Hannah Burrack

Investigator will direct establishment and conduct of trial described in protocol. Investigator will direct collection and reporting of data as outlined in protocol and handle any disposition of trial materials necessary.

We propose to establish a long-term project to screen and evaluate grape cultivars and germplasm for their suitability for North Carolina grape and wine production. Our long-term objectives are (1) establish and evaluate Pierces-Disease (PD) resistant European-style wine grape cultivars for grape production and quality parameters. (2) Evaluate muscadine grape germplasm and cultivars for production and grape quality. We request funding for 2021 to establish two cultivar evaluation trials. The first trial will be established in collaboration with Childress Vineyards (Lexington NC) to evaluate and screen PD-resistant wine grape cultivars, including 5 recently released UC Davis cultivars. We will evaluate plant growth parameters during as well as monitor PD vector abundance and PD infection of grape tissue. The second trial will be established at the research station in Castle Hayne, where we will evaluate existing germplasm as well as recently released muscadine cultivars. Our long-term goal is the continuous evaluation of grape cultivars in NC, to disseminate our findings to stakeholders, and to establish relationships with grape breeding programs in the Southeast as well as in California, to improve resilience of the grape and wine industry in NC.

Our proposed educational tools fulfill multiple priorities outlined in the NC Blueberry Council’s Call for Proposals. This multi-tiered and faceted approach will address several tools and resources to improve blueberry grower knowledge and practices. In addition, the crop profile will serve as an education resource for growers dealing with pests and beneficials as well as advocate for future regulatory decision on the state and national level. Pursuing the development of online and print materials and offering presentations aimed specifically at the needs of growers will meet our stakeholder needs and strengthens Extension’s reach to all growers and audiences across the state. Support and expansion of the blueberry production and bee-ID guides has great potential to aid existing stakeholders as well as new audiences. This will help growers to further promote and protect pollinators, and ultimately increase production and further economic returns. To accomplish our goals and address stakeholder needs for the North Carolina Blueberry Council, we will complete the following 3 objectives: 1.Develop pollinator-friendly educational and conservation program support materials (handbook and online resources) to assist blueberry growers with implementation of pollinator-friendly habitats, promote health and well-being of pollinators, and on-farm native bee assessment and identification. 2.Deliver a minimum of two Integrated Pest Management (IPM)/Pollinator Conservation presentations tailored to blueberry growers and extension agents with responsibilities in blueberries to help them build confidence in their knowledge of pollinators and IPM strategies in blueberry production. The presentations will be held at blueberry related events such as the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference or Blueberry Field Day. 3.Update out-of-date reference materials (such as the NC Blueberry Crop Profile that influences future regulatory decisions made by the United States Environmental Protection Agency https://ipmdata.ipmcenters.org/source_list.cfm), and create a printed guide for blueberry production that can also be handed out at grower meetings. The new crop profile will also help leverage additional federal dollars for blueberry research and education programs, and a grower guide will help fill the need for more printed materials. We will also make these materials available online on our mobile friendly blueberry and IPM portals (https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/).

Objective: To compare the effects of sod and reflective groundcovers on canopy microclimate, bud phenology, yield, fruit quality, SWD infestation, disease incidence, and vegetative growth of ‘Osage’ and ‘Prime-Ark Traveler’ blackberry.

Pierce’s Disease (PD), caused by the bacterial pathogen Xyllella fastidiosa and vectored by several leafhopper species, is a key limiting factor for bunch grape production in the southeast. Infections that occur early in the growing season are most likely to systemically infect the vine and can eventually kill it through reduced water movement. Vines growing in areas with winter temperatures that drop below 15F for at least 5 days may undergo “winter curing” that prevents systemic establishment of infections. Areas which are not this cool are at higher risk of systemic infections, and in recent years, more of the major wine growing in North Carolina fall into this warmer category. In high PD risk areas, vector management is the primary means of control. Insecticides that reduce feeding and kill vectors can be applied either as soil applications that taken up through the roots or a foliar sprays. Soil treatments are applied early in the spring, prior to budbreak and provide long term (4 or more weeks) of control. Foliar applications provide shorter term control and may result in greater impacts on beneficial insects. These insecticides are also effective at suppressing transmission of other insect vectored pathogens in grapes, including those that cause Grape Leaf Roll Virus and Grapevine Red Blotch Virus. The goal of this project is to determine the degree of PD and other pathogen suppression from soil applied treatments. We hypothesize that for lower and mid risk vineyards, a soil treatment may be sufficient to reduce disease incidence below economically concerning levels.

The North Carolina Agricultural Foundation through the Specialty Crops IPM Laboratory at NC State University will develop insect and mite management information for industrial hemp growers. Our results will allow growers to more effectively manage these crop pests, and we will share this information through extension publications, in person meetings, and online content development. Industrial hemp is an emerging agronomic specialty crop in North Carolina. The 2018 Farm Bill removed federal restrictions on industrial hemp production and removed cannabidiol (CBD) from the DEA’s list of controlled substances. These changes are expected to translate into an increase in industrustrial hemp production, particularly in states such as North Carolina which have already permitted industrial hemp on an experimental basis. As hemp production increases, management methods for key pests must be developed. Based on grower and extension agent questions, the most significant pest issues in NC hemp appear to be the complex of corn earworm & tobacco budworm caterpillars, two spotted spider mites, and aphids. Caterpillars and aphids occur most commonly in field grown plants while spiders mites occur more frequently in greenhouse production. Industrial hemp can be used to produce several products, including fiber and food, but recent grower interest has focused on the production of CBD oil which has potential medical uses and commands a high price, in some cases over $40 per ounce. The overall goal of this project is to identify insect and mite management needs and methods for industrial hemp grown for cannabidiol (CBD) oil production.

USDA-APHIS-PPQ initiates emergency programs to prevent and mitigate the effects of invasive species affecting U.S agriculture and natural systems. In California just during the last five years, major insect pest incursions include the light brown apple moth, European grapevine moth, Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), South American and Red Palm weevils, and several species of exotic fruit flies. The CPHST California Station in Salinas, CA, currently provides support for emergency response and IPM solutions for the program pests, Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), the European grapevine moth (EGVM), and the light brown apple moth (LBAM). The work includes maintaining an LBAM research colony for support of phytosanitary treatment and ecological research, supporting research on monitoring, and evaluation of new attractants, evaluation of irradiation biology of ACP for development of the sterile insect technique, and support for a classical biological control program against ACP in California and Arizona. The California Station also provides methods development and technical support on an as needed basis for new pest control emergencies as they arise. To increase the level of expertise and technology transfer required by the Agency, CPHST partners with outside agencies. The Department of Entomology at North Carolina State University has faculty and scientific research programs providing specialized expertise covering a broad area of applied entomology relevant to the CPHST mission to provide scientific support to APHIS-PPQ programs. The fields of scientific expertise within the Department of Entomology includes insect mass-rearing science, evolution and function of moth semiochemical systems, plant insect-interactions, insect ecology, integrated pest management, genetic control and research on regulatory and phytosanitary science. Research recently completed by the University of California to test existing and potential new regulatory treatments targeting LBAM eggs and larvae infesting ornamental nursery plants, documented the degree and duration of control expected from existing treatments and identified new treatments that may serve as part of a regulatory strategy to reduce the risk of spreading LBAM through transport or shipping (Tjosvold and Murray 2012, and Tjosvold, S. 2014). The primary purpose of this agreement is to support and advance research in area-wide control technology, IPM and emergency response, mass-rearing science, post-harvest treatment research, and phytosanitary science for four principle invasive species targets, European grapevine moth (EGVM, Lobesia botrana), light brown apple moth (LBAM, Epiphyas postvittana), spotted-wing drosophila (SWD, Drosophila suzukii), and Asian citrus psyllid (ACP, Diaphorina citri).

Historically, plum curculio (PC, Conotrachelus nenuphar) has been an uncommon pest in North Carolina blueberries. Adult PC are small, mottled brown beetles, and females lay their eggs in small, unripe fruit. Larvae, which are legless with light brown heads, develop inside fruit. As with all internally feeding insect pests, larval presence in fruit renders it umarketable. To improve management, we need to compare both different tools and different application timings. We will do this in a series of three experiments on conventional and organic farms.

Our long-term goal is to develop and implement systems-based organic SWD management programs. We are now in the final stage of phase 1 of the current project which was initiated 3 years ago. During the phase 2 of this grant, we plan to: - Assess the impact of cultural practices including canopy management (pruning, trellising, & training) and floor management (different types of weed mat fabric) on microenvironment as it relates to SWD and plant responses in terms of growth and development, fruit quality and yield. - Assess the impact of exclusion tunnels made of photoselective plastic materials on SWD infestation and fruit quality. - Evaluate new semiochemical options including SPLAT and other technologies on SWD infestations. - In phase 2, we plan to include biocontrol as an additional objective to assess the impact augmentative biological control using native predators and parasitoids, classical biological control using exotic natural enemies, and microbial control. - Finally, we will evaluate more new chemicals including sterilants, develop season-long programs by integrating behavioral, cultural, and biological control strategies, and conduct farm-scale trials to demonstrate impact of those program on fruit infestation by SWD as well as assess economic feasibility of those program.

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD, Drosophila suzukii) is a devastating pest of soft skinned fruits that has rapidly expanded its global range in the last six years to include North America, Europe, and South America. SWD is now present in all fruit-producing areas of the US. SWD has a wide host range, but the most affected crops include blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and cherries. Together, these crops are valued at more than $5.1 billion annually . National crop loss from SWD in the United States could reach $718 million annually , and the annual costs from increased management inputs are $129-172 million (6 to 8% of farmgate crop value). SWD risks access to berry and stone fruit crops because: there is zero tolerance for infestation in fresh fruit fruit; unsustainable, insecticide-intense programs are the only currently effective means to manage SWD; and increases in labor and input costs are impacting farm viability. Our proposed Coordinated Agricultural Project addresses the problem of spotted wing drosophila on a national scale across all economically impacted crops. To do this, we are taking a stakeholder-driven, bottom up approach to developing economically and environmentally sustainable SWD management solutions that will reduce reliance on pesticides. We will also engage in innovative, forward-looking research activities that will enable future advances in SWD management.