A PMSP for Avocado Production in California

Priorities

Category Rank Pest Type Pest Crop Stage Priority
Extension/Outreach 1 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Educate USDA-APHIS on new techniques to exclude pests
Extension/Outreach 1 Insects Educate EPA about the most effective timing of AgriMek® applications
Extension/Outreach 1 Insects Provide training on the value of scouting and economic thresholds versus calendar-based spray programs
Extension/Outreach 1 Insects Educate growers on resistance management for AgriMek®
Extension/Outreach 1 Insects Fall Provide training on the value of scouting and economic thresholds versus calendar-based spray programs
Extension/Outreach 1 Pathogens Evaluate biological controls of Phytophthora collar rot and root rot
Extension/Outreach 1 Pathogens Educate growers and PCAs on resistance management
Extension/Outreach 1 Pathogens Educate growers and PCAs on resistance management
Extension/Outreach 1 Pathogens Provide training on the benefits of keeping equipment clean
Extension/Outreach 1 Pathogens Educate fruit handlers on proper temperature management and fruit handling during ethylene treatments
Extension/Outreach 1 Pathogens Avoidance in Pre-Storage Educate contract workers on proper sanitation and harvest procedures
Extension/Outreach 1 Pathogens Fall Educate growers and PCAs on resistance management
Extension/Outreach 1 Weeds Educate growers on weed control relative to canopy management
Extension/Outreach 1 Weeds Educate growers on weed control relative to canopy management
Extension/Outreach 1 Weeds Educate growers on weed control relative to canopy management
Extension/Outreach 1 Weeds Fall Educate growers on weed control relative to canopy management
Extension/Outreach 1 Weeds Fall Educate growers on weed control relative to canopy management
Extension/Outreach 1 Wildlife UCCE should regularly update growers and PCAs on vertebrate control options
Extension/Outreach 1 Wildlife Develop and distribute updated literature on vertebrate control
Extension/Outreach 1 Wildlife UCCE should regularly update growers and PCAs on vertebrate control options
Extension/Outreach 1 Wildlife Educate growers, PCAs, and packers on the importance of rodent and bird management
Extension/Outreach 1 Wildlife Avoidance in Pre-Storage Provide training on control of vertebrate pests and proper placement of bins
Extension/Outreach 1 Wildlife Fall UCCE should regularly update growers and PCAs on vertebrate control options
Extension/Outreach 2 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Educate stakeholders and the general public on the risks and economic loss associated with introductions of exotic pests
Extension/Outreach 2 Insects Educate and involve beekeepers on AgriMek® toxicity issues
Extension/Outreach 2 Insects Educate the EPA, USDA-APHIS, and the California congressional delegation in Washington on the fact that the NAFTA trade agreement has seriously compromised California’s ability to exclude invasive pest species and forced the increased use of chemicals
Extension/Outreach 2 Insects Educate growers on crop phenology (language, nomenclature for proper cultural and pest management timings)
Extension/Outreach 2 Insects Educate USDA-APHIS, Department of Homeland Security, BNAC, and other regulatory agencies on the problems associated with bringing contaminated fruit into the U.S.
Extension/Outreach 2 Insects Fall Educate growers on staging of crop (language, nomenclature for proper cultural and pest management timings)
Extension/Outreach 2 Pathogens Insure that new growers have access to best management practices including fruit handling after harvest
Extension/Outreach 2 Pathogens Provide information on how disease-contaminated personnel and equipment spread disease when moving between groves, and how this cross-contamination can be managed
Extension/Outreach 2 Pathogens Avoidance in Pre-Storage Provide training on “snap” versus “clip” picking techniques for avocados
Extension/Outreach 2 Weeds Fall Educate growers and PCAs on the potential benefits of weeds (habitat for beneficial insects, erosion control, nutrient value)
Extension/Outreach 2 Weeds Fall Educate growers and PCAs on the potential benefits of weeds (habitat for beneficial insects, erosion control, nutrient value)
Extension/Outreach 2 Wildlife Develop and distribute updated literature on vertebrate control
Extension/Outreach 2 Wildlife Educate growers and PCAs on life cycles and proper timing of vertebrate management techniques
Extension/Outreach 2 Wildlife Develop and distribute updated information on vertebrate control
Extension/Outreach 2 Wildlife Avoidance in Pre-Storage Provide education on the role of vertebrate management in food safety
Extension/Outreach 2 Wildlife Fall Develop and distribute updated Information on vertebrates
Extension/Outreach 3 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Educate agencies on “border interception” issues and how the shift away from pest exclusion to homeland security creates situations which are detrimental to California agriculture, particularly avocados
Extension/Outreach 3 Insects Educate growers and PCAs on the value of scouting
Extension/Outreach 3 Insects Educate beekeepers on the importance of registering their hives with the county and clearly identifying hives so PCAs can easily contact them
Extension/Outreach 3 Insects Broadcast more and better public service announcements on the role of the public in agricultural homeland security
Extension/Outreach 3 Insects Fall Educate beekeepers on the importance of registering their hives with the county and clearly identifying hives so PCAs can easily contact them
Extension/Outreach 3 Pathogens Avoidance in Pre-Storage Educate growers and PCAs on PHIs associated with the products they use
Extension/Outreach 3 Pathogens Bloom Educate retailers on how fruit should be handled to avoid bruising
Extension/Outreach 3 Wildlife Educate growers and PCAs on life cycles and proper timing of vertebrate management techniques
Extension/Outreach 3 Wildlife Educate growers and PCAs on life cycles and proper timing of vertebrate management techniques
Extension/Outreach 3 Wildlife Fall Educate growers and PCAs on life cycles and proper timing of vertebrate management techniques
Extension/Outreach 4 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Continue to educate growers and PCAs on pest identification and management, and on pesticide resistance management
Extension/Outreach 4 Insects Educate growers and PCAs on pest/beneficial biology
Extension/Outreach 5 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Educate growers on irrigation management for disease control
Extension/Outreach 6 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Educate growers and PCAs on the relationship between cultural management and fruit quality
Extension/Outreach 7 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Educate regulators on avocado production and related issues through training and tour
Extension/Outreach 8 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Provide training on Best Management Practices (BMPs) to growers, PCAs, applicators, and workers
Extension/Outreach 9 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Provide training to all stakeholders on the use of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to ensure food safety
Extension/Outreach 10 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Educate retailers and consumers on the proper handling and preparation of avocados
Extension/Outreach 11 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Educate retailers and consumers on the outstanding nutritional, quality, and food safety attributes of California-grown avocado
Regulatory 1 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Enforce pest exclusion activities and regulations
Regulatory 1 Insects Work with beekeepers to overcome problems with spraying AgriMek® during bloom.
Regulatory 1 Insects Work with beekeepers to overcome problems with spraying AgriMek® during bloom
Regulatory 1 Insects Obtain a full Section 3 registration of AgriMek
Regulatory 1 Insects Establish equitable policies with trading partners on quarantine issues
Regulatory 1 Insects Fall Work with beekeepers to overcome problems with spraying AgriMek® during bloom
Regulatory 1 Pathogens Establish international equity in pesticide regulations in all avocado producing countries
Regulatory 1 Pathogens Establish international regulatory equity
Regulatory 1 Pathogens Enforce the minimum maturity standards for avocados
Regulatory 1 Pathogens Establish equitable regulatory policies on potential imported crops
Regulatory 1 Pathogens Fall Establish international regulatory equity
Regulatory 2 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Establish fair policies and regulations concerning international phytosanitary issues
Regulatory 2 Insects Obtain a full registration for AgriMek
Regulatory 2 Insects Obtain a full registration for AgriMek
Regulatory 2 Insects Challenge NAFTA trade agreements which seriously compromise California’s ability to exclude invasive avocado pest species
Regulatory 2 Insects Fall Obtain a full Section 3 registration for AgriMek®
Regulatory 2 Pathogens Regulate the consistency of mulch quality to minimize its potential for causing disease and weed problems.
Regulatory 2 Pathogens Investigate uniform maturity standards for all avocados on the U.S. domestic market
Regulatory 3 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Establish international equity in pesticide regulations in all avocado producing countries
Regulatory 3 Insects Enforce current inspection procedures at border and check stations
Regulatory 3 Pathogens Establish a standard for mulch efficacy
Regulatory 4 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Obtain a full Section 3 registration for AgriMek®
Regulatory 4 Insects Inspect roadside stands and vehicles for invasive pest species
Regulatory 5 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Expedite registrations of plant growth regulators (PGRs)
Regulatory 5 Insects Evaluate the potential for mandated chemical treatments for glassy-winged sharpshooters near nurseries, grapes, and citrus bins
Research 1 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Develop a phenological model to predict physiological events in avocado production
Research 1 Insects Evaluate the effectiveness of mulching for suppression of avocado thrips
Research 1 Insects Develop economic thresholds for avocado thrips
Research 1 Insects Develop feeding stations/ food sources to prevent bee movement out of the orchards
Research 1 Insects Evaluate efficacy of new post-harvest quarantine treatments; evaluate fruit tolerance of these treatments
Research 1 Insects Fall Study the effects of forced early vegetative growth during fruit set and early fruit development on avocado thrip management
Research 1 Pathogens Evaluate biological controls for Phytophthora collar rot and root rot
Research 1 Pathogens Conduct research to establish the relationship of cultural management and post-harvest disease incidence and severity
Research 1 Pathogens Evaluate the potential for nematode strains to transmit Xylella disease
Research 1 Pathogens Avoidance in Pre-Storage Quantify the relationship between moisture and temperature in the orchard to development of postharvest disease
Research 1 Pathogens Fall Evaluate biological controls of Phytophthora collar rot and root rot
Research 1 Weeds Evaluate the benefits of weeds as habitat for beneficial insects
Research 1 Weeds Evaluate the benefits of weeds as habitat for beneficial insects
Research 1 Weeds Evaluate the benefits of weeds as habitat for beneficial insects
Research 1 Weeds Fall Evaluate the benefits of weeds as habitat for beneficial insects
Research 1 Wildlife Evaluate new squirrel management and control techniques
Research 1 Wildlife Evaluate new squirrel management and control techniques
Research 1 Wildlife Evaluate new squirrel management and control techniques
Research 1 Wildlife Fall Evaluate new squirrel management and control techniques
Research 2 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Evaluate and develop new pest exclusion methods
Research 2 Insects Develop a phenological model to predict physiological events in avocado production
Research 2 Insects Study the relationship between avocado thrip numbers prebloom and crop damage observed at harvest
Research 2 Insects Evaluate tools to control ants around honeybee hives
Research 2 Insects Fall Evaluate insecticides for control of glassy-winged sharpshooter
Research 2 Pathogens Evaluate new rootstocks for Phytophthora collar rot and root rot
Research 2 Pathogens Evaluate new rootstocks for resistance to/tolerance of Phytophthora collar rot and root rot
Research 2 Pathogens Evaluate the use of pre-harvest fungicide applications to control post-harvest diseases
Research 2 Pathogens Study the susceptibility of avocado to the sudden oak death strain of P. ramorum
Research 2 Pathogens Avoidance in Pre-Storage Evaluate the amount of rain that will affect post-harvest disease development
Research 2 Pathogens Fall Evaluate new rootstocks for Phytophthora collar rot and root rot
Research 2 Weeds Evaluate the benefits of weeds for erosion control and biodiversity of insect fauna
Research 2 Weeds Evaluate the benefits of weeds for erosion control and biodiversity of insect fauna
Research 2 Weeds Evaluate the benefits of weeds for erosion control and biodiversity of insect fauna
Research 2 Weeds Fall Evaluate the benefits of weeds for erosion control and biodiversity of insect fauna
Research 2 Wildlife Evaluate new coyote management and control techniques
Research 2 Wildlife Evaluate new coyote management and control techniques
Research 2 Wildlife Evaluate new coyote management and control techniques
Research 2 Wildlife Evaluate new coyote management and control techniques
Research 3 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Rebuild the biologically-based integrated pest management IPM program (addressing new pests, e.g., persea mite, avocado thrips, etc.)
Research 3 Insects Locate and evaluate biological control agents for avocado thrips
Research 3 Insects Develop a sampling method for avocado thrips
Research 3 Insects Evaluate effectiveness of current inspection procedures at border and check stations
Research 3 Pathogens Evaluate the role of PGRs in post-harvest disease management
Research 3 Pathogens Evaluate topical applications of Aliette® and Ridomil ® (fungicides) for control of collar rot
Research 3 Pathogens Evaluate mulches for management of Phytophthora collar rot and root rot
Research 3 Pathogens Evaluate mulches for management of Phytophthora collar rot and root rot
Research 3 Pathogens Avoidance in Pre-Storage Evaluate stress caused by salt build-up from fertilizers and poor water quality at this time of year
Research 3 Pathogens Fall Evaluate mulches for management of Phytophthora collar rot and root rot
Research 3 Weeds Evaluate weed species for biological benefits and nutrient value to orchards
Research 3 Weeds Evaluate weed species for biological benefits and nutrient value to orchards
Research 3 Weeds Find alternatives to Simazine® and Roundup
Research 3 Weeds Fall Evaluate weed species for biological benefits and nutrient value to orchard
Research 3 Wildlife Evaluate new gopher management and control techniques
Research 3 Wildlife Evaluate new gopher management and control techniques
Research 3 Wildlife Evaluate new gopher management and control techniques
Research 3 Wildlife Fall Develop hose line that coyotes are not able to chew through
Research 4 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Develop sensitive pest detection tools
Research 4 Insects Evaluate the effectiveness of pre-bloom sprays of AgriMek
Research 4 Insects Evaluate the use of spot spraying for avocado thrip control
Research 4 Insects Conduct foreign exploration to locate and identify effective biological control agents for pests (e.g., avocado thrips and persea mite) of California avocados
Research 4 Pathogens Evaluate hyphoderma-like disease and its potential impact on avocados
Research 4 Pathogens Study sunblotch and its transmission via pollen
Research 4 Pathogens Evaluate the relationship between fertilizer management and Phytophthora
Research 4 Pathogens Fall Study sunblotch and its transmission via pollen
Research 4 Weeds Find alternatives to Simazine® and Roundup®
Research 4 Weeds Find alternatives to Simazine® and Roundup
Research 4 Weeds Find alternatives to Simazine® and Roundup
Research 4 Weeds Fall Find alternatives to Simazine® and Roundup
Research 4 Wildlife UCCE should regularly update growers and PCAs on vertebrate control options
Research 4 Wildlife Fall Evaluate new gopher management and control techniques
Research 5 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Develop economic thresholds for common pests
Research 5 Insects Monitor AgriMek® resistance and search for alternatives to rotate
Research 5 Insects Evaluate the impact of spraying AgriMek® over honeybee hives
Research 5 Insects Survey pests in export countries for potentially invasive species which are not yet present in the U.S.
Research 5 Pathogens • Study how sunblotch disease is transmitted
Research 5 Pathogens Evaluate new rootstocks for salinity and disease tolerance/resistance
Research 5 Pathogens Conduct studies on sunblotch and its transmission via pollen
Research 5 Pathogens Fall Evaluate new rootstocks for salinity and disease tolerance/resistance
Research 6 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Locate/identify biological controls for avocado pests in their center of origin (i.e., foreign exploration)
Research 6 Insects Evaluate Orius for efficacy on greenhouse thrips
Research 6 Insects Evaluate avocado thrips’ potential resistance and cross resistance to AgriMek® and Success
Research 6 Pathogens Evaluate the long-term effectiveness of mulch for control of Phytophthora
Research 6 Pathogens Evaluate new rootstocks for salinity and disease tolerance/resistance
Research 6 Pathogens Evaluate the relationship between fertilizer management and Phytophthora
Research 6 Pathogens Fall Evaluate the relationship between fertilizer management and Phytophthora
Research 7 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Identify pest species in foreign countries which could be of future concern to the California avocado industry
Research 7 Insects Determine AgriMek®’s toxicity to bees and best use practices
Research 7 Pathogens Monitor resistance to Ridomil®/Aliette
Research 7 Pathogens Monitor resistance to Ridomil®/Aliette
Research 7 Pathogens Develop a standard for mulch efficacy
Research 7 Pathogens Fall Monitor resistance to Ridomil® and Aliette
Research 8 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Evaluate new miticides
Research 8 Insects Evaluate spot spraying for avocado thrip control
Research 8 Pathogens Determine potential invasive species in other avocado growing countries
Research 8 Pathogens Continue research on salinity
Research 8 Pathogens Bloom Determine potential invasive disease species in other avocado growing countries
Research 8 Pathogens Fall Determine potential invasive disease species in other avocado growing countries
Research 9 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Validate and standardize pest sampling methods and reporting
Research 9 Insects Conduct regional monitoring with GIS for avocado thrips
Research 10 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Evaluate new rootstocks for disease resistance
Research 11 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Evaluate new rootstocks for salinity tolerance/resistance
Research 12 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Evaluate the impact of recycled water on tree health
Research 13 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Study the relationship between tree health/phenology and pest management
Research 14 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Develop a plant growth regulator (PGR) program for avocados
Research 15 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Monitor field levels of resistance to important pesticides used in avocados
Research 16 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Develop a Best Management Practices (BMPs) system to address fruit quality/safety and resource management issues related to avocado production