SIR GROWER & INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

MINUTES of the Grower & Industry Advisory Committee meeting of the OKANAGAN-KOOTENAY STERILE INSECT RELEASE (SIR) PROGRAM held at the Summerland Research Centre in the Main Conference Room on April 23rd, 2003.

 

Committee Members:

Gavin Young    - Chair             Westbank Packers Ltd

Pierre Calissi                            BC Fruit Growers’ Association

Lindsay Hainstock                    Okanagan Similkameen Coop - Fieldman

Suey Koga                               Grower

Denis Larose                            Grower

Charlotte Leaming                    Sun Fresh Coop

Joseph Lucich                           Grower

Wayne Matthews                     C.S.R.D. Director / SIR Board Member

Brian Mennell                           Organic Grower    

Tom Ouchi                               Grower                       

Hugh Philip                               BCMAFF Regional Entomologist

Tim Watson                              South Valley Sales

Gerry Shaw                              BC Tree Fruits        

 

Committee Members Absent:

Tarsem Dhoot                          Grower

Dave Mitchell                           Grower

Stan Swales                              Okanagan North Growers Coop

Manuel Torres Jr.                     BC Fruit Growers’ Association (Oliver)

Peter Waterman                       Grower / Consultant

 

SIR Staff:

            Bob Fugger                              General Manager         

Lynn Lashuk                             Agrologist                    

Karen Nelson                           Recording Secretary

           

 

TOPIC #1:

 

Lunch

 

TOPIC #2:

 

Approval of Minutes

 

The following motion was put forward

 

 Moved by Tom Ouchi                        Seconded by Joseph Lucich

 

“Adopted minutes for the meeting dated January 31st, 2003.”

                                                                                                                             CARRIED

 

 

 

 

 

TOPIC #3:

 

Welcome to New Members & Acknowledgement of Retired Members

 

Gavin Young introduced and welcomed Lindsay Hainstock, new Fieldman at Okanagan Similkameen Coop, and Suey Koga, long time orchardist and transitional organic grower in the Belgo area in the Central Okanagan.

 

There has been a slight change in the composition of the Grower & Industry Advisory Committee, largely prompted by the BCFGA. Some new members are BCFGA members. The SIR Board made appointments, which prompted the SIR Grower & Industry Advisory Chair to make some other changes as well.

 

Letters of gratitude will be sent to the people that are no longer on the Committee (done 4/26/03).

 

TOPIC #4:

 

Review of Tech. Committee Mtg. April 23, 2003; Major Items

 

Casorso-Day Project

 

Lynn Lashuk made the following points regarding the Casorso-Day Project Update:

·        Bob Fisher-Fleming gave us an update at the Tech. Committee Meeting about the Casorso-Day Project. It is a project that the SIR is cooperating with the BCFP. Hugh Philip from BC Ministry of Agriculture is also advising on it.

·        Bob Fisher-Flemings protocols on lowering the Codling Moth populations in two old Bartlett pear blocks are:

                                                                                                         i.            Chemical control – Agri-Mek shortly after bloom, Zolone, pre-thinning, and Guthion  followed by Guthion. 

                                                                                                       ii.            Actively monitoring weather in both places. Adcon Telemetry set up at the Casorso block, and smaller station set up at the Day block.

                                                                                                      iii.            SIR will do any fruit stripping that is required.

                                                                                                     iv.            SIR removed any Mating Disruption that was there.

                                                                                                       v.            SIR will have an active monitoring program. We will work with getting the populations down.

                                                                                                     vi.            No SIT in either of these blocks for 2003.

                                                                                                    vii.            Growers are using the original Codling Moth control method of relying on trap counts and degree days to tell them when to spray.

                                                                                                  viii.            Any remaining Mating Disruption in the neighbouring areas will last until the middle of April 2003, which may delay the detection of the traps.

                                                                                                     ix.            Not sure as to what lures will be used in the traps for these blocks.

                                                                                                       x.            250, 350, 450 degree day timing for spraying

                                                                                                     xi.            No banding will be done in either sites.

Bob Fugger added the following to the Casorso-Day Project:

·        Trapping at 1 mg. lure per hectare. Can relate that to historical and go to 2 moths per trap in 2 consecutive weeks, and see how that relates to degree days.

 

Hugh Philip added that the trapping is to establish Biofix. Then check for threshold levels, so we have some comparative data.

 

Trap Checking Protocols

 

Lynn Lashuk made the following points regarding Trapping:

·        The rest of Zones 2 & 3, where no Mating Disruption is hung, we are expecting some over hang from 2002 Mating Disruption. Starting the season with the 10 mg. red rubber septra lures (the high load) for the first three weeks, then going back to changing every two weeks with the 1 mg. lures.

·        Degree day models, we are recommending cover sprays for Zones 2 & 3 at 250, 350, and 450.

·        The trapping protocol will be at the same density as what we had the traps in 2002. For the first flight, traps will be checked weekly but after first flight is over, would like to draw back on the number of traps checked, and go to set traps that are chosen for a reason, and visit them twice a week. Reason being is that the sterile moths are gluing to the bottoms of the traps, so the weekly checking is not giving us a picture of what is going on out there. Missing wild moths. Too much to do with massive trapping, but if narrowed down it could give us the information we need to look at what the male moth activity is.

·        SIR has asked the growers NOT to look at the trap counts this year. The numbers will be provided weekly at the bottom of the traps, but they are not being given on a spreadsheet to each grower, as we had in the past. It is too confusing in the past few years with Mating Disruption.

·        SIR spray line has been updated for your area, and find out what the activity and degree days are.

 

Aerial Release Trial

 

Bob Fugger made the following points:

·        J. Proverbs did a trial in 1972. Nothing had been published, but the Librarian at PARC was still looking into it to see if there were any details of the trial at all.

·        Talked to J. Proverbs in 2002 about the trial. He stated that the survivability was good, but the dispersal was not so good. SIR needs more information about the protocol that he had.

 

 

 

Brian Mennell discussed the background of J. Proverbs trials, as he witnessed. He made the following points:

·        Little red squares set up above Red Delicious trees - 2 feet above the canopy. J. Proverbs told the crop duster to get as close to the little red squares as you can. 140 miles an hour, the moths just splat. It was a concept thing. Maybe if they went higher and at stall speed, it could have worked.

 

Bob Fugger then continued:

·        34 years of an Aerial Release Program in California for the Pink Bollworm. They go 105 miles an hour at 500 feet, and do 18,000 acres of release each day.

·        They have a proper release device that works, and the survivability is good. That is their control program. 

·        Was looking into a protocol towards the Aerial Release Trial.

·        Jim Carpenter wants to see the Similkameen Valley to decide if we do the entire valley, or just some of it, and set up timings. Jim will be visiting the first week of May and help out with a protocol.

·        A spare release device is in California. We are waiting to find out when we can use it. Some engineering work is required on an aircraft from a charter company based in