NCAT Offers Free Webinar on Grafting Fruit Varieties for Organic Production; Developing Regional Crops

Regionally and locally adapted fruit crops aren't just a treat for the palate.  Developing them would fill a number of needs from providing a boon to organic fruit growers to helping detail-oriented farmers and nurserymen make a decent on-farm income.

National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) Horticulture Specialist Guy Ames will present a webinar addressing what it takes to develop fruit that's adapted locally and regionally - and he'll get hands-on with a discussion of grafting, budding, cuttings, and other forms of asexual fruit propagation.

Stripe Rust Continues to Spread - List of Suseptible Varieties

Stripe rust continues to spread in Brundage and is showing up in other susceptible winter wheat varieties such as Garland hard red winter wheat. Given the current weather, the widespread nature of stripe rust in southern and eastern Idaho, and the forecast for the next week, stripe rust will start to show up in our spring wheat fields, especially the susceptible varieties.

Stripe Rust Now Confirmed in Shelly

Sorry to keep bombarding you with information, but thanks to reports by various consultants in the field I wanted to send out an additional stripe rust update to indicate the current status.

Stripe Rust Report May 5th 2013

Stripe rust has been reported in Northern Idaho by Doug Finkelnburg in the soft white winter variety 'Brundage' on the University of Idaho's research farm in Moscow, ID. Stripe rust is also confirmed in southern Idaho from the Twin Falls / Filer areas (also in Brundage) and in Declo (also in Brundage). If you are growing a susceptible variety, please scout and spray with fungicides as needed. While visiting fields in the Twin Falls area, many fields (approximately 30%) of winter wheat and winter barley were infected with BYDV. Most of the fields of winter wheat were Stephens. What appeared to be a resistant reaction to stripe rust was visible on many of the flag leaves of Stephens. Please don't assume resistance with be maintained in varieties reported as resistant, as changes can and do occur in the race structure of the stripe rust fungi. Please check our website for additional information, pictures, and fungicide efficacy chart.  

Stripe Rust Spotted Near Hazelton May 22nd

I have had the first report of stripe rust in Idaho this year in the Hazleton area on Brundage soft white winter wheat. It was first seen 22 May by the pilot for Red Baron, Clay Seamons, and reported to me by Jared Hobson. Clay sent pictures and yes it is stripe rust. 

2013 Idaho Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket Program

Grasshoppers and Mormon crickets are one of the most serious pest problem on Idaho rangeland and adjacent cropland.  These are high priority programs for the Idaho Department of Agriculture and the cooperating agencies.  The Idaho program manager, Dick Lawson reired in January and have been replace by Dan Safford.

In the past the program has included a combination of coordinated insecticide treatments, as well as the distribution of carbaryl bait to landowners.  Due to problems with the NPDES permitting, cooperative cost-share spray programs will NOT be conducted in 2013.

Carbaryl bait will be available to landowner who take full responsibility for the labor of application and proper application and storage.  No bait will be available for agricultural lands of less than 5 acres or agricultural land of 5 acres or more that does not produce an agricultural income.  A request for evaluation form must be completed and approved before the bait will be issued

For complete information and a copy of the necessary forms and contact information, please click the cricket below!

Southeast Idaho Cereal Pest Alert for Barley Yellow Dwarf

PNW Pest Alert. Prepared by Juliet M. Marshall, May 9, 2013.

Widespread incidence of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) – infected winter wheat and winter barley is evident throughout the Magic Valley from Buhl to Murtaugh. Symptoms include yellowing of leaves, stunting of plants both above and below ground (look for small root systems), and irregular heading with small heads in affected plants. Often, the most severe symptoms will occur along field edges and the edges created along the tracks of pivot tires. (Please see pictures.) There may also be a yellowing to a very characteristic reddening of leaves of infected weedy grasses in nearby ditch banks (Fig. 3), which also host the virus and aphids. Additional symptoms may also include notching of the leaf margins, twisting, leaf tip scorch, and abnormal development of emerging leaves.