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

February 22nd, 2005.

 

Committee Members:

Denis Larose                            Grower ~ Chair

Tarsem Dhoot                          Grower

Charlotte Leaming                    Sun Fresh Coop

Joseph Lucich                           Grower

Hugh Philip                               BCMAFF Regional Entomologist

Dave Mitchell                           Grower

Lindsay Hainstock                    Okanagan Similkameen Coop - Fieldman

 

SIR Staff:      

            Bob Fugger                              General Manager         

Gavin Young                            Grower / SIR Field Manager   

Adrian McCluskey                   Public Relations Officer

Karen Nelson                           Recording Secretary

 

Committee Members Absent:

Tom Ouchi                               Grower

Pierre Calissi                            BC Fruit Growers’ Association

Peter Waterman                       Grower / Consultant

Paul Jeffares                             BC Fruit Packer’s Coop – Fieldman

Tim Watson                              South Valley Sales

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

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

Peter Simonsen             Grower

Mike Kowaluk             N.O.R.D. Director/ SIR Board Member-Chair

 

Guest:

Joe Cardoso                             R.D.O.S. Director / SIR Board Member

 

 

Call to Order -

 

TOPIC #1:

 

Approval of Minutes

 

The following motion was put forward:

 

Moved by   Hugh Philip                                   Seconded by  Tarsem Dhoot

 

“Adopted minutes for the meeting dated December 14th, 2004.”

CARRIED

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOPIC #2:

 

Election of Board Chair

The following motion was put forward:

 

Moved by   Charlotte Leaming                                    Seconded by  Tarsem Dhoot

 

“Denis Larose has been nominated as the Chair for the SIR Grower & Inudustry Committee.”

CARRIED

 

 

TOPIC #3:

 

Hugh Philip’s Report

·        Information went out to 2200 growers. Hugh received feedback and got the growers thinking. They appreciated the information that they received.

·        If growers are called upon to give some information, they are at least informed.

·        Growers acknowledged that the report was balanced. That it was not just “pro SIR”.

·        Hugh & Bob met with the BC Fruit Packers Board and reviewed the document with them. There was strong opposition regarding SIR. Main concern was cost factor. Several made the comment that there were no results. But there has been a huge decline in the wild population. Very informative and acknowledging what the cost may be.

·        Growers especially in Zone 3 need to realize the new restrictions. The document helps them realize what the changes will be.

·        Denis questioned if Field Staff talk to growers about what products will not be available in the near future. Charlotte noted that she’s not certain how many are really aware. Dave Mitchell noted that “Bayer” did send out information that certain products will not be available.

·        Denis noted that it reinforces that we are on track for those changes.

·        Trying to have a meeting with OSC. Plans are still in tact to go forward to visit all the Boards regarding Hughs document.

·        If you have internet, a good resource site regarding Codling Moth is “WSU Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center “http://entomology.tfrec.wsu.edu/2004_CMandLR/ ”.

·        Pressure washer / bin washer mechanism being reviewed. A trial would have to be done to see if it would be successful. Gary Judd noted that vinegar could be an additive. Packinghouses are showing more cooperation. Bin movement will be revisited later in the meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOPIC #4:

 

Dr. Thistlewood & Dr. Judd’s Report

·        Gavin, Bob & Cara have taken the opportunity to focus on the center of the report from the beginning. Last of the report discusses what SIR believes will occur later in the Program. This report will be forwarded to the SIR Board.

·        Gavin reviewed the report and SIR’s recommendations with the Committee.

·        Gavin noted that SIR would like SIT be an area-wide blanket. Suggestion that where population is low, a thin blanket of control be done with a targeted format where there are captures. Apply the blanket & add moth release where needed. SIR believes that trapping methodology is not that efficient. By accepting this report, we are throwing risk onto the grower.

·        2008 may be the time to consider target releases on a trial basis and where certain specific conditions are met. Needs to be reviewed as the years go by. With blanket release, assurance is given that the moths are available when and where they are needed.

·        The product (sterile moths) is a living organism. Not able to just stock pile it. Need to be certain that those moths are available. Good surveillance program is needed.

·        Ownership is needed on growers own experience as well. Scientists have based it on different reports and trials that have been done. Growers are unable to just take the chance.

·        Research done for three years were targeted releases. The report was based on their research. That’s where SIR was under the impression that this report is stating that they are only wanting targeted releases.

·        Go to item 3, page 3. This interpretation states what they can do.

·        We would like a low level release plus target release. Just having target release brings the cost down for the grower, but the practicality doesn’t give you efficacy.

·        No clear-cut recommendations in the report. The Committee members ask that SIR staff soften their response on the report before being issued to the SIR Board.  

·        Gavin continued with the first point in the summary. SIR notes that if applying a blanket control, you can’t ignore the traps that recorded 0 wilds.

·        Charlotte noted that the efficiency in measurement need to be continuous to acknowledge what ratio we have to achieve; i.e., the traps have to be maintained, not dismantled where targeted releases are occurring.

·        Need to get the wild population down to get the sterile:wild ratio to 40:1.

·        Can GIS work on a precision release in orchards?

·        The longer the males take to find the females, the less potent the males become.

·        Mandatory is only achieved through enforcement. This is not mentioned throughout the report.

·        Many factors influence the results.

·        No matter what you do, if you bring the blanket too low, you could be criticized for bringing the ratio down. Need to get to the threshold. Would like to not deactivate the traps so that follow-up can be given on the ratio. There are critical times where you need to know what is going on with trap captures. 

·        Point 2, SIR believes that an area-wide blanket is needed. Need more follow-up on why certain re-infestations occur, other then “speculating” things such as bin movement.

·        Releases were reduced from the year 2000 and on, and numbers didn’t continue to decrease as it had prior to that decision, and that is why the Program wants to go back to “Area-Wide Control”.

·        Looking at the graph, someone would acknowledge that whatever SIR was doing for two years to take the numbers down, SIR sould go back to that tactic.

·        Protocols should have been established to maintain the data from the start for accuracy.

·        Science has its use, but Management is pulling out what is necessary to achieve the goals of the program.

·        Point 3, each year had an increase in release rate. SIR does not want to go to that methodology. It points out the difficulty in predicting production needs at the facility.

·        Point 4, SIR noted bin movement and sterilization trials of the bins. Close inspections are needed in order to see if bins are infested. Replacement cost to put plastic bins in place is very expensive. Is it feasible to quarantine bins?

·        Pherotec doing research with a aggregation pheromone. They might be doing a trial on putting pheromone on bins.

·        Point 5, no points made regarding SIR’s statement concurring with the suggested radiation dose levels.

·        Point 6. Equal numbers were always used in this test. We are suggesting the “what if” higher numbers were used. Research in female moths need to also be done. Need to know what the females are doing to the population. Find out where they are coming in because they don’t move as quickly as the males. 

·        Point 7, need to improve monitoring methods and procedures. The publication passed around would be a good example on what to give a grower and say “this is what you are looking for”. Identify what we are targeting. Would we know what target monitoring would look like? We don’t have the tools to survey efficiently. Female pheromone is the best that we have at this time. Area-wide application proves efficiency of the Program.

·        Point 8. SIR did not want to change the trapping density. Need some sort of base for the data. Need to maintain the consistency. Not clean enough to change the trapping density nor change the surveillance. Would be able to consider this when we are clean enough.

·        Point 9, no points made regarding SIR’s statement.

·        Point 10, no points made regarding SIR’s statement. Data in the facility has not been analyzed in the past in Quality Control up until now. Considering on getting an SIT Specialist.

·        Be less defensive in SIR’s reponse to the report. Reasonable response!

 

 

TOPIC #5:

 

Program 2005 - post 2005

·        SIR is proposing a transitional program to the SIR Board. (see handout)

·        Wording regarding spraying needs to have more detailed wording in which Gavin will work on. 

 

Meeting Adjourned at 12:00PM.

     

 __________________                                                           __________________

            Chairman                                                                                  Secretary

 

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