Pacific Northwest Vegetable Extension Group

of Washington State University, Oregon State University, and University of Idaho

Newsletter Archives

June/July 2004 Newsletter

Lindsey du Toit and Debra Inglis, editors
WSU Mount Vernon NWREC
16650 State Rte 536, Mount Vernon, WA 98273-4768
360-848-6140 (tel), 360-848-6159 (fax)

WSU Vegetable Pathology Team Newsletter


IN THIS ISSUE

GREETINGS AND UPDATES!

Welcome to the summer 2004 newsletter of the WSU Vegetable Pathology Team. Exciting developments are taking place at Washington State University that we would like to highlight in this newsletter since they will have a positive effect on the impact and service WSU provides to the vegetable industry in Washington State. Using funds generated from the future sale of a WSU property in Pierce County, plans for remodeling and upgrading of the research facility at the WSU Mount Vernon Research & Extension Unit are moving ahead at full speed. In lieu of this remodeling (ground-breaking will occur in spring 2005) as well newly anticipated programs in small fruit horticulture, vegetable horticulture, entomology, water quality, and ag. economic development, the name of this facility has been changed to the WSU Northwest Washington Research & Extension Center (WSU-NWREC). In addition, Dr. Debra Inglis has been appointed the Interim Assistant Dean/Director of the WSU-NWREC.

We are excited to have this support from WSU administration and the local communities, and look forward to the greater possibilities this creates for interaction and collaboration with the surrounding northwest counties. These changes will add tremendously to our ability to carry out world class research and extension programs that address the needs of Washington's agriculture, including the vegetable industry.

Everyone is welcome to attend the WSU-NWREC Open House on Thursday, July 29th, from 3:00 to 6:30 pm to learn more about the plans for the new facility. For further information, please contact the new Interim Director, Debbie Inglis at 360-848-6143 or dainglis@wsu.edu.

We hope you are having a productive season. If you have questions or comments about vegetable diseases and pests, or WSU's Vegetable Pathology Team, contact Lindsey du Toit (dutoit@wsu.edu) or Debbie Inglis (dainglis@wsu.edu).

 

VEGETABLE EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

2004 WSU Vegetable Seed Field Day
The 2004 WSU Vegetable Seed Field Day was held from 3 – 6 pm on Tuesday, 13th July 2004, at the WSU NWREC. Field tours presented research on weed, disease, and insect management in vegetable seed crops grown in western Washington. Speakers included Tim Miller, WSU Weed Scientist, Lindsey du Toit, WSU Vegetable Seed Pathologist, Dyvon Havens, WSU Skagit Co. Extension Educator, and WSU graduate students Pablo Hernandez-Perez (Department of Plant Pathology) and Renee Prasad (Department of Entomology).


 
Photo of Renee Prasad presenting reults of her dissertation WSU graduate student, Renee Prasad, presenting the results of her dissertation research on beetle predators of cabbage maggot.

Photo of carrot seed trial Carrot seed trial to evaluate the efficacy of conventional & organic bactericides for control of bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. carotae

2004 Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society
The 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society will be held in Anaheim, CA from July 31st to August 4th. For further information visit the APS website at: https://www.apsnet.org/meetings/2004/

2004 WSU-Mount Vernon Potato Field Day and Cucumber Twilight Tour
The WSU-Mount Vernon Potato Field Day and Cucumber Twilight Tour will be held Wednesday, August 18 from 5:30-6:30 pm, and from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, respectively. For further information contact Debbie Inglis, WSU Vegetable Pathologist, at dainglis@wsu.edu, or Tim Miller, WSU Weed Scientist, at twmiller@wsu.edu.

2004 WSU Carrot Cultivar Field Day
The 2004 WSU Carrot Cultivar Field Day will be held on August 26th at 9 am at Klaustermeyer Farms, south of Othello on Lemaster Rd, east of Hwy SR 17. The event will focus on "nutritionally improved" carrots, including 40 lines from the USDA breeding program, along with 23 commercially available specialty carrots. The entries were planted for evaluation under local conditions on April 15th and May 3rd. The field day provides an opportunity to observe these new red, purple, yellow, and white carrots and to discuss carrot breeding and cultivars with Dr. Phil Simon and representatives of commercial seed companies, as well as meet with other members of the WA carrot industry. Refreshments will be provided. For directions and other information contact Eric Sorensen, WSU Extension Educator and Chair of Franklin County, at esorensen@wsu.edu or at 509-545-3511.

2004 WSU Onion Field Day
The WSU Onion Field Day is on Friday August 27th at Ker Farms near Quincy, WA. Gary Pelter's onion cultivar trial will be on display. Information will also be provided on the status and research progress on Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV) in onion bulb and seed crops in WA, as well as Botrytis allii, causal agent of neck rot/scape blight. For information on the field day and directions to Ker Farms contact Gary Pelter, WSU Extension Educator for Grant/Adams Counties, at peltegq@wsu.edu or (509) 754-2011 ext. 413.

17th International Lettuce and Leafy Vegetable Conference
The 17th International Lettuce and Leafy Vegetable Conference will be held on August 28-31, 2004 at the Sandman Hotel Montreal in Quebec, Canada. For information contact Dr. Sylvie Jenni at jennies@agr.gc.ca or 450-346-4494 ext. 213.


NEW VEGETABLE PUBLICATIONS

  • Specialty and Minor Crops Handbook. 2nd Edition. 1998. University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Small Farm Center, Publication 3346. Oakland, CA. 184 pp.
     
  • Kader, A.A. (Technical Editor). 2002. Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops. 3rd Edition. University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Publication 3311. Oakland, CA. 535 pp.

 

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NEW NATIONAL NETWORK FOR DETECTION OF EXOTIC PESTS AND PATHOGENS


This article was written by Todd Murray, IPM Specialist, WSU Extension, Whatcom Co.

Washington State receives its fair share of exotic pests. Sometimes Washington State residents are the first to find a new pest to the western region of the USA or even to North America. WSU extension agents, specialists, or Master Gardeners often are the first to be alerted to these exotic pests by concerned growers and gardeners. Until now, WSU has not had an official process to document exotic pests and report them to the Washington State Department of Agriculture. To hasten the responses to serious pest problems, WSU has joined the new National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN).

The NPDN was developed by the Secretary of Agriculture to the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) in order to enhance national agricultural security by rapid detection of introduced (accidental or otherwise) pests and pathogens. This mission is supported by the Homeland Security initiative. A network of Land Grant University pest diagnostic laboratories located in five regions across the country have the responsibility to diagnose, report and catalog exotic pests and pathogens around the country. Washington State belongs to the Western Plant Diagnostic Network (WPDN) along with Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada, with California as the regional center.

Drs. Ed Adams and Tim Murray (WSU Department of Plant Pathology) received grant support from the University of California-Davis to develop six "first detector" sites in Washington. Extension offices in Spokane, Benton, Clark, King, and Whatcom Counties as well as the WSU-Puyallup Plant & Insect Diagnostic Laboratory received equipment and training to aid in diagnosing pest and pathogen problems in Washington. These sites were chosen as first detector sites due to their proximity to state and international borders and shipping ports, as well as to existing diagnostic resources within WSU. Equipment packages provided by the University of Georgia for each site include computers with digital diagnostic and database software (developed by the University of Georgia), compound and dissecting microscopes, digital cameras and disease compendia.

Users, or first detectors, will document and photograph pest and disease problems found in Washington State that are of unknown origin or suspected pests or diseases of concern. Images and problem information will be submitted on-line using a database. Information submitted to the database will be very similar to the information currently collected for sample submission through the diagnostic laboratories. On-line submissions will be routed to the appropriate WSU expert in pathology, entomology or weed science for that particular crop or pest group. If the digital sample concerns, or is identifiable as, a serious pest, the physical specimens will be sent for authoritative verification of identification.

Growers are urged to submit samples by contacting their local WSU Extension office or WSU agricultural specialists, as they did before. The office will submit a photo of the sample along with the accompanying information through the internet. If growers have the capability, they are advised to take digital photographs of the site in question to aid the diagnosis using digital technology. Costs for diagnosing plant problems will remain the same when physical samples need to be submitted. Samples with a completed diagnosis that are of significant interest will be cataloged onto the regional network (WPDN) and finally on to the national network (NPDN) with a single touch of a computer key. Information submitted to WSU will be very similar to the information collected with the normal sample submission procedure through the diagnostic labs. No personal information will be passed onto the regional or national databases. Only the submitter of the sample, the diagnostician and the WSU administrator will have access to the information. Records submitted to the regional and national databases will only include the county of origin, pest or pathogen name and host name.

This technology originates from the University of Georgia's unique program, Distance Diagnosis through Digital Imaging (DDDI). Initially this system was designed to assist rural counties in identifying pests in a timely fashion. Now, DDDI is also being applied to early pest detection. Once the sites in Washington are up and running, these additional uses may become apparent, such as aiding counties in areas without certain expertise or keeping a historic record of pest occurrence and distribution. This searchable database with images, pest information and management recommendations will be a valuable resource in aiding non-experts in the diagnosis of pests and diseases.

Washington State University is in the early stages of completing the network for this state. WSU faculty and staff leading each of the network sites are gaining the skills needed to use this technology. The database is in the process of being constructed and will soon be accessible on-line at https://www.dddi.org/wsu. WSU specialists are being recruited to participate in the network and aid in the digital diagnosis of pests. Training sessions are planned to engage 'first detector' audiences such as agricultural growers, field persons, licensed pesticide applicators, public land managers and Master Gardeners. These audiences will be educated about exotic pests of concern, appropriate methods for pest and disease sample collection, and sample submission.

As the DDDI network strengthens, WSU plans to add more sites. Whether a pest is introduced intentionally or accidentally, WSU now has a support network to aid in the rapid response to new pest introductions, and bio-security issues.

For further information:
Distance Diagnostics through Digital Imaging https://www.dddi.org/
Western Plant Diagnostic Network https://www.wpdn.org/
National Plant Diagnostic Network https://npdn.ppath.cornell.edu/


VEGETABLE SAMPLES RECEIVED AT THE WSU PUYALLUP PLANT & INSECT DIAGNOSITC LAB SINCE 2001


Interested in what vegetable diseases have been received at the WSU Puyallup Plant & Insect Diagnostic Laboratory? Below is a link to a PDF file with the vegetable disease host pathogen list from 2001 to 2003. For more information on the diseases and insects identified at the laboratory, check out the "Resources" page on the Laboratory's web site:
https://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/plantclinic/index.html
Vegetable disease host pathogen list from 2001 to 2003
 

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WSU Mount Vernon NWREC, 16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon, WA 98273-4768, 360-848-6120
Contact Us: Lindsey du Toit and Carol Miles