U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit: Corvallis, OR
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    CareersSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Pacific West Area Corvallis, Oregon Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit Research





- Lee, Jana
- Crop Protection & Quarantine (304)

Research Project: **Location:
                            Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit** Project Number: 2072-22000-044-010-G
                        
                        Project Type: Grant Start Date: Aug 1, 2020
                        
                        End Date: Dec 31, 2022 **Objective:**
                        
                        1. Refine determinants of risk of Rose Stem Girdler (RSG) damage to Pacific Northwest (PNW) caneberry plantings.
2. Develop an enhanced integrated pest management (IPM) program via refined information on the life cycle (phenology) of RSG in the PNW and development of a phenology prediction tool.
3. Assess the biological control potential of a newly discovered parasitoid wasp that may reduce risk of RSG damage to caneberries and play a role in an IPM program. **Approach:**
                        
                        Objective 1: A survey of 12 commercial PNW caneberry field sites will be used to ascertain RSG risk to crops and key risk determinants. Ambient temperature and relative humidity at each site will be recorded with data loggers. Four geographically-distinct 100-row-feet sections and adjacent stands of wild hosts per site will be used to collect data on 1) percent of row-feet with RSG damage after harvest in 2020, 2) after pruning in 2021, and 3) after harvest again in 2021. Data on relative adult RSG population counts will be collected on these areas through July 2021 using beating trays. Weekly scouting will facilitate data collection on RSG emergence dates, duration of adult activity, and phenological development through examining 4 RSG-damaged canes samples/site/week. Passive sticky traps will also be assessed for accuracy and applicability in an IPM program. Nine locations in northwest Washington will also be scouted intensively once in Fall/Winter 2020 to determine if RSG has spread north of King County, Washington, and a local agricultural professional will be trained and employed for RSG monitoring in 2021.
Objective 2: A laboratory study will be used in conjunction with data from the field survey in order to refine estimates of phenological development of RSG in the PNW environment. In the lab, RSG emergence will be artificially induced from a variety of PNW wild hosts and caneberries by manipulating the estimated thresholds for RSG phenological development that were observed in the 1960s. A minimum of 40 samples of RSG-damaged canes collected from each field site in Fall/Winter 2020 will be placed into four incubation chambers (~10 canes from each site/chamber) with differing temperature and relative humidity conditions. Samples will include representative canes that have been effectively girdled and those that are damaged, but un-girdled. The control treatment will be set at optimal temperature and humidity thresholds for unconstrained phenological development, while three other chambers will be set for sub-optimal 1) relative humidity, 2) temperature, and 3) humidity and temperature combined.
Emergence data will be collected twice per week. The percentage of canes lacking emergence will be recorded and examined for phenology stage and examined for other plausible causes of RSG mortality.
Objective 3: Sampling for the Baryscapus wasp (and other possible natural enemies) will occur in conjunction with data collection for RSG. Wasps collected will be sent to UC-Riverside for identification to species. Canes containing wasp larvae or adults will be recorded and compared to the number of canes lacking a viable RSG. Geographical distributions of wasps found, and dependent factors (RSG host species, variety, etc.) will be recorded for compiling summary statistics. The project team will conduct a literature review determine if the identified species is a known parasitoid of RSG or related Buprestids.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov