Date: June 2ndAugust 18th, 1999

APPROVED

SIR GROWER/INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

MINUTES of the Grower/Industry Committee meeting of the OKANAGAN-KOOTENAY STERILE INSECT RELEASE (SIR) PROGRAM held in the Food Processing Meeting Room at the Pacific Agriculture Research Centre in Summerland, BC on June 1stAugust 17th, 1999.

Committee Members:

Chair Gavin Young Westbank Packers Ltd.

Paulo Araujo Grower

Pedro Barata BC Fruit Growers’ Association (Oliver)

Jack Barkwill BC Fruit Packers

Norm Filipenko Sun Fresh Coop

Russell Husch BC Fruit Growers’ Association (Kelowna)

Joseph Lucich Grower

Hank Markgraf BC Fruit Packers

Brian Mennell Grower

Greg Norton Grower

Hugh Philip BCMAF/*Resource Person* Regional Entomologist

Gerry Shaw BC Tree Fruits

Wayne Still Similkameen Okanagan Organic Producers Assn.

Stan Swales Okanagan North Growers Coop

Peter Waterman Okanagan Similkameen Coop

Tim Watson South Valley Sales

Brian Witzke Grower

Committee Members Absent:

Paulo Araujo Grower Absent

Pedro Barata BC Fruit Growers’ Association (Oliver) Absent

Jack Barkwill BC Fruit Packers Absent

Norm Filipenko Sun Fresh Coop Absent

Russell Husch BC Fruit Growers’ Association (Kelowna) Absent

Brian Mennell Grower Absent

Jack Morley Okanagan Similkameen Coop Absent

Greg Norton Grower Absent

Tom Ouchi Grower Absent

Stan Swales Okanagan North Growers Coop Absent

Brian Witzke Grower Absent

Other:

Dr. Bob Vernon Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, PARC AgassizDr. Richard Carew Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Greenprint Agri-Food Production Systems

SIR Staff:

Dr. Howard Thistlewood Program Director

Elise Petersen Business Manager

Rob Gauthier Zone 1 & Zone 2 Field Manager

Adrian McCluskey Information OfficerBob Fugger Zone 2 Clean-up Co-ordinator

Karen Nelson Recording Secretary

Bob Fugger Zone 2 Clean-up Manager Absent

Mr. Young called the meeting to order at 1:15 p.m., and started the opening by welcoming Elise Petersen (SIR’s new Business Manager) to the meeting.

AGENDA TOPIC #1:

Mr. Young then

Mr. Young called the meeting to order at 1:15 p.m., and started the opening by questioninged the Committee Members if the minutes from the last meeting on April 6th, 1999June 1^st, 1999 could be adopted.

Moved by Gerry Shaw Seconded by Stan SwalesJoseph Lucich

“ Accepted minutes for meeting dated April 6thJune 1^st,, 1999.”

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

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AGENDA TOPIC #2:

AGENDA TOPIC #2:

Dr. Thistlewood started the Zone 1 and Zone 2 update. He stated that out of the 2,200 copies of the SIR Newsletter, there had been only two requests for the newsletter to be written in Punjabi. He noted that it may have been such a little amount for the response because the question had been written in English.

The second newsletter will come out at the end of June if warranted or later in July if more material is required.

As of May 1^st, 1999, the SIR Spray Line now has English and Punjabi on it. It costs $59.95/month.

A TV story was on CHBC last month regarding the trials done in Kelowna.

The Company that distributes “Last Call” is hoping to get approved in Canada for commercial registration by next year.

Howard first discussed the Creston issues. The letter that had been sent out to the Creston growers in regards to asking for their attendance at the Public Meeting on Tuesday, July 6^th, 1999 (please see attached), had been passed out to the Committee for recognition. Thirty-one commercial and backyard owners attended the meeting. That also included any growers who were against the Program. There were many good points and concerns made at the meeting. Some concerns were liability issues, tax issues, and identification by SIR Staff.

Howard also met up with all the growers denying access onto their orchard. By the end of the week, arrangements were made, and SIR was granted access onto the growers property.

Howard then apologised if he had offended anyone when he had given growers names while mentioning problems occurring with growers. In order to get advice from the Committee, he assumed that details were needed, as the predecessor committees to this one had done in the past. Gavin noted that this topic was to be discussed further in the Agenda on Topic 3B.

Howard then went on to explain that the SIR Board adopted the Motion from the Minutes dated June 1^st, 1999. In response to the request from this committee, the SIR Board passed the following motion, as proposed by Director Bob McCoubrey and seconded by Director Simon de Boer:

“S.I.R. invite the B.C Fruit Grower’s Association and the South Okanagan Organic Producer’s Association to participate in co-sponsoring a Marketing Initiative Workshop to explore, with stakeholders, reduced spray marketing opportunities”

The following discussion raised a number of points arising from the wording of the motion. These included that it should be clear that the intent is not to link the marketing of B.C. fruit as any function of S.I.R. nor with a political group such as the B.C.F.G.A. Rather, the intent is to see a discussion of marketing challenges, practice, and opportunities, for the education of all interested parties. Also, to get sellers speaking in the room not politicians, such as BC Tree Fruits, Pro-Fresh, organic sellers, etc. Dr Thistlewood stated that his interpretation of the reasons for suggesting a co-sponsoring by these particular groups was not to have them speak but to ensure that a range of marketing or sales professionals would be invited to the meeting. The general expression of the Committee was that this approach should be tried, and it is useful to let the growers know that the option is there. Otherwise, nothing will be set up in the immediate future.

Howard then explained that Dr. Jeff Connor, an agricultural economist from the Oregon State University, has been corresponding with him regarding the economics of codling moth management and how SIR compares with area-wide strategies in the USA Pacific Northwest. Also, that Dr. Richard Carew, an agricultural economist with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, PARC Agassiz is working with SIR to develop information from our growers regarding the economics of various control strategies and measuring pesticide use by growers.

Howard also mentioned that he has been talking to several groups, primarily the BC Ministry of Agriculture & Food, regarding secondary pests. Hugh Philip (BCMAF) added that there has not been any discussion yet regarding the survey that the Grower & Industry Advisory Committee has requested.Please have Adrian check this part

Dr. Thistlewood started the Zone 1 and Zone 2 update. He stated that out of the 2,200 copies of the SIR NewletterNewsletter, there had been only two requests for the newsletter to be written in Punjabi. He noted that it may have been such a little amount for the response because the question had been written in English.

The second newsletter will come out June 2, 1999.

As of May 1^st, 1999, the SIR Spray Line now has English and Punjabi on it. It cost $100.00/month.

A TV story was on CHBC last month regarding the trials done in Kelowna.

The Company that distributes SIRENE is hoping to get approved in Canada for commercial registration by next year.

Howard then explained that Dr. Jeff Connor, an agricultural economist Advisor from the Oregon State University, has been corresponding with him regarding the economics of cCodling mMoth management and how SIR compares with area-wide strategies in the USA Pacific Northwest.

Also, And that Dr. Richard CarewKaru, an aAgriculturale eEconomist with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, PARC Agassiz, is working with SIR to develop information from our growers regarding the economics of various control strategies and measuring pesticide use by growersaccording to economics.

Howard also mentioned that he has been talking to several groups, primarily the BC Ministry of Agriculture & Food, reps regarding secondary pests. Hugh Philip (BCMAF) added that there has not been any discussion yet regarding the survey that the Grower & Industry Advisory Committee has requested.

Zone 1 Orchard Update – Rob Gauthier

Rob distributed the Zone 1 Field Operation update for August 1999. Please see attached.

He also noted that an analysis will soon be done on the Leaf Roller Control occurring in the Zone 1 area.

Please have Rob check the following sections

SIR 1999 Information

May 30, 1999

Trap Information (preliminary)

- Sites where trap counts indicate 1^st cover required (to date)

Area	Blocks	Acres	Orchards	Acres	Total Acres (AREA)
Similkameen	1	1	2	9	10
Naramata	4	9.5	7	17	26.5
Oliver	9	24.5	18	92	116.5
Osoyoos	7	19	5	21	40
Penticton	2	5	6	17	22
Sland	4	8	1	0.5	8.5
223.5

Note:

-Summerland /Penticton/Naramata areas still may have some more counts come in due to degree-day accumulations to date.

-This represents preliminary sites that should spray twice, one at 250 followed by another 14-21 days later.

-Some very highBig counts occurred unexpectedly in the Oliver area, north of town in 8 farms along the right side of the Hwy 97 backing onto Island road. No wild trees were found to date, and no harvest damage occurred in 1998, but there were lots of rose bushes and walnut trees. The gGrower(s) has has (have) been talked to with advice concerning necessary re sprays, and will be visited – again tomorrow.

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General (Karen - this is too cryptic and shortened please expand a little as I have tried below)

- The low catch of sterile moths reflects the current cool weather, but perked up during warm spell.

- Modified releases during early season to date. To ensure that the field release portion of the moth distribution is doing every thing we can to get sterile counts up in all pheromone traps, we have asked our Moth Release Drivers to do a variety of things, such as: start later in the morning in warmer outside temperatures, “hand-release” moths into tree canopies in areas where wild moths are of concern, double and triple up releases in areas of concern, and release more frequently in some areas.

- All trap record sheets should be up and a majority of Pesticide Warning signs have been distributed more to arrive this week from the FARSHA and WCB organisations. These weather-resistant octagonal signs were obtained to replace the older paper signs the Program has used in the past to warn of orchard sprays and re-entry periods. They will be placed at the location of the trap counts or where growers prefer.

- SIR Phone numbers (the 1-888-601-1112) have been printed out and will be stuck to the spray sheets or trap record sheets for growers reference

- Banding project continues to go well and is on target to completion by end of June. Approximately 600-700 acres of orchard will be completely banded and all other Zone 1 orchards will have banded applied in a random fashion at a 30 per acre density. As per the SIR Technical Committee guidelines.

- Approx. 420 acres of mating disruption (Isomate C) material has been applied in Zone 1 orchards (a numeric breakdown showing the number of acres under CM disruption for each area will be available for the next meeting) in Zone 1

-The low catch of sSterile moths counts reflects the current cool weather , but– perked up during warm spell

-Modified releases during early season to date?? meaning

-All trap record sheets should be up and a majority of Pesticide Warning signs have been distributed more to arrive this week from the FARSHA organisation

-SIR Phone numbers have been printed out and will be stuck to the spray sheets or trap record sheets for growers reference

-Banding project continues to go well and is on target to completion by end of June

-Approx. 420 acres of mating disruption materials MD are up in the trees (a numeric breakdown will be available for the next meeting) in Zone 1

Spray Line – May 31, 1999

Growers are reminded to look at the codling moth trap counts for your orchard. If two or more moths have been captured for two consecutive weeks, or a single trap has caught 4 or more moths at any time during the spring, apply a cover spray for codling moth at 250 degree days (3% egg hatch). Look carefully at your traps, some blocks may require a chemical cover while others may not.

For growers who have low codling moth numbers in their traps and are considering only one first brood cover spray, this spray should be delayed until approx. 300-degree days to affect a higher percent egg hatch.

Remember that the sprays are timed to affect hatching larvae and not to knock wild moths out of the air.

Please refer to the 1999 Tree Fruit Production Guide from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food for chemicals and rates.

OSOYOOS and OLIVER AREA GROWERS:

As of May 29, 219-degree days have accumulated in Osoyoos and 211-degree days have accumulated in the Oliver area. If temperatures remain consistent, growers in these areas who have caught a significant number of moths or have caught 2 moths for two consecutive weeks should apply a codling moth cover spray beginning Friday, June 04. Please ensure that the forecast looks clear of rain for the period after the spray, it is better to be a day or two late than have it rain right after your chemical application.

SIMILKAMEEN AREA GROWERS:

Biofix was set in the Similkameen for May 14, and as of May 29^th 192.4-degree days have accumulated. Not too many wild moths have been captured in the Similkameen over the past 3 weeks so please check your trap counts to see if a spray is required. If the criteria as mentioned above is met, and the temperatures remain consistent, a first brood cover spray should be applied beginning Monday June 07.

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PENTICTON/SUMMERLAND/NARAMATA AREA GROWERS:

This includes growers in the Okanagan Falls and Kaledean areas. Biofix was set in Penticton area and Naramata on May 15^th. As of May 26^th, 158-degree days have accumulated in these areas. Summerland has had biofix set on May 16^th with 165-degree days accumulated as of May 28th in the Trout Creek area. If weather is consistent, a first spray condition may be met on or around June 11. More up to date predictions will be available on this phone line on Friday.