Crop Protection
California strawberry industry looks for methyl bromide alternatives
For many years, California growers relied on methyl bromide to kill a wide range of soil-borne pests, from fungi to insects to weeds, before planting crops. 2016 marks the last year in which the highly... more »
USDA seeks comment on exotic fruit fly eradication program
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking public comment on an updated environmental impact statement (EIS) that analyzes the effects of exotic fruit fly eradication programs in the United States and its territories.... more »
Vestaron finishes $18 million financing round
Vestaron Corp. has completed an oversubscribed Series D round of financing totaling $18 million dollars. The round was completely funded by existing investors in the company. The biological insecticide company will introduce its first product, SPEAR-T, before... more »
Felsot to serve as ESA’s EPA-OPP expert liaison
Allan Felsot, a professor and extension specialist at Washington State University, has been selected to serve as a subject matter expert (SME) and liaison with the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (EPA-OPP). ... more »
Bayer halts future sales of Belt insecticide
The EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) has upheld an earlier EPA decision to cancel registration for Bayer’s insecticide flubendiamide, marketed in the U.S. as Belt, but is allowing sales of existing stocks to growers. The EAB... more »
Downy mildew on cucumber reported in Ontario
On July 5, downy mildew was identified on field cucumbers in Kent County, Ontario. Kent County is close to Michigan and it’s reasonable to assume that the disease will develop in our state soon. The... more »
Syngenta, Stockton sign biofungicide distribution deal
The Stockton Group (STK) has signed an agreement with Syngenta as the exclusive global distributor of a new biofungicide technology based on tea tree oil for the control of several diseases in ornamental crops, the... more »
Pennsylvania ground zero for another invasive pest
Penn State University has confirmed that the allium leafminer (also known as the onion leafminer) was found on infested leeks and onions collected in December 2015 from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It’s the first confirmed allium... more »
Microalgae-based soil amendment now registered
Heliae Development has registered its new PhycoTerra soil amendment for use on specialty crops grown in the United States. Current registration information is available on the PhycoTerra website. At the core of PhycoTerra is Heliae’s proprietary stabilized... more »
How to manage SWD infestation
Our recent mild winter raised concerns about the potential for early season spotted wing drosophila (SWD) damage to berries, which were further increased when South Carolina strawberry growers observed infestation last month. We have now... more »