Diana Roberts

1
Cereal Leaf Beetle Biocontrol in Washington
State,2006

• Diana Roberts
• WSU Extension

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The Washington Team

• WSU Extension
• Diana Roberts
• WSU
• Terry Miller, Keith Pike
• USDA-APHIS
• Steve Miller, Clinton Campbell, Yolanda Inguanzo
• WSDA
• Mike Klaus (Mark Hitchcox)

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WA Progress summary

• 2000 Hitchcox made first T. julis releases at
  9-Mile
• 2002 First field insectary at Nine Mile Falls
  (Spokane)
• 2003 First T.j. recovery Anaphes releases
• 2004 First Anaphes recoveries. Have 6
  insectaries.
• 2005 8 insectaries, excellent T.j. recovery,
  limited Anaphes recovery at 3 locations.

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ve positive irr. irrigated dry
dryland est. established
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• 2006
• CLB became obvious in wetter dryland areas
• Have 10 insectaries
• Older insectaries imploding
• Excellent T. julis spread to farms
• Redistributed our own T.j. to other insectaries
• No Anaphes recovery

Picture by Kit Cutler
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T. julis pre-release recovery at Washington field
insectaries 2004 - 2006
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2006 T.julis parasitism levels at WA insectaries
plotted against time
Nine Mile Falls (NS)
Deep Creek (significant)
Colville (NS)
Peone Prairie (NS)
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Changes in T.julis parasitism with time at Peone
Prairie, 2005
Both parameters showed significant (95
confidence level) decrease with time at Peone
Prairie in 2005.
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2006 T. julis parasitism for eastern WA farms
pooled by location
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My big question from last year

• What level of T. julis parasitism is needed in
  farm fields to obviate spraying?
• What we know
• CLB females lay about 200 eggs each
• Each parasitized CLB releases 5 T. julis wasps
  (2005 WA data)

Picture by Garrett Clevenger
CLB larva parasitized by T. julis
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Making farm spray recommendations

• When field has infestation economic threshold and
  T. julis present
• 50 parasitism
• 25 CLB females ? 5,000 eggs
• Vs. 50x5250 Tj
• Next season 200 CLB1 Tj wasp
• Tough call recommend spray affected
  areas/borders monitor
• 75 parasitism
• 13 CLB females ? 2,600 eggs
• Vs. 75x5 375 Tj
• Next season 7 CLB 1 Tj wasp
• Recommend not spray most of damage done
• gt90 parasitism
• 5 CLB females ? 1,000 eggs
• Vs. 90x5 450 Tj
• Next season 2CLB1 Tj wasp
• Recommend not spray

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CLB biocontrol emphases in WA

• Multiple field insectaries
• leapfrog philosophy
• Co-release of biocontrol species at insectaries
• Extensive testing for CLB parasitism in farm
  fields
• Extensive, concurrent farmer education on the
  topic
• Newsreleases, grower publications, e-mail
  listservs, field tours, workshops

CLB pupa picture by Garrett Clevenger
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Education

• Taught 1,450 farmers crop consultants
• Reported to WWC 04, 05, 06
• Wheat Life articles(14,000) 03, 05
• Newsreleases in papers and e-mail
• Regional newspaper coverage
• In 2005 32 survey respondents used info to make
  appropriate farm decisions

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Plans for 2007

• Extend into Yakima, Kittitas Counties
• Timothy is sold on looks?

Kit Cutler Nine Mile Falls

• Phase out older insectaries
• Nine Mile Falls
• Colville
• Peone Prairie?

• Work with growers to plant oats as a trap
  crop/modifed insectary
• Between winter spring wheat

Rick, Richard, Gary Seitters - Colville
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Lacey Jones 05, 06
Kathlene Peck 05
Thank you!
Laurie Stone 04
Also Mike Gould 03 Sally Hubbs 06
Moose Sanders 06
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Funding

• Washington State University Extension
• Washington State University
• Washington Wheat Commission
• USDA-APHIS PPQ
• Washington State Commission on Pesticide
  Registration