Pest Control
Low tunnels aid strawberry growth, protect from disease and pests
Due to the cold, wet spring in western Oregon, the fruit hadn’t ripened at Strawberry Field Day in June at Oregon State University’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center (NWREC) in Aurora. Under experimental plastic... more »
Michigan confirms spotted lanternfly detection
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has confirmed the state’s first detection of spotted lanternfly. A small population of the pest was detected in Pontiac in Oakland County, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture... more »
Spotted lanternfly hits northern, southern Indiana
Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) was found in late July in Huntington, Indiana. This federally regulated invasive species is a serious new pest that harms plants by slowing their growth and reducing fruit production, especially in... more »
MSU Extension to host its first blueberry field day
The Michigan State University Extension blueberry team is hosting its first field day on Aug. 24. The event will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Trevor Nichols Research Center in Fennville, Michigan.... more »
USDA expands funding of produce as medicine programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is using $8 million to support “prescription” programs that pay for fresh fruits and vegetables to improve the health of consumers. The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) is part... more »
Funding for spotted lanternfly treatment available for New Jersey counties
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has announced that reimbursement funding is available for all New Jersey counties for treatment of the spotted lanternfly. The funding amount can be as much as $15,000 and possibly... more »
Ridgefest updates industry on Michigan apple, cherry research
As old apple orchards are removed to make way for more valuable cultivars, apple replant disease can be an issue causing early decline of trees planted into old orchard ground. Replant disorder occurs when new... more »
Tiny wasps could add to anti-SWD pest defense plans
Collaborating researchers recently released tiny wasps in selected West Coast locations hoping they’ll establish and help control the spotted-wing drosophila fruit fly (SWD). Vaughn Walton, an Oregon State University entomologist, said he doesn’t expect the... more »