epidemics of late blight on potato in Europe in the 1840s to 1850s. Devastating losses of potato crops resulted in famines, human suffering and death, and forced migrations. Another species, P. cinnamomi, caused the loss of hundreds of plant species in Australia. Such widespread decline threatens the plant and animal ecosystems in this region. And even closer to home, in coastal California and southern Oregon, P. ramorum (sudden oak death) has killed millions of tanoak and coast live oak trees, and imposed the destruction of millions of ornamental nursery plants due to state and federal regulatory measures. This article will focus on Phytophthora problems of annually grown row crops.

Types of Phytophthora Diseases
Phytophthora is a plant pathogen that resides in the soil. However, this soilborne pathogen can cause both belowground and aboveground diseases.

Root and crown rot
The majority of Phytophthora diseases involve tissues in contact with infested soil (Table 1). Roots are directly infected by Phytophthora in the soil; such roots become gray, brown or black in color. Roots later decay, with outer layers of the root sloughing off, leaving intact only the central wiry xylem core. While the stems and crowns of annual crops can be directly infected by Phytophthora present in the rhizosphere, it is common to have root infections progress up the root and into the crown. Diseased crown tissues likewise become discolored and decayed. More fibrous row crops like strawberry will also manifest discolored roots and crowns. However, these roots and crowns usually retain their structure and do not have the soft decay symptom.

All row crops having root and crown infections can appear delayed in development, stunted and deficient in nutrients due to non-functional roots. With time, these plants wilt, collapse and die. Fruit-bearing row crops can develop a gray to brown rot on fruit if such fruits are in contact with soil or puddled water. Fruit diseases can be seen on cucumber, melon, squash, pepper, tomato and strawberry. Postharvest decay can occur if fruits are infected in the field prior to harvesting.

Foliar blights
Some Phytophthora species can produce airborne or splash-dispersed spores that can infect leaves, stems and fruit that are not touching the ground (Table 1, see page 14). Initial symptoms include small, brown or gray lesions. Such lesions rapidly expand to affect large areas of the foliage, causing it to collapse. Fruits can also be infected by these aerial spores, resulting in fruit rot. Collectively, such diseased foliage and fruit are called blights. As previously mentioned, one of the best known foliar Phytophthora diseases is late blight of potato and tomato caused by P. infestans. Phytophthora capsici causes both root and crown rot diseases as well as foliar blights on cucurbits and other vegetables. While not formally called a “blight,” P. ramorum causes aboveground diseases on foliage, twigs, branches and trunks of many woody trees and shrubs.

Fruit in contact with soil or water infested with Phytophthora can develop discolored rots.

Biology and Disease Development
Phytophthora species are labeled with the common name “water molds.” This is an appropriate name because these organisms are closely connected to water. If sufficient soil moisture is present, Phytophthora will grow mycelium like fungi. If host roots and favorable soil water conditions are present, Phytophthora will produce asexual reproductive structures called sporangia. Sporangia are flask- or oval-shaped structures within which are made zoospores. Zoospores released from these sporangia will swim in the soil water in the direction corresponding to increasing gradients of root exudates, land on roots and initiate infections. Sporangia and zoospores are short-lived structures; if a host root is not found or if soil conditions become too dry, these structures shrivel up and die.

In addition, Phytophthora forms a second type of structure that is spherical, with a thick resilient cell wall, that is called an oospore. Oospores are sexual structures that allow Phytophthora to recombine genetically and form diverse genotypes and strains. With their thick walls, oospores enable the pathogen to survive periods when the soil is dry and host plants are absent. Oospores are the likely means by which these pathogens are spread when contaminated soil is moved from field to field.


The flask-shaped sporangia of Phytophthora produce zoospores; when sporangia break open, zoospores swim out and infect host roots.
2022-07-14T23:45:47Z

Detection and Diagnostics
Confirmation that Phytophthora is causing a disease requires laboratory testing. Traditional culturing methods, in which pieces of diseased plant tissue are placed into Petri dishes containing selective agar media, are still very useful. More advanced and rapid detection tools include serological methods (such as lateral flow devices or ELISA) in which specifically designed antibodies detect the antigens of Phytophthora and molecular methods (such as qPCR or RPA) in which molecular markers target the Phytophthora DNA. In seeking confirmation of Phytophthora diseases, make sure the diagnostic lab has experience with Phytophthora and uses the appropriate tests.

Diagnostic precision is needed because several soilborne pathogens including Phytophthora cause similar symptoms on row crops. Plant pathogenic species of Pythium and Phytophthora in particular cause very similar root rots, crown infections, foliage yellowing, leaf wilting, poor overall growth and death of the plant (Table 2). Even systemic vascular wilt pathogens such as Fusarium and Verticillium can cause aboveground symptoms that resemble Phytophthora root and crown diseases (Table 2). With so much economic capital committed to the growing of high-value row crops, guessing which pathogen is responsible for losses is too risky. Knowing which pathogen is causing plant loss will help the grower optimize disease management strategies.

Managing Phytophthora Managing soilborne Phytophthora diseases uses strategies like those deployed against other soilborne pathogens. However, unlike many other soilborne pathogens, post-plant chemical control is a viable option against Phytophthora.

Diagnosis
Have qualified professionals confirm that Phytophthora is the issue; in some cases, it is useful to also know which species of Phytophthora is involved.

Site selection
Choose fields that do not have a history of Phytophthora problems and that have well-draining soils. Soils higher in clay content have been associated with increased risk of Phytophthora.

Crop rotation
If Phytophthora is a concern, avoid back-to-back plantings of the same susceptible crop. Rotate with crops that are not known to be susceptible to the Phytophthora present at that location. Selection of non-susceptible crops will depend on the identification of the Phytophthora species (Table 1).

Irrigation management
Because Phytophthora is dependent on wet soil conditions, carefully schedule irrigations to prevent over watered, saturated soils. Low-flow irrigation systems such as drip irrigation for strawberry and microsprinklers for tree crops, can help discourage Phytophthora outbreaks. When possible, route excess or ponding water away from the production area with the use of ditches, raised beds or slopes.

Sanitation
Sanitation refers to measures used to prevent the introduction or spread of the pathogen in the growing location. Because Phytophthora resides in soil, avoid moving mud-encrusted farm implements from infested areas to clean fields. Avoid using transplants, cuttings and other vegetatively propagated materials that show disease symptoms and are infected with Phytophthora.

Fungicides
For some crops, applying fungicides to the crop may provide some protection. Because Phytophthora is not a true fungus, fungicides with modes of action effective against oomycete diseases are necessary. The repeated use of products having the same mode of action can result in Phytophthora populations that are insensitive (=resistant) to those products; therefore, fungicide applications should include products having different modes of action.

Resistant or tolerant cultivars
There appear to be relatively few row crop cultivars that are genetically resistant to Phytophthora; on the other hand, some cultivars (e.g., the strawberry cultivar Radiance) are known for their increased susceptibility to Phytophthora diseases.

The IPM components for managing soilborne Phytophthora diseases are also relevant for foliar Phytophthora problems and include proper diagnosis, site selection, crop rotation and genetic resistance. For foliar Phytophthora, the mode of irrigation can be extremely critical; the use of overhead sprinkler irrigation can exacerbate Phytophthora blights on cucurbits, tomato, potato and pepper, for example. Sanitation is a key factor for the prevention of epidemics of late blight since P. infestans can over-season on infected plant material. For example, diseased potato tubers, left in old fields or lying in cull piles near production areas, are a source of airborne spores that can infect new plantings. Managing foliar Phytophthora diseases relies more heavily on protectant fungicide sprays than control programs targeting soilborne Phytophthoras. For this reason, careful field scouting plays a critical role for early detection of symptoms and deployment of fungicide tools.

Average Daily Temperature in 2023 Has Been Lower: What Does it Mean for California Red Scale?

Figure 1. CRS female (overturned) showing crawlers. Crawlers move around looking for feeding spot, settle and spend life on the same spot (photo courtesy UC Statewide IPM Project.)

California red scale (CRS) is an armored scale insect that affects all citrus varieties. It attacks all aerial parts of the tree including leaves, fruits, twigs and branches by sucking on plant tissue with its long filamentous stylet. Heavy infestations cause leaf yellowing and drop, dieback of twigs and occasional death of the infested tree. Heavily infested fruits with patches of California red scale may be downgraded in the packinghouse. For managing CRS, an integrated approach that combines mating disruption, insecticides and biological control using Aphytis melinus is used. Growers and PCAs have long relied on using pheromone cards for monitoring males and use of degree days to predict future events for making treatment decisions. Insecticide applications give the best results when the population is at the most susceptible stage (immatures) and is uniform.

In a normal year, monitoring for CRS begins on March 1. PCAs put out pheromone cards and call a biofix when first males are caught on the trap (biofix is the first event in CRS seasonal cycle.) In 2023, we got many calls from PCAs that their traps were empty in March. Our observation at the Lindcove REC center was the same. First males were found on trap cards on the week of April 10 and common consensus for biofix day was April 11. This situation is true for major citrus growing counties in the San Joaquin Valley.

Figure 1. CRS female (overturned) showing crawlers. Crawlers move around looking for feeding spot, settle and spend life on the same spot (photo courtesy UC Statewide IPM Project.)

How Do Lower Temps Affect CRS and its Management?
Like all other insects, development of CRS is temperature dependent. Season starts with surviving overwintering females. As the temperature increases and heat units accumulate, gravid female produces crawlers (Figure 1). Crawlers only remain mobile until they find a suitable location to begin feeding. Once they start feeding, they do not move and go through development being attached to the feeding spot. Crawlers go through active feeding stage (instars) and a dormant period (molting). Females molt twice and males molt four times and emerge as fliers. Males are the only other moving stage (Figure 2). Males find and mate with third instar females. Afterwards, gravid female starts producing crawlers, hence completing the life cycle. In the San Joaquin Valley, there are four complete generations of CRS. In years with warm winters/hot summers, partial fifth generation (immatures/males) have also been reported.

Figure 2. CRS male adult (top) and CRS males on trap card (bottom) (photos courtesy UC Statewide IPM Project.)

CRS does not develop below 53 degrees F, and it is the lower developmental threshold (LDT) temperature based on which degree days for CRS development are calculated. Using CIMIS station data for four counties (Kern, Tulare, Fresno and Madera), I calculated the cumulative degree days above the LDT for CRS since 2020. Figure 2 shows degree days in 2023 trails below those for years 2020-22. Effects of low average daily temperature were first noticed when biofix was delayed by about four weeks in all four counties. Figure 2 (see page 8) shows number of males/trap at Lindcove REC station, where biofix and first-generation flight peak were about four weeks later than in 2022. Second-generation flight started on the week of June 19, which is also about four weeks delayed. This means CRS is developing, but at a slower rate than it had been in earlier years (Figures 2 and 3). It takes 550-degree days after the male flight for crawler emergence. Expect second-generation crawler emergence, third-generation male flights and consequent generations to be delayed. Relatively cooler spring and early summer temperatures mean less heat units/day and delayed development, thereby affecting male flight and crawler emergence, which will in-turn affect spray timing for CRS control in the 2023 season. Visit lrec.ucanr.edu/Citrus_IPM/Degree_Days/ for degree day updates in Kern, Tulare, Fresno and Madera counties.

Figure 3. Number of males collected in pheromone trap at LREC. Note first fliers started four weeks later and peaked four weeks later. Second-generation fliers stared on week of June 19 in 2023. Expect about three-week delay in crawler in second-generation crawler emergence.

Management
Monitoring
Monitoring for California red scale and applying treatments to target the most susceptible life stage/generation is key to managing CRS. Goal is to maintain CRS populations at low levels to minimize fruit contamination at harvest. UC IPM guidelines has a list of updated recommendations.

Mating disruption
Mating disruption such as Checkmate CRS prevents or delays mating of males with females. Unmated females do not produce crawlers and stay as third instar females which is the preferred stage of parasitism by Aphytis melinus. Application of mating disruption (180/acre) prior to the onset of first or second generation (March or May) have shown to provide best results (Grafton-Cardwell et al. 2021).

Biological control
Parasitic wasps Apytis melinus and Comperiella bifasciata are important natural enemies that help manage CRS. However, these parasitoids can be susceptible to insecticides used for other pests, so their effectiveness depends on careful monitoring and use of selective insecticides (UCIPM Guidelines 2022).

Figure 4. Cumulative degree days above the lower developmental threshold, 53 degrees F, for CRS in Madera, Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties. Note that 2023 (black line) trails below other years.

Insecticides
Several insecticides have proven efficacy against CRS (UCIPM Guidelines 2022, Grafton Cardwell 2016). However, a number of populations have developed resistance to organophosphates and carbamates. Field observations show resistance to pyriproxyfen may have developed (UCIPM Guidelines 2022). Where resistance to carbamates or pyriproxyfen is suspected, use of alternate chemicals such as buprofezin, spirotetramat, mating disruption and release of Aphytis may provide better results (UCIPM Guidelines 2022).

California Red Scale Trial, 2022
A field trial to evaluate multiple insecticide treatments on California red scale was conducted at the Lindcove Research and Extension Center in 2022 (Gautam and Dhungana 2023). Treatments were randomly assigned to single-tree plots that were organized into blocks based on pretreatment counts of CRS/twig on 25 July, 2022. Treatments were applied on July 28 in 750 gallons of water, except for Movento which was applied in 250 GPA, and Centaur which was applied at 1,000 GPA. Post-treatment evaluation was done by rating twigs on September 23 and twigs and fruit on October 12 for the presence of live CRS. We also rated fruit for infestation by CRS, 0=no scale, 1=1-10 scale/s, 2= >10 scales/fruit. The insecticides applied were Movento at 10 oz, Sivanto at 14 oz, Centaur at 46 oz, Senstar at 20 oz and Esteem at 16 oz.

The insecticide that provided the best control in terms of reducing the percentage of fruit infested with >10 scales was Movento (Figure 5). Treatments, namely Centaur, Senstar, Sivanto and Movento, significantly reduced the total CRS/fruit compared to control (Gautam and Dhungana 2022).

Figure 5. Mean live CRS per fruit on October 12 counts following insecticide treatment. All treatments were applied with 1% oil.

Treatments should be applied to provide thorough coverage according to the size of the trees, except for Movento which is recommended at 250 GPA. See UC IPM guidelines for CRS for more application details and recommendations.

References
Gautam SG, SK Dhungana. 2023. California red scale insecticide trial, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1093/amt/tsad067
Grafton-Cardwell, EE, JT Leonard, MP Daugherty, DH Headrick. 2021. Mating Disruption of the California Red Scale, Aonidiella aurantii (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) in Central California Citrus. 114: 2421-2429
Grafton-Cardwell, EE, SJ Scott, and JE Reger, 2016. California red scale insecticide efficacy trial, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1093/amt/tsx044
UCIPM guidelines 2022. Citrus Pest Management Guidelines: Selectivity of Insecticides and Miticides.
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/citrus/selectivity-of-insecticides-and-miticides/
UCIPM guidelines 2022. Citrus Pest Management Guidelines: California red scale and yellow scale. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/citrus/california-red-scale-and-yellow-scale/

Fungal Canker Diseases of Sweet Cherry Improving Disease Management Using An Integrated Approach

Figure 1. A wood canker in a branch of cherry tree with the typical discoloration of xylem tissues (all photos courtesy F. Trouillas.)

Fungal canker diseases of sweet cherry trees can be devastating to an orchard’s productivity and longevity and thus constitute a major threat to the cherry industry in California. Managing canker diseases has been challenging for growers as no control strategy alone suffices to manage these diseases. With funding from the California Cherry Board, the Trouillas Lab at UC Davis has worked during the past several years to improve management of canker diseases.

Main Fungal Canker Diseases of Sweet Cherry
Main fungal canker diseases of sweet cherry in California include Calosphaeria canker, Cytospora canker and Eutypa dieback, with Calosphaeria canker being the most widespread canker disease in the state. These diseases affect cherry trees in all cherry-producing areas worldwide, including Australia, Chile, France and Turkey. Canker diseases are caused by the plant-pathogenic fungi Calosphaeria pulchella, Eutypa lata and Cytospora sorbicola. These fungi infect and colonize the wood of cherry trees, killing branches, scaffolds and trunks, and causing important yield losses. Fungal cankers are to be distinguished from bacterial canker caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae, which mostly affect the bark of cherry trees but also can lead to the killing of branches and entire trees.

Symptoms of Fungal Canker Diseases
A canker in woody plants usually refers to a lesion produced in the bark of twigs and branches. However, most fungal canker diseases colonize both the bark and internal wood tissues causing canker rots or wood cankers that persist for years. The dead area can block water and nutrient transport thus causing the dieback of affected branches. Wood cankers typically consist of reddish-brown to dark-brown discoloration of xylem tissues and may vary in shape from wedge-shaped to round, or irregular. Typically, if you cut through a disease branch on a cherry tree, canker infection will appear as vascular (wood) discoloration (Figure 1), which indicates a disruption in the flow of water and nutrients through the tree vascular system. It is also common for canker diseases to produce gumming near the infected area.

Figure 1. A wood canker in a branch of cherry tree with the typical discoloration of xylem tissues (all photos courtesy F. Trouillas.)

Biology of Fungal Canker Diseases
Calosphaeria pulchella and Cytospora sorbicola commonly produce fruiting bodies in sweet cherry trees. These can be observed easily beneath the periderm of dead or infected branches after peeling the external bark tissue with a knife. This method is a great way to diagnose canker diseases in the field. Calosphaeria pulchella produces fruiting bodies or perithecia occurring in groups with long cylindrical necks that emerged together through the bark at lenticel openings (Figure 2). Spores of Calosphaeria pulchella are primarily dispersed via rain and wind and infect open wounds such as pruning wounds. Sprinkler irrigation that wets the tree trunks also can contribute to spore release in cherry orchards, particularly during summer months. Cytospora sorbicola can be recognized as it forms pinhead-sized pimples pushing through the bark of cherry trees (Figure 3).

Figure 2. Fungal fruiting bodies (perithecia) of Calosphaeria occurring in groups with long cylindrical necks below the bark and that emerged together at lenticel openings.

These pimples are the reproductive structures of Cytospora. Under humid conditions, masses of spores may ooze out of the fruiting bodies in long, brownish, coiled, thread-like spore tendrils. These spore masses are then rain-splashed to fresh pruning wounds and other openings where infections initiate. Perithecia (the reproductive structures) of Eutypa lata are rarely observed on cherry trees in California. These mostly form on riparian trees such as willow or ornamental tree such as oleander as well as in apricot trees and eventually grapevine. Eutypa canker disease is more common in the Northern San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys as well as in Contra Costa and San Benito counties, and rarely occurs south of Merced County. During rainfalls, spores of fungal canker pathogens are air-dispersed or rain-splashed onto fresh wounds such as fresh pruning wounds where they germinate and initiate infection. Fungal mycelium then colonizes the heartwood before expanding into the sapwood, causing wood discoloration and the typical canker.

Figure 3. Fungal fruiting bodies of Cytospora pushing up the bark on a cherry branch and looking like “pimples” on the bark surface.

Management of Canker Diseases
To best manage canker diseases, we propose an integrated, preventive approach that minimizes risks of infection of sweet cherry trees by fungal pathogens. This integrated approach involves disease avoidance and prevention, combining cultural, chemical and biological control practices. First, pruning should be performed to avoid rain and when dry weather is predicted for at least two weeks. Pruning of sweet cherry trees may be done after harvest during late spring and summer when conditions are warm and dry and when no rain is forecasted. Canker pathogen populations will be at their lowest during this period and the risk for infection is reduced. However, spore release and infection of pruning wounds can occur during late spring if rain occurs and during summer if sprinkler irrigation that wets trees is used in the orchard.

Overall, cold winter temperatures are unfavorable to pruning wound infection by Calosphaeria, and winter pruning may be considered particularly in orchards and regions where Calosphaeria canker represent the main canker disease. Indeed, spores of Calosphaeria pulchella will not germinate at temperatures below 15 degrees C (60 degrees F), and pruning during cold winter period can prevent infection of pruning wounds by Calosphaeria pulchella. Infection of pruning wounds by Cytospora sorbicola can be avoided also by pruning sweet cherry trees in the coldest parts of winter when temperature is below 10 degrees C (50 degrees F). Winter pruning, however, generally will not prevent infection of cherry trees by Eutypa if rain is present at the time of pruning. So, winter pruning is best done during cold and dry weather conditions, with no rain in the forecast.

Because pruning wounds serve as the main entry sites for canker pathogens, these must be protected following pruning of trees, especially if pruning occurs during the wet winter and spring months or during summer in orchards that receive sprinkler irrigation that wet the trees. Water from rain and sprinkler irrigation combined with wind are important factors for aerial dissemination of canker pathogens. Our laboratory recently evaluated the efficacy of different compounds to protect pruning wounds from infection by canker pathogens. Of the different fungicidal compounds tested, Topsin M (Thiophanate-methyl) and Quilt Xcel (Azoxystrobin + Propiconazole) performed best against Cytospora and Eutypa pathogens of sweet cherry, allowing significant disease reduction. Biological, Trichoderma-based products (e.g. Vintec®, RootShield® Plus) provided significant protection of pruning wounds against all canker pathogens, and performed best at reducing infection by Calosphaeria pulchella. Fungicide or biocontrol products should be applied immediately after pruning to avoid infection at pruning wounds.

When orchards are seriously infected with canker diseases and branch dieback occurs, remove diseased branches/limbs at least 4 to 6 inches below any sign of wood discoloration. The pruning cut should be made into healthy wood to ensure that all the disease has been removed. Incomplete canker removal wastes time and money with little to no benefit in disease management. Dead branches left in the orchard or adjacent to living trees provide inoculum for further infection and should be removed and destroyed.

It is also advised to regularly disinfect pruning shears, particularly after cutting through dead wood, using common sanitizers or a flaming torch. Note that wood grinding or wood chipping potentially could release an important number of spores in orchards that could infect pruning wounds. Accordingly, the grinding or chipping of dead cherry wood should be avoided until at least several weeks following pruning. Although burning of cherry wood is restricted, it is often the best option to get rid of fruiting bodies from cherry canker pathogens that have developed on dead wood. Storing dead wood near orchards also will have no effect at reducing inoculum sources unless the wood is thoroughly covered and protected from rain and irrigation water.

Topping cherry trees to encourage new vegetative growth also has been linked to severe sunburn damage in cherry orchards. Branches with sunburn damage then become highly susceptible to both fungal and bacterial canker pathogens. Techniques that help limit sunburn in cherry trees are encouraged to avoid canker disease outbreak in orchards. These may include proper pruning and training to promote adequate branch and tree structures as well as whitewashing, which consist of applying white paint to the interior of scaffold branches to reflect light and reduce bark heating from exposition to direct sunlight.

Management of canker diseases of sweet cherry is difficult due to the diversity of canker pathogens affecting sweet cherry trees in California. However, disease management may be achieved when considering multiple factors linked to disease spread and infection timing. These include the weather and weather forecast at the time of pruning and irrigation practices in the orchards as well as the orchard location and history of canker diseases. An integrated approach that combines disease avoidance and prevention is critical to achieve best control as no curative practices are available. While pruning must be conducted outside of the high-risk periods for infection, it is strongly advised also to protect pruning wounds with a fungicide or biological control agents.

Disclaimer: Mentioning of any active ingredients or products is not an endorsement or recommendation. All chemicals must be applied following the chemical label, local and federal regulations. Please check with your pest control adviser to confirm rates and site-specific restrictions. The author is not liable for any damage from use or misuse.

Tackling Pesticide Resistance of Spotted Wing Drosophila in Cherries

Spotted wing drosophila management in California involves using synthetic insecticides multiple times a year when cherry fruits become susceptible from color development to harvest (photo by Larry L. Strand, courtesy UC Statewide IPM Program.)

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is an invasive fruit fly species native to Asia. It was first detected in the U.S. in California in 2008 and has since spread to many parts of the Americas and Europe. SWD is a serious pest of cherry and soft-skinned fruits such as raspberry, blueberry, strawberry and blackberry. Unlike vinegar flies that attack overripe or damaged fruit, SWD females can lay their eggs in healthy, ripening cherry fruit using their serrated ovipositor. The larvae hatch and feed on the fruit, making it soft, discolored and unmarketable.

SWD has a relatively short life cycle with adults living for three to four weeks. One female can lay over 300 eggs that can hatch in two to three days, and the larvae complete their development in 7 to 10 days. The pupal stage lasts 5 to 10 days, after which the adult flies emerge. SWD can have multiple generations yearly, up to 10 to 12 in warm regions. This rapid reproduction, multiple generations and high fecundity make SWD a challenging pest in cherry and other soft fruit crops.

SWD management in California involves using synthetic insecticides multiple times a year when cherry fruits become susceptible from color development to harvest. Depending on variety and location, that period can vary from four to eight weeks. In recent years, studies have suggested a reduced susceptibility of SWD to commonly used insecticides in several crops across many states within the U.S. and Canada. In Michigan, researchers found reduced susceptibility to SWD flies exposed to malathion and spinetoram. In California, researchers found SWD populations in some strawberry and caneberry fields in the coastal area show resistance to pyrethroid, Spinosad and malathion. This resistance is believed to be due to the overuse of these insecticides, which has led to the selection of resistant SWD populations. In 2022, our preliminary study using a cherry orchard collected SWD indicated their reduced susceptibility to malathion, Spinosad and pyrethroid insecticide. We will continue to pursue confirmatory studies by testing wild flies from several California cherry orchards in the upcoming season.

Resistance to pesticides can also develop due to failure to rotate insecticides with different modes of action. Implementing integrated pest management (IPM) strategies that minimize the selection pressure on SWD populations is essential to address the issue of resistance in California berry crops.

Pest Monitoring
Integrating monitoring/sampling techniques with available control methods, such as cultural, physical and chemical, is vital for this pest’s long-term management.
Use sticky traps or baited traps to capture and monitor SWD populations. Place the traps in the cherry orchard and monitor them frequently to assess pest pressure in the orchard. SWD traps are commercially available from several vendors.

Assess the fruit susceptibility stage by carefully observing the orchard and detecting the susceptible stage of the fruit (i.e., color-break stage). Although SWD may be captured in the trap early, SWD can only damage ripening fruits. So, determining the right time to begin insecticide sprays helps control SWD effectively and may save an application or two.
Survey fruits for the early indicators of infestation by looking for signs of SWD infestation on the surface of the fruit. These signs include soft spots, bruising or holes in the fruit’s skin. It can be too late to protect crops, but if it’s an early stage of infestation, most of the fruits can still be protected.

Use sticky traps or baited traps to capture and monitor spotted wing drosophila populations. Traps are commercially available from several vendors (photo courtesy J. Rijal.)

Management Options
Effective control measures often require a combination of cultural, physical and chemical methods.

Cultural Alternate host plants growing close to the crop can significantly increase the risk of SWD infestation. Clear out wild hosts if they are present adjacent to the cherry orchard.
Make the orchard less conducive for the SWD population. A dense canopy with poor light penetration creates high humidity conditions in the orchard, especially in the lower canopy, and that environment is more conducive for SWD flies. So, practices such as pruning improve air circulation and light penetration.

Keep the orchard clean and free of fallen fruit during the season and postharvest as these trash fruits can serve as breeding sites for SWD. Additionally, prompt cooling and storage of fruit can help prevent SWD infestations from developing during storage.

Chemical Apply insecticides when SWD populations reach a certain threshold. Insecticides should be applied when the fruit begins to ripen.One of the primary ways to manage SWD resistance is to rotate the use of insecticides with different modes of action. This reduces the selection pressure on the SWD population and minimizes the chances of the insect developing resistance to any single class of insecticide. See this link for updated UC IPM Guidelines for SWD in cherry: ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/cherry/spotted-wing-drosophila/.

Spotted wing drosophila is a serious pest of cherry and soft-skinned fruits such as raspberry, blueberry, strawberry and blackberry. Unlike vinegar flies that attack overripe or damaged fruit, SWD females can lay their eggs in healthy, ripening cherry fruit using their serrated ovipositor. The larvae hatch and feed on the fruit, making it soft, discolored and unmarketable (photo courtesy J. Rijal.)

Save insecticides with a short preharvest interval (PHI) for later applications to ensure the fruit is safe for the domestic and export markets as maximum residue limits widely vary among countries.

Follow all label instructions and regulations when using chemical control measures.
Potential Future Alternative Measures Genetic control involves the use of genetic modification techniques, such as gene drive, gene silencing/RNAi and sterile insect technique, to reduce the pest population. However, genetic control of SWD is still in the early stage, and there are no commercially available genetically modified strains of SWD for pest control.

Researchers have identified several potential natural enemies that can be used against SWD. The most potent one is the imported larval parasitoid wasp, Ganaspis brasiliensis of SWD, also found recently in the U.S. The wasp injects its ovipositor and lays an egg inside SWD larvae that are within the fruit. This wasp has shown high efficacy against SWD in various laboratory and greenhouse studies and is now in field trials.

SWD populations in many regions are becoming increasingly resistant to commonly used insecticides due to the continuing reliance on chemical insecticides, highlighting the need for continued research into alternative methods for controlling SWD and for developing effective insecticides against resistant populations. While progress is being made on these fronts, integrated use of available methods, including rotating the insecticide mode of action, is still the effective way to manage SWD to slow the spread of resistance.

Building an Independent Crop Consultant Business

Building a complete crop advisor service requires being an authority on all aspects of farming (photo by B&B Ag Consulting.)

Crop consultant and crop advisor are one in the same. We provide educated advice to farmers about all aspects of farming. Each of us has different strengths and knowledge levels. I personally know consultants who focus on a single crop such as grapes or almonds. Others deal with numerous crops but focus on a category: tree nuts, row crops, field crops, tree fruit or combinations such as tree fruit and vine crops.

As a crop advisor, you may choose to focus on pest management. Others may focus on soil and nutrition, and some stick to irrigation management. To provide a complete crop advisor service, we need to be knowledgeable about more than plants and soil. We need to hold ourselves as authorities on any aspect of farming that affects our growers. We need to be able to advise on the type of crop grown and help decide if it is the best suited crop for the area, climate, soil and water conditions, and weigh in on the economics and long-range business plans of growers.

You should have formal education and training in the field you decide to specialize in. A Bachelor of Science degree or even higher degree in agronomy-related science would be helpful, even a lesser associate degree coupled with years of experience working in agriculture can serve your customers well. I believe in our field we should never stop learning and growing our knowledge base. Attend continuing education classes often to stay up to date with ongoing changes that face the ag industry. Prior experience working in agriculture, such as internships at a farm, nursery or agriculture business, can give you a leg up.

Responsibilities you may have as a crop advisor can include:

  • Know the metabolism and growth stages of every crop you will consult on.
  • Keep agronomic and financial records of customer accounts.
  • Scout crops for pests and diseases that may arise during various parts of the growing season.
  • Build relationships with growers that you service.
  • Collaborate with other advisors in your area to understand disease and pest outbreaks in the area.
  • Work with marketing managers to develop marketing plans and pricing strategies.
  • Make recommendations to growers on actions that may need to be taken when problems arise.
  • Provide training to growers in your area.
  • Identify potential weed problems and offer suggestions on products.
  • Utilize knowledge and understanding of weeds and herbicide modes of action to determine the most suitable treatment.
  • Suggest crops and seeds to be used in the next growing season.
  • Supervise chemical and fertilizer applications.

If you are going to advise on crop protection, carry the license and credentials to do so. A PCA license is mandatory in California for you to provide written recommendations. Several categories are available, and if you are going to be an independent, I recommend you pass tests in all of them.

I have carried both my PCA license and my CCA certification. I extended that to include being a California Nitrogen Management Specialist and even further by becoming a CPAg (Certified Professional Agronomist). Many other certifications are available including being certified in Sustainable Agriculture. As a crop advisor, you could choose to work part-time or full-time. You have the flexibility to work for retailers, manufacturers, corporate-owned farms, privately owned farms or a consulting firm. If you choose crop advisor as your career, do everything in your power to stay informed and up to date for the benefit of your customer/client.

Attend continuing education classes often at industry tradeshows to stay up to date with ongoing changes that face the ag industry (photo by Marni Katz.)

Find Ways to Get Involved
Another critical item to build your business is being involved. By belonging to professional societies as well as community associations, you expand your horizon. Just a few professional organizations and associations are:

  • American Society of Agronomy
  • Crop Science Society of America
  • Entomological Society of America
  • Soil Science Society of America
  • Weed Science Society of America

Reach out and become involved with the local farm bureau and crop associations to help inform growers of marketing issues, pending disease and pest pressures, labor laws and regulation changes. If you stay informed, you could help your grower avoid potential fines and penalties. Crop conferences are a great way to network, attend education classes and visit vendors to see what new tools are available or are coming soon. If you can spare the time, a very rewarding opportunity comes with serving on the board of directors for PCAs and CCAs. Both CAPCA and Western Region CCA are active and strive to bring up-to-date education and information to growers and members.

In speaking to some independent crop advisors, it became apparent that one weakness in developing your business was lack of information. The industry often focuses on the larger dealers and their PCA and CCA staff. Not enough training events or information is focused on the lone independent. Also, independents seldom have warehousing or multiple office locations. This is where having a supply of chemicals and fertilizer becomes crucial. An independent is in direct competition for acres and growers with larger, well-funded sales organizations. Finding competitive pricing for materials can become an issue.

When I visited with Fred Strauss, a retired independent, he gave me advice for those wishing to grow and maintain their business, noting “trust is the number one thing of importance. Gaining the trust of a grower and keeping that trust means they will keep using your expertise. Number two is consistency. The grower needs to know how often you will make field visits, when you will be on their property, and that you will review your findings and recommendations constantly.”

Strauss continued by discussing sustainability and the knowledge to make your grower meet or qualify for the label of being sustainable. Knowing the difference between being organic and sustainable and relaying this message is often clouded.

Strauss offered three suggestions for success. “Every day you show up for work, you must never forget the ultimate goal is to make your customer money.” He went on to discuss customer retention. The hardest new customer to get is a happy customer. The easiest to lose is the unhappy one. If a customer is unhappy or disappointed with your knowledge, dedication, honest advice and consistent performance, they are more likely to look elsewhere. If the same is true about how they feel toward another crop advisor, it could open a door for you.

I have always told consultants one of the most important things for succeeding as a crop advisor is feet on the ground. Don’t overextend yourself and reduce your efficiency. Hire some help like an intern to gather soil or tissue samples. Train them adequately and monitor their performance. Get the experience you need before you attempt to become an independent crop advisor. I personally believe it should be five years minimum. Earn your reputation before you try and sell it. Being your own boss can be appealing but make sure you are ready. Do you have the experience? Do you have the education and training? Do you have errors and omissions protection? Is your business model set up correctly? Do you have potential acres to seed your future growth? All good questions to ask before you start to grow a business.

Spatial Roguing: A Novel Leafroll Disease Management Response

Fruits of a healthy ‘Cabernet franc’ vine (all photos courtesy M. Fuchs.)

Leafroll is the most widespread and devastating viral disease of grapevine worldwide. It reduces yield, delays fruit ripening, increases titratable acidity, lowers sugar content in fruit juices, modifies aromatic profiles of wines and shortens the productive lifespan of vineyards. The economic cost of leafroll is estimated to range from $12,000 to $92,000 per acre of ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ in California (Ricketts et al. 2015).

Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV 3) is the most dominant virus in leafroll-diseased vineyards. This virus is phloem-limited and transmitted by vegetative propagation and grafting as well as by several species of mealybugs. Mealybugs are sap-sucking insects and pests of grapes. At high densities, mealybugs can cause complete crop losses, rejection of fruit loads at wineries and death of spurs, although small infestations may not inflict significant direct damage. Several mealybug species feed on grapevines in California vineyards, including vine mealybug (Planococcus ficus), grape mealybug (Pseudococcus maritimus), obscure mealybug (Pseudococcus viburni) and longtailed mealybug (Pseudococcus longispinus) (Daane et al. 2012). Vine mealybug is an invasive species and the most damaging of the mealybugs that occur in California vineyards. Unassisted, mealybugs have limited mobility, but immature instars (crawlers) can be dispersed over long distances by wind and other means.

GLRaV-3 is acquired within one hour or less when instar mealybugs feed on infected grapevines. The virus is transmitted in a similar short time to healthy grapevines (Tsai et al. 2008). Following inoculation of healthy grapevines, it takes at least three months for GLRaV-3 to be detected in inoculated grapevines using laboratory-based diagnostic assays and one year for inoculated vines to exhibit typical leafroll disease symptoms in the vineyard (Blaisdell et al. 2016). In most diseased vineyards, the dynamics of leafroll spread is influenced by virus incidence and mealybug population density (Arnold et al. 2017, Cooper et al. 2018). In addition, the two adjacent vines to an infected vine are more likely to become infected over time than their counterparts located across the row, suggesting a predominant within-row virus spread and a spatial dependence for secondary spread (Bell et al. 2018).

Fruits of a ‘Cabernet franc’ vine infected with GLRaV-3.

Current Management Options
There is no cure for leafroll in diseased vineyards. However, the disease can be managed by reducing the number of infected vines and by controlling mealybug vector populations. For example, the elimination of diseased vines (a strategy known as roguing) and their replacement with clean vines derived from virus-tested nursery stocks that test negative for economically relevant viruses, including leafroll-associated viruses, reduce the incidence of GLRaV-3 and limit its secondary spread in vineyards (Bell et al. 2018, MacDonald et al. 2021).

Spatial Roguing, a New Response to Leafroll
Modelling leafroll disease spread in relation to economic factors predicted when roguing diseased vines, if disease prevalence is less than 25% (Ricketts et al. 2015) and two immediate within-row neighboring vines on each side, regardless of their disease status (for a total of five vines in the case of one infected vine), a strategy referred to as spatial roguing is more effective at reducing the level of virus inoculum in a diseased vineyard than roguing only diseased vines (Atallah et al. 2015). This strategy was inspired by the fact that 1) mealybug crawlers are more efficient vectors of leafroll viruses than adults; 2) crawlers are more likely to move along rows than between rows; 3) leafroll spread predominantly occurs at a short spatial scale; 4) a healthy-looking vine that is adjacent to a diseased vine may be infected without exhibiting disease symptoms; and 5) disease symptoms are only apparent at least one year after inoculation by viruliferous mealybugs (Blaisdell et al. 2016). Predictive models suggested that spatial roguing targeting symptomatic vines and their four immediate neighbor vines, two on each side, would be of statistically significant greater economic value than spatial roguing targeting symptomatic vines and their two immediate neighbor vines, one on each side. Simulations further predicted that a nonspatial strategy targeting only diseased vines is less effective and more costly than spatial roguing (Atallah et al. 2015).

A pair of grape mealybugs on the trunk of a ‘Cabernet franc’ vine.

We applied spatial roguing in a ‘Cabernet franc’ vineyard with overall low leafroll virus prevalence (5%) and a low grape mealybug population density in New York and tested its effectiveness at reducing the incidence of leafroll disease and slowing virus spread (Hesler et al. 2022). Four treatments were applied to select vine panels from 2016 to 2021: (1) spatial roguing only, (2) spatial roguing in combination with insecticide applications targeting grape mealybugs, (3) insecticide applications only (no spatial roguing), and (4) no spatial roguing and no insecticide intervention (the untreated control). Results showed that virus incidence was reduced from 5% in 2016 to less than 1% in 2020 to 2021 in both spatial roguing treatments. Among vines in the insecticide-free, non-rogued control treatment, virus incidence increased from 5 to 16% from 2016 to 2021 (Hesler et al. 2022). Insecticides applied in 2016 to 2021 helped significantly reduce grape mealybug populations to near zero annually, while populations in the untreated control vines were 57- to 257-fold higher during the same period (Hesler et al. 2022). This work validated spatial roguing as a leafroll disease management response in a vineyard with low disease incidence and low grape mealybug abundance.

Spatial roguing adds to the overall cost of vineyard maintenance. Revenue losses directly related to spatial roguing were estimated in our study at $5,565 per acre over six years (Hesler et al. 2022). These estimates agreed with earlier predictions and underscored the economic value of spatial roguing, despite added costs relative to the costs of maintaining a healthy vineyard, particularly when considering a scenario of no intervention, for which $10,000 to $15,750 losses per acre were calculated over a 25-year lifespan of a ‘Cabernet franc’ vineyard in New York (Atallah et al. 2012). The cost/benefit analysis of roguing may need to be evaluated by individual vineyard owners who are willing to adopt this leafroll disease management strategy. Critical to the success of roguing is the health status of the replants. Replants should be sourced from nursery vine stocks (scions and rootstocks) that have been extensively tested for viruses, including leafroll viruses, and shown to be clean (Bolton 2020).

In the future, it would be interesting to test the effectiveness of spatial roguing in California vineyards where mealybug population densities are consistently higher than in New York vineyards. Similarly, it would be interesting to compare the efficacy of spatial and nonspatial roguing approaches as a response to leafroll disease management. Of equal interest would be a study to test whether a sequential roguing strategy based first, for instance, on spatial roguing to drastically reduce sources of virus inoculum, and then on nonspatial roguing to limit secondary spread would be of value. If carried out in different vineyards with distinct disease prevalence, rate of spread and mealybug species and abundance, such research would inform the best approach for leafroll disease management both from a biological and economical perspective.

A six-year experiment in a commercial ‘Cabernet franc’ vineyard with low disease prevalence and low-density grape mealybug populations in New York showed that spatial roguing and the combination of spatial roguing and insecticides significantly reduced the percentage of infected vines. By comparison, virus incidence among vines in the untreated control vine panels where roguing was not implemented and no insecticides were applied increased from 5% to 16% during the same period. This study was the first to demonstrate the effectiveness of spatial roguing at reducing the incidence of leafroll disease and limiting its spread. It will be interesting to see whether our results on spatial roguing are reproducible in other vineyards of New York, and in vineyards of other grape growing regions of the world, including in California, where many more mealybug species, including the vine mealybug, are of concern and reside at higher populations.

References
Arnold K, Golino DA and McRoberts N. 2017. A synoptic analysis of the temporal and spatial aspects of grapevine leafroll disease in a historic Napa vineyard and experimental vine blocks. Plant Dis 107:418-426.

Atallah S, Gómez M, Fuchs M and Martinson T. 2012. Economic impact of grapevine leafroll disease on Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet franc in Finger Lakes vineyards of New York. Am J Enol Vitic 63:73-79.

Atallah S, Gómez M, Conrad JM and Nyrop JP. 2015. A plant-level, spatial, bioeconomic model pf plant disease diffusion and control: grapevine leafroll disease. Am J Agri Econ 97:199-218.

Bell VA, Hedderley DI, Pietersen G and Lester PJ. 2018. Vineyard-wide control of grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 requires an integrated response. J Plant Pathol 100:399-408.
Blaisdell GK, Cooper ML, Kuhn EJ, Taylor KA, Daane KM and Almeida RPP. 2016. Disease progression of vector-mediated Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 infection of mature plants under commercial vineyard conditions. Eur J Plant Pathol 146-105-116.

Bolton SL. 2020. What every winegrower should know: viruses. Lodi Winegrape Commission. pp. 138.

Cooper ML, Daugherty MP, Jeske DR, Almeida RPP and Daane KM. 2018. Incidence of grapevine leafroll disease: effects of grape mealybug abundance and pathogen supply. J Econ Ent 111:1542-1550.

Daane KM, Almeida RPP, Bell VA, Walker JTS, Botton M, Falladzadeh M, Mani M, Miano JL, Sforza R, Walton WM and Zaviezo T. 2012. Biology and management of mealybugs in vineyards. In Arthropod Management in Vineyards: Pests, Approaches, and Future Directions, N.J. Bostanian, ed. (Springer), pp. 271-307.

Hesler S, Cox R, Loeb G, Bhandari R, Martinson T and Fuchs, M. 2022. Spatial roguing reduces the incidence of leafroll disease and curtails its spread in a ‘Cabernet franc’ vineyard in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Am J Enol Vit 73:227-236.

MacDonald, SL, Schartel TE and Cooper ML. 2021. Exploring grower-sourced data to understand spatiotemporal trends in the occurrence of a vector, Pseudodoccus maritimus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) and improve grapevine leafroll disease management.

Ricketts KD, Gómez MI, Atallah SS, Fuchs MF, Martinson T, Smith RJ, Verdegaal PS, Cooper ML, Bettiga LJ and Battany MC. 2015. Reducing the economic impact of grapevine leafroll disease in California: identifying optimal management practices. Am J Enol Vit 66:138-147.

Tsai C-T, Chau J, Fernandez L, Bosco D, Daane KM and Almeida RPP. 2008. Transmission of grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 by the vine mealybug (Planococcus ficus). Phytopathol 98:1093-1098.

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