Coast Area Quarantine Deputy Group Minutes
Wednesday February 4, 2004
Location: Contra Costa County Agriculture Department
2366-A Stanwell Dr., Concord, CA
Sonoma County Provided Refreshments.
- Welcome and Introductions.
- Corrections to Nov. 21, 2003 Minutes – none. MSP Minutes Approved.
III.Vine Mealybug – Larry Bezark
-No money available for State-wide Survey- For Counties or State
-Emergency Fund Money went for purchase of traps- $180,000 Used
Throughout CA for pheromone traps
-No funding for staff
-Pheromone traps only males
-Traps sent to CDFA for verification of ID (Ray Gill)
-Females and crawlers difficult to find
-Attacks different parts of the vine
-More eggs and generations than usual mealybugs
-Traps also pick up Grass Mealybug
-High-risk vineyards focused (new plantings)
-22 new counties surveyed
-19 Counties negative
-16 Counties confirmed
-4 new (Alameda, Madera, San Joaquin, and Santa Clara)
-Traps out to confirm pest only
-Vine Mealybug Working Group composed of Industry and Gov’t
-To determine need for County Ordinance= Survey and Zero Mealybugs found
(Free from or Treatment)
-NO FUNDING ($1.3 million too much for USDA) Trapping only
-Model Ordinance Drafted by El Dorado Co.-not approved by Secretary
-Public contact through Education and Winery Advisories
- Focus Activity on Regulating Nurseries through Nursery Inspections
-“B” rated pest
-Outreach Committee- Commissioner & Industry
-To prevent spread – Growers should work in infested areas last and clean equipment and workers clothing before moving to other vineyard areas
-Nursery Stock- Enhance Certification Program
-Grafting spreads problem- Free-From or no control
-Approved Stock or Cleanliness Regulation (Uniform protocol)
-2500 acres under R&C Program
-Counties look at other 2500 acres
-IAB- more money for program (through Improvement Board) for nursery stock inspection
-To protect counties from spread (Counties decide when to inspect nurseries)
-Dave Godfrey has chart for grape acreage
-R&C cost to grower (for premium growers) (Voluntary Participation)
-Material can be Hot-dipped (dormant stock)
-Effectiveness 99.99% (hot dip) (a slight risk but acceptable)
-VMB not a statewide issue
-Still ways of unscrupulous to sell stock w/o compliance
-Out-of –State grape nursery stock – Border closures?
-Nursery surveys best in spring
-$4.5 million from General Fund
-VMB Only in CA?
-Advisory existing standards=
Trapping and visuals for females
Hot water dipped stock (treat if infested)
Compliance Agreement from Origin
-Hot water dip- protocol exists for phylloxera, etc.
Same equipment
Recording Thermometers
Certified by Counties
Free-from ok
-Trapping (April – May to Nov.-Dec.)
Numbers up June-July also October
Populations found in Napa Co.
-Ray Gill will look at all females and males
-Counties can have trained personnel for checking traps
-VMB not specific to varieties –MOST LIKELY IN OLD VINEYARDS W/RE-PLANTINGS and GRAFTINGS
-Copious honeydew produced
-Good Poster from UC
-Handouts available to growers on how to keep it out of vineyards
-Bug-proof greenhouses and screen houses to produce new stock
-Nurseries trading stock is a concern
-Vintage Nursery has had previous problems
-Look for sticky vines late in season
-Home gardening not targeted yet but plans are there to educate
-UC Protocol – Containment and Control, Education and Farm Advisor
-2 Lorsban Treatments, Chlorpyrid, etc.
-Older vineyards – may have to strip bark
-Cluster problem w/stems still having residual mealybugs even after crushing the grapes
-Possible to have infested equipment
-Female infestations – look in re-plant areas and where males have been trapped
Free- from= Following trapping season must have no finds
-VMB can be present even after trapping
Wineries must know and make considerations
-Parasite Control Working well in Central Valley
-Coachella hard to find Mealybug
-Parasite sources – Egypt and Africa
IV.Olive Fruit Fly- Bob Clement
-$200,000 USDA for trapping, outreach, pheromone and kill traps, and biocontrol
-biocontrol is under General Fund Program
-Parasitoids from Kenya, Africa- So. Cal Releases
-2nd year financing –trying to be helpful for Glenn, Butte, and Tehama Co.
(Tehama will co-ordinate program)
-Need e-mail for county breakdowns.
V.Foreign Interceptions- John Nelson USDA
-Pine cones from India- CDFA Advisory
-Insects in cones passed around
-Larger cones are biggest problem
-Candle lite product- Dollar Tree Stores
-May not have India on label- India foremost importer of cones
-Pests can survive fumigation
-ALL CONES are subject to re-call (insects or not) (reject or notify John if indicates from India or suspicious)
-Larger Companies have been notified (Costco, Cost Plus, etc.)
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-YA Pear w/plant disease passed around
-Found in 300 stores- 100 stores fined
-90,000 pounds destroyed- Northern CA
-3 million pounds confiscated in LA Basin
-China will not accept them back
-Fungus research done in Yakima, WA
-CDFA can not identify this from common Alternarias
-Result will come back as “c” rated
-USDA lab can separate but needs prior notification
- Corn and Millet from Foreign Sources rejectable
-Found in Indian Stores
-Found in Oakland and Eastern States
-Only New World Sources ok
-Australia, Africa, and Asia – prohibited
-Sorghum (dark reddish-brown in color)
Corn and Millets (con’t)
-Problem with labels only in Indian names
-Administrative fines not totally pursued
-Targeted containers and multiple fines better for enforcement
-Whole lentils in plastic bags- problem
Turf Grass (Agrostus) – New recall
-One shipment to CA in Sebastapol
-100% recovered- flats on table
-Plant pathogen issues
Citrus
-Dried products ok if heat treated
-60 degrees C for 10 minutes
-Untreated market products rejectable
-Importers must have documentation
-If it snaps it’s ok
-Candied- no problem
-Degree of processing hard to determine
Garbanzo beans
-“c” weevil found
-Imported from Turkey
-Organic dried product – probably storage pest
-Consumer call from Oregon –purchased in SF
-Storage in Oakland
JOHN R. NELSON contact- San Bruno Office (650) 821-8664 or
(650) 821-8616 cell # (650) 333-6716
VI.Sudden Oak Disease
-Two personnel from risk analysis from East Coast meeting with Nick Condos
Today
-Requesting Counties for volume of shipments- Intrastate and Interstate
-(Host materials only)
-Need breakdown
-Not all shipments are year round
-Annual Inspection best done at end of winter
-Tomas Pastalka requests to know every nursery under compliance
-He would like all county staff to have him or Stephanie accompany them during inspection
-Want to determine high risk areas
-Out of State shipments w/soil also included
Sudden Oak Disease (con’t)
-Compliance necessary to ship to unregulated areas (Annual and per shipment inspections)
-Can combine one day inspection and shipment inspection
-Soil shipments- Annual inspection but may not need compliance agreement
-3700 amended
-No regulations for plants staying in Regulated Areas
-Intrastate shipments and federal authority?
-Covered only under state regulation?
-October 28 – Phyto Regulation not covered under 3700. Harmonization complete?
-Request for clarification on Status of Harmonization.
-Partial Harmonization- Nurseries want to know where we stand.
-Camellia Infestation – (Marin) at Sunnyside Nursery
-Need Control of Ramorum environment
-Feb- April = barrage of samples handled by Sheryl at Sacto Lab
-If Host Sample Shortage for annual inspection –sample also
symptomatic associated hosts to make the forty-sample amount
-Can sample plants next to symptomatic hosts (i.e. Doug Fir under bay trees)
-Looks favorable for contracts to continue next year- Question for Nick Condos.
-Plants sampled are tagged. Samples may take one to three weeks for analysis.
-Put “plants on hold” in comment section
-Infested camellias destroyed under pest cleanliness laws.
-Disinfection materials should be present
-Want to include one-half inch part of leaves from disease area to transition
-Statewide survey underway in uninfested counties- San Diego, Santa Barbara, etc. (So. Calif.)
-Progress of Nursery inspections completed in Northern Calif.-
- 10 in San Joaquin County
- 10 in Northern Counties
PDR Samples-
One PDR per host
Do not mix Genera
Species can be listed on same PDR (no more than Five Samples per PDR)
Keep map of area sampled
Program may be worked on to replicate same type of PDR
Time can be saved with find button.
Agar testing takes more time.
Feb. 18 – Workshop at Meadowview.
-Three new associated Hosts
-A few associated hosts moved into Hosts Category
VII. Merk- High Risk Budget
Cut- $4.5 million to $1 million
Some counties no contract now
Additional Gas Tax- Last years amount will not cover deficit
Existing Local Budget may have to cover cost
March 4 = next meeting
Get statistics on significant A’s and Q’s
Cut Flower problems (Ginger)
What is most acceptable greatest risk? No committee consensus.
White Rust- USDA manpower to help
GWSS- Year end statistics (Joe read fax statistics)
Thanks to Pat Faulkin for work done.
Concern with bulk citrus containers diverted to unknown counties
Mc Caul’s Nursery in Tulare- GWSS problem?
Let Stacy know linkage areas from GWSS log on page.
New Chemicals available for research at nursery level
Professional Entomologists having involvement due to missed egg masses
VMB- CDFA to notify counties of current areas with problems
NAPA- 20 finds (money available to program from local growers)
SONOMA- 20 infested areas
Counties trapping- Napa and Contra Costa Only
No money available for trapping
SOD- Lists of Compliance Agreements available on the Extra-net
Two Action Items-
1)Plant Quarantine Manual Revisions- continue to table
Awareness for actionable items
OFF- zip codes available for inspectors?? (Origins vs. Shippers)
To include cross county lines
Organic Bouquets- certified but no origins (world-wide flowers and fruits)
Bulk Citrus- Alameda Postal inspections can’t handle all- random inspections only
Shipments from Oregon to Contra Costa- Postal call & clear 008’s
FTD.com- unaware of quarantines (Don’t know where to ship back)
800 number= customer service number
RED ENVELOPE CUT FLOWERS- shipments held
Planning to get compliance before Valentine’s Day
UPS- more air and foreign origin shipments
FED-EX- Saturday Service (Valentine’s Day- BIG)
2)Lot numbers and treatment numbers on boxes under USDA quarantines (such as mangos –hot water dipped) (Edited) Need to Review and send to Commissioners (Chair to Liaison)
With product confiscations and not enough info. to tie to lot number and dates on the packages
VMB- Only in Calif.?
Advisory for existing standards
Trapping and a visual for females
Hot water dip stock & treat if infestation at origin under compliance agreement
Protocol exists for phylloxera, etc. – no new equipment
Recording thermometers- county certified
Free from VMB
Trapping – April – May and Nov.- Dec.
Population expands in June- July and October
Ray will look at all females and males
Counties need trained staff for checking traps
VMB not specific to grape varieties – more likely in old vineyards w/re-plantings
Copious honeydew produced
Good UC Poster available
Handouts to growers on how to keep it out of vineyards
Bug-proof greenhouses to produce new stock and screen houses- BMP
Critical concern- Nurseries trading stock
Left up to nurserymen to ensure cleanliness
(On work group)- Vintage Nursery has had problems
Look for sticky vines late in the season
Home gardening – not targeted yet but plans to educate
UC Protocol- containment and control (Education and Farm Advisor)
Two Lorsban treatments – also Chlorpyrid, etc.
Can strip bark off older vineyards to eliminate bugs
Grape cluster concern at harvest- stems may have residual mealybugs even after crushing
SOD Sampling Workshops held
Feb. 3, 2004- Woodland, CA
Habit= damp, wet, humid conditions
Need to distinguish difference from tip burn and root rot
SOD= foliar disease and shoot die back
Older rhododendrons= stem cankering
Spots not penetrating leaves (abiotic spots) are not Ramorum
Symptoms= diffuse margins on spots and crossing midrib
Water soaked margin easier to see on back of leaf
Stem lesions can be present
Camellias= water spots on inside of plants and defoliated leaves (can find dropped infected fallen into pot)- Do not confuse with sun scald
Problem specie= “Bonanza” Camellia sasanqua
Ramorum symptoms on above= reverse of leaves looks like top
BMP- provide good water drainage & don’t allow pots to stand in water
Viburnum- Stem cankers, leaf lesions, and tip dieback (cut below healthy tissue)
Pieris- Tip die-back
Bay Laurel- Sample where water pools
Huckleberry- Canker
Maple- Uneven necrosis of margin (large necrotic leaves, diverse margins, and water soaked appearance
Fungicides can be used as preventative only
No fruiting bodies are formed by Phytophthora ramorum
Discard area could have carriers
Parp medium plates used for Oak tissue samples
Sterilize tools, shoes, etc (Lysol or mild Chlorox solution)
Inspect all nurseries with < 100 hosts (or can use associated hosts too)
Best survey time- Late Winter/ Early Spring
NAPA CO.- Also conducting Christmas Tree Inspections
Doug. Fir- exhibits branch dieback
Redwoods- needle discoloration
Grand Fir- Branch dieback < one inch diameter
BMP for nurseries with SOD hosts-
Inspect new hosts entering nursery
Clean pad for incoming plants
Clean leaves and debris from trucks
Next meeting: May 5, 2004 (Fiesta Day)
Alameda Co.- Dublin
Refreshments by Alameda Co.
Meeting Adjourned 1:00 p.m.
Discussion topics:
Effect of VMB on Sustainable vineyards- Joel interviewed
Possible Guest Speakers
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