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Challenges in Integrated Pest Management for Massachusetts Cranberry Production: a Historical Perspective to Inform the Future

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Challenges in Integrated Pest Management for Massachusetts Cranberry Production: a Historical Perspective to Inform the Future In: Crop Protection Research Advances ISBN: 978-1-60456-040-4 Editors: E. N. Burton and P. V. Williams © 2008 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. No part of this digital document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means. The publisher has taken reasonable care in the preparation of this digital document, but makes no expressed or implied warranty of any kind and assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for incidental or consequential damages in connection with or arising out of information contained herein. This digital document is sold with the clear understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, medical or any other professional services. Chapter 1 CHALLENGES IN INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT FOR MASSACHUSETTS CRANBERRY PRODUCTION: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE TO INFORM THE FUTURE Hilary A. Sandler UMass-Amherst Cranberry Station, P.O. Box 569, East Wareham, MA 02538 ABSTRACT Integrated pest management (IPM) was formally introduced to the cranberry industry in 1983 through support of a scouting program by the University of Massachusetts- Amherst. In that year, 6.5 ha of commercial cranberry were scouted by an IPM specialist. IPM has been successfully adopted by cranberry growers. In 2007, estimates indicate private consultants, company personnel, and individual growers combine to scout more than 80% of Massachusetts’ cranberries (>4,050 ha). During the past 25 years, IPM has come to mean much more than simply sweep netting for insect pests and installing pheromone traps. Successful modern cranberry growers must have a working knowledge of insect biology, weed ecology, plant physiology, and disease life cycles. They must know how to apply products with novel chemistry, have proficiency with several pesticide-delivery systems, integrate traditional cultural practices into modern horticulture, select new varieties, cost-effectively renovate out-dated farms, and adjust to the pressures stemming from the encroachment of urbanization. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, growers primarily determined their response to reaching economic and action thresholds based on the current price of cranberry and the cost of the product they had chosen to apply. Over the past few years, the decision tree has changed. Growers must truly weigh their chosen management strategies in terms of social and environmental costs in addition to the simple economics of product and commodity price. Research by scientists at the UMass Cranberry Station, in collaboration with their colleagues across North America, has been addressing the current and future needs of the cranberry industry. This paper describes the history of IPM in Massachusetts, the challenges of managing a dynamic and 22 Hilary A. Sandler expansive pest complex in a suburbanized environment, and the research that has supported and promoted sustainable cranberry production in Massachusetts. OVERVIEW The American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) is one of three fruits native to North America. Cranberry production has a long history in Massachusetts, and the state is considered to be the birthplace of the industry. Cranberries are found in peat bogs and the sand dune swales of Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Southeastern Massachusetts. Although Captain Henry Hall of Cape Cod is acknowledged as the first to successfully cultivate cranberries (ca. 1810), native Indians had already incorporated the cranberry into their culture, recognizing its nutritional value as well as its usefulness as a dye long before the first European settlers arrived [Eck 1990]. The majority of U.S. cranberries are produced in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington; the contributions of Quebec, British Columbia, and the Atlantic Maritime Provinces comprise the substantial remainder of the North American production. Recent assessments estimate that there are approximately 16,200 producing hectares in the U.S. [Farrimond 2005] and about 4,000 hectares in the Canadian provinces (S. Fitzpatrick and K. MacKenzie, pers. comm.). Historically, Massachusetts had the greatest number of hectares and the greatest production in North America. However, as Massachusetts’ holdings have remained basically stable (ca. 5,670 ha) since the early 1900’s [Mason 1926], Wisconsin’s properties have increased from 4,050 to 7,050 hectares (74%) during the years 1992 to 2004. Due to the industry’s high production efficiency and low pest pressure, Wisconsin currently produces more than half of the total U.S. cranberry crop [Farrimond 2005]. Contributions to cranberry research have been made by scientists from every growing region. However, one of the earliest horticultural bulletins and research publications was written by a plant pathologist working in the United States [Shear 1907]. Many scientists were affiliated with universities and some worked with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). H.F. Bergman, who worked at the UMass Cranberry Station, provided early research on various responses of cranberry to flooding [Bergman 1921; Bergman 1925]. C.S. Beckwith, who worked for Rutgers University in New Jersey, produced an illustrated text on weeds of the cranberry farm [Beckwith and Fiske 1925] and a bulletin on an insect- vectored disease [Beckwith and Hutton 1929]. C.L. Shear, N.E. Stevens, and H.F. Bain were USDA pathologists who collaborated to write a classic treatise on cranberry diseases [Shear et al. 1931]. E.L. Eaton and I.V. Hall worked in Nova Scotia [Eaton 1957; Hall 1959] and G.W. Eaton, from the University of British Columbia, produced well-referenced papers on reproductive traits and yield components [Eaton 1978; Eaton and Kyte 1978]. The most definitive historical works on insects were authored by H. J. Franklin, the first director of the UMass Cranberry Station [Franklin 1948; Franklin 1951]. Franklin wrote during the time of rapid development of new chemistries for pesticides and his writings do include discussions of chemical management. Franklin was a keen observer of insect behavior. Many of his observations relating to cultural practices and water management of insects provide insights and support for current cranberry pest management [Franklin and Cross 1948; Franklin 1951]. Through his writings, Franklin provided the baseline knowledge and research for the development of the integrated management of cranberry insects. Challenges in Integrated Pest Management for Massachusetts Cranberry… 23 In the same decade as the publication of Franklin’s pioneering observations, the term integrated control was defined by B.R. Bartlett in 1956 as the blending of biological control agents with chemical controls [Metcalf and Luckman 1975]. Since then, IPM has been described as an ecological approach to pest control, based upon sound biological knowledge and principles [Metcalf and Luckman 1975] and the intelligent selection and use of pest control actions that will ensure favorable economic, ecological, and sociological consequences [Rabb 1972]. The philosophy of IPM hinges upon the integration of biological, cultural, and chemical control practices to manage pest problems. As in many other commodities, an integrated approach to cranberry pest management is based upon dynamic principles rather than a definitive set of rules for control of a particular pest situation. In Massachusetts cranberry production, IPM involves pest monitoring by using sweep nets, pheromone traps, and visual inspection. Cultural, chemical, and biological control strategies are used to develop a broad-based approach to controlling the most economically threatening pests. Cultural practices, such as flooding, the application of a thin layer of sand, and the use of resistant varieties, can reduce the severity of a pest problem. Pesticides remain a vital part of cranberry IPM programs, tempered by their compatibility with other control measures and their consistency with IPM philosophy. Although economical and logistical constraints often hamper wide-scale adoption, biological controls can be successfully utilized to manage pests in specific situations [Mahr 1999]. Historically, many cranberry farmers who used IPM could reduce the number of spray applications made in a growing season. More recently, applications of broad-spectrum organophosphates have declined and the use of target-specific, reduced risk compounds has become more prevalent. To achieve efficacy with these newer chemicals, multiple applications are often needed. Thus, the traditional benchmark of success in IPM - reduction in the number of pesticide applications - is no longer appropriate. Success in cranberry IPM in the 21st century will likely be measured by such parameters as seasonal and long-term reduction in pest pressure and damage, promotion of sustainable vine health and crop yield performance, and promotion of environmental stewardship. THE MASSACHUSETTS CRANBERRY INDUSTRY To be competitive in the global market, cranberry growers and manufacturers must produce fruit and processed products that meet or exceed national and international quality standards. Consistently harvesting saleable crops depends upon managing pest damage to vines and fruit. To appreciate the history and the challenges of pest management in the cranberry industry, a brief description of cranberry production and cranberry culture in Massachusetts is provided here. Cranberries are low-growing evergreen perennial vines that typically grow in acidic peat soils, often with a water table that is
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