PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIC PLAN FOR CANTALOUPE, HONEYDEW AND MIXED MELON PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA Prepared for the United States Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency By the California Melon Research Board and the California Specialty Crops Council May 2016 Note: This document was revised in 2016 from the 2003 PMSP for Cantaloupe, Honeydew and Mixed Melons produced in California to represent input from and strategy of the California melon industry for 2016 – 2025. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................. 4 CALIFORNIA MELON PRODUCTION OVERVIEW .................................................................... 8 MELON PRODUCTION REGIONS .............................................................................................. 9 MELON CROP PHENOLOGY ................................................................................................... 11 FOUNDATION FOR A PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIC PLAN ......................................... 12 LAND PREPARATION TO PLANTING PERIOD ................................................................................ 14 EARLY SEASON PESTS – DIRECT SEEDING TO EMERGENCE AND STAND ESTABLISHMENT .......... 16 Major Insect Pests of Early Season Melons ....................................................................... 16 Potential/Sporadic Insect Problems in Early Season Melons ............................................. 18 Weed Management in Early Season Melons ..................................................................... 19 Specific Weed Problems in Early Season Melons .............................................................. 21 Diseases of Early Season Melons ...................................................................................... 24 Nematodes in Early Season Melons .................................................................................. 25 Vertebrate Pests of Early Season Melons .......................................................................... 26 PESTS OF ESTABLISHED MELONS (FROM STAND ESTABLISHMENT TO FLOWERING AND FRUIT DEVELOPMENT UP TO HARVEST) ............................................................................................... 27 Insects and Mites in Established Melons ............................................................................ 27 Melon Pollination ................................................................................................................ 32 Weeds in Established Melons ............................................................................................ 33 Diseases in Established Melons ......................................................................................... 35 Nematodes in Established Melons ..................................................................................... 39 Vertebrate Pests of Established Melons ............................................................................. 39 PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS ................................................................................................. 40 FRUIT MATURITY AND HARVEST ................................................................................................ 41 POST-HARVEST DISEASES ........................................................................................................ 41 FOOD SAFETY .......................................................................................................................... 43 INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND EXPORT ISSUES .................................................................. 43 CRITICAL PEST MANAGEMENT NEEDS FOR THE CALIFORNIA MELON INDUSTRY ...... 44 IR-4 PROJECT INFORMATION RELATIVE TO CALIFORNIA MELONS ................................ 45 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 47 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................ 49 CALIFORNIA MELON PRODUCTION STATISTICS - 2013 ............................................................... 50 CULTURAL AND IPM ACTIVITIES TIME LINES FOR CALIFORNIA MELONS ...................................... 51 SEASONAL PEST OCCURRENCE TIME LINES .............................................................................. 53 EFFICACY TABLES .................................................................................................................... 55 PESTICIDE USE IN CALIFORNIA CANTALOUPES FROM 2011-2014 ............................................... 62 PESTICIDE USE IN CALIFORNIA MIXED MELONS FROM 2011-2014 .............................................. 67 WORKER PROTECTION ISSUES IN CALIFORNIA MELONS ............................................................. 72 MEMBERS OF THE CALIFORNIA MELON WORK GROUP IN ATTENDANCE – OCTOBER 14, 2015 ..... 74 CALIFORNIA MELON INDUSTRY - CONTACT INFORMATION .......................................................... 75 2 TABLES TABLE 1. MELON CROP PHENOLOGY IN DAYS ................................................................................................. 11 TABLE 2. MOST COMMON PESTICIDES USED IN CANTALOUPES, 2014. ............................................................. 12 TABLE 3. MOST COMMON PESTICIDES USED IN HONEYDEWS, 2014. ............................................................... 13 TABLE 4. HARVESTED ACREAGE, PRODUCTION (CARTONS/ACRE) AND CROP VALUE (IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS) IN CALIFORNIA ..................................................................................................................................... 50 TABLE 5. CULTURAL ACTIVITIES PROFILE FOR CALIFORNIA MELONS: SACRAMENTO & SAN JOAQUIN VALLEYS ... 51 TABLE 6. IPM ACTIVITIES AND PLANT MONITORING PROFILE FOR CALIFORNIA MELONS: SACRAMENTO & SAN JOAQUIN VALLEYS ................................................................................................................................ 51 TABLE 7. CULTURAL ACTIVITIES PROFILE FOR CALIFORNIA MELONS: DESERT VALLEYS .................................... 52 TABLE 8. IPM ACTIVITIES AND PLANT MONITORING PROFILE FOR CALIFORNIA MELONS: DESERT VALLEYS ........ 52 TABLE 9. MELON SEASONAL PEST OCCURRENCE: SACRAMENTO & SAN JOAQUIN VALLEYS .............................. 53 TABLE 10. SEASONAL PEST OCCURRENCE IN CALIFORNIA MELONS: DESERT VALLEYS ..................................... 54 TABLE 11. EFFICACY OF INSECT/MITE MANAGEMENT TOOLS USED IN CALIFORNIA MELONS .............................. 55 TABLE 12. EFFICACY OF NON-CHEMICAL INSECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS USED IN CALIFORNIA MELONS .............. 56 TABLE 13. RELATIVE TOXICITY OF INSECTICIDES TO BENEFICIAL ORGANISMS IN CALIFORNIA MELONS .............. 57 TABLE 14. EFFICACY OF DISEASE-MANAGEMENT TOOLS USED IN CALIFORNIA MELONS ................................... 58 TABLE 15. EFFICACY OF NEMATODE-MANAGEMENT TOOLS USED IN CALIFORNIA MELONS ................................ 59 TABLE 16 . EFFICACY OF WEED-MANAGEMENT TOOLS USED IN CALIFORNIA MELONS ...................................... 60 TABLE 17. EFFICACY OF RODENT & OTHER VERTEBRATE CONTROLS IN CALIFORNIA MELONS .......................... 61 TABLE 18. TOTAL POUNDS ACTIVE INGREDIENTS OF INSECTICIDES USED IN CALIFORNIA CANTALOUPES (2011- 2014) .................................................................................................................................................. 62 TABLE 19. ACRES TREATED WITH INSECTICIDES: CALIFORNIA CANTALOUPES (2011-2014) .............................. 63 TABLE 20. TOTAL POUNDS ACTIVE INGREDIENTS OF HERBICIDES USED IN CANTALOUPES (2011-2014) ............ 64 TABLE 21. ACRES TREATED WITH HERBICIDES: CALIFORNIA CANTALOUPES (2011-2014) ................................ 64 TABLE 22. TOTAL POUNDS ACTIVE INGREDIENTS OF FUNGICIDES USED IN CANTALOUPES (2011-2014) ............ 65 TABLE 23. ACRES TREATED WITH FUNGICIDES: CALIFORNIA CANTALOUPES (2011-2014) ................................ 65 TABLE 24. TOTAL POUNDS ACTIVE INGREDIENTS OF NEMATICIDES USED IN CANTALOUPES (2011-2014) .......... 66 TABLE 25. ACRES TREATED WITH NEMATICIDES: CALIFORNIA CANTALOUPES (2011-2014) .............................. 66 TABLE 26. TOTAL POUNDS ACTIVE INGREDIENTS OF INSECTICIDES USED IN CALIFORNIA MIXED MELONS* (2011- 2014) .................................................................................................................................................. 67 TABLE 27. ACRES TREATED WITH INSECTICIDES: CALIFORNIA MIXED MELONS* (2011-2014) ........................... 68 TABLE 28. TOTAL POUNDS ACTIVE INGREDIENTS OF HERBICIDES USED IN CALIFORNIA MIXED MELONS* (2011- 2014) .................................................................................................................................................. 69 TABLE 29. ACRES TREATED WITH HERBICIDES: CALIFORNIA MIXED MELONS* (2011-2014) ............................. 69 TABLE 30. TOTAL POUNDS ACTIVE INGREDIENTS OF FUNGICIDES USED IN CALIFORNIA MIXED MELONS* (2011- 2014) .................................................................................................................................................. 70 TABLE 31. ACRES TREATED WITH FUNGICIDES: CALIFORNIA MIXED MELONS* (2011-2014) ............................. 70 TABLE 32. TOTAL POUNDS ACTIVE INGREDIENTS OF NEMATICIDES USED IN CALIFORNIA MIXED MELONS* (2011- 2014) .................................................................................................................................................