PMSP for the Michigan Blueberry Industry

Priorities

Category Rank Pest Type Pest Crop Stage Priority
Extension/Outreach 1 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Need fully funded Extension and Research programs at Land-Grant universities. Recent budgetary cutbacks and personnel layoffs threaten the viability of IPM implementation and research. Methods of dispersal of information between publicly funded agencies and the caneberry industry are slowly disappearing.
Extension/Outreach 2 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Need full support of IR-4 to assist caneberry producers in obtaining minor crop tolerances.
Extension/Outreach 3 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Educate growers on thresholds, pest identification and IPM techniques.
Extension/Outreach 4 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Continue to educate on resistance management for all pesticides. The rapid introduction of newer pest control/pest management materials has not been accompanied by adequate resistant management strategies to insure their longer term viability.
Extension/Outreach 5 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Support and strengthen IPM programs at colleges and universities.
Extension/Outreach 6 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Keep the USDA/ARS Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research in Corvallis, Oregon, fully funded.
Regulatory 1 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Approve the Critical Use Exemption (CUE) for nursery use of methyl bromide for production of caneberry plant material.
Regulatory 2 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Need more consistency between REIs and PHIs to allow better use of products. For some products, the REI is longer than the PHI, which limits its use.
Regulatory 3 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Streamline the process for registration of pesticides for use on minor crops. The obstacles involved in gaining registration for minor crop uses poses major difficulties for the caneberry industry.
Regulatory 4 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Strive for more equity in rulings that relate to international trade, minimum residue levels (MRLs), and tariffs. The USA caneberry industry faces increased overseas competition. Issues, such as labor costs and regulatory restrictions, place USA-grown caneberries at a competitive disadvantage.
Regulatory 5 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Allow multiple Section 18s for products that are not only efficacious but also needed for resistance management.
Regulatory 6 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Retain diazinon use pattern. Proposed restrictions to diazinon use threatens the economic viability of growers using it to control raspberry fruit worm and raspberry crown borer.
Research 1 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Develop methods for control of insect contaminants in machine harvested fields. . A unique problem for caneberry growers is the presence of insect contaminants in harvested fruit caused by the mechanical harvesting methods. Vibrating rods move through the plant canopy causing ripe fruit, along with any insects present, to drop on to a conveyer belt. Many of these insects can be removed by mechanical or visual methods, but some species have characteristics that make this very difficult. The method of choice to prevent this contamination has been broad spectrum insecticide application prior to and during harvest.
Research 2 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Develop and evaluate economic thresholds for incorporation into forecast models that will predict pest occurrence and severity Much work remains to be done to help in the decision-making process for pest management control.
Research 3 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Develop strategies, which may include resistant cultivars, for control of raspberry bushy dwarf virus. Bushy dwarf virus is the direct cause of major economic losses for raspberry growers. It causes fruit to become crumbly and unfit for high-end uses. Fields that would normally be productive for ten to twelve years must be removed after four to six years. The virus is vectored by pollinating bees, making control very difficult.
Research 4 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Identify replacements for diazinon, fenamiphos (Nemacur), methyl bromide, and azinphos-methyl (Guthion). After EPA completes its review of these compounds, they may no longer be available for use in caneberries or have a limited use pattern.
Research 5 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Need insecticides with shorter PHIs and REIs for use as a clean up spray to control insect contaminants just prior to or during harvest
Research 6 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Develop strategies, which may include resistant cultivars, for control of Phytophthora (root rot). Root rot is a major limiting factor in caneberry production, especially in raspberries.
Research 7 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Develop control strategies for perennial weeds. Quackgrass, thistle, equisetum, nutsedge, and bindweed are particularly difficult to control with current weed management methods.
Research 8 All 6- to 12-Inch Shoot Develop long range investment in new technologies. In order to remain economically viable in a global marketplace, it will be necessary to develop practical and realistic long-range goals that include innovative technologies to reduce cost, improve quality and increase yields.