1. IPM Section Grower Certification guidelines for SERF Program in Christmas Trees Thanks to-Luisa Santamaria, Ph.D Extension Plant Pathologist

2. IPM goal for a certified farm Use of appropriate IPM techniques to control insects, weeds, diseases and other pests.

3. 3a. Training in Integrated Pest Management 1. What is training? Classes related with IPM, other options 2. You need to be trained in IPM.

4. Evidence of training certificate, registration, educational material.. Document your expertise.

5. 3b. Records of pesticides and fertilizers applied

6. 3c. Utilizing IPM in decisions and actions in the farm The focus of an IPM approach is preventing losses due to pest damage. Prevention, Avoidance, Monitoring, and Suppression techniques.

7. Principles of IPM 1. Identification of the problem 2. Understand pest biology, Field biology, ecology, population growth 3. Monitor your trees: Detection & Sampling Methods 4. Action thresholds 5. Options for Managing pests (multiple) 6. Keep Records

8. PLANNING AND PREVENTING Selecting tree species best suited to the property, and less susceptible to diseases.

9. 1. IDENTIFYING PEST AND PROBLEMS “ Pest” may include any organism - diseases, insects, mites, nematodes, mammals, birds, or weeds - that is damaging the health of the tree.

10. Diseases - FUNGI Swiss needle cast Symptoms include swelling or shrinking of the wood tissue, discolored or deformed needles, early needle drop, and wilted foliage. SPREAD OF FUNGAL DISEASES Wind, rain, or other physical contact will spread these spores to other trees, initiating a new disease cycle.

11. Diseases - FUNGI Diseases are not usually controlled – they are prevented. Prevention, apply a fungicide before spores would contact the healthy tissue. Diseases are not usually controlled – they are prevented. Prevention, apply a fungicide before spores would contact the healthy tissue.

12. Monitoring Trees for Pest Populations Why Monitoring? to determine if there is a need to take action. What to monitor? look for signs and symptoms.

13. What to look for when Monitoring? Symptoms: refer to the damage or evidence of activity.  Yellowed needles or wilted shoots, poor growth, deformations Signs: refer to the actual organism causing the damage.  Black fruiting bodies on the underside of a needle, eggs, insect, nematode.

14. Monitoring Tools HAND LENS: Small magnifier allows a scout to see insects, mites, and fungal fruiting bodies. NOTEBOOK AND PEN Use these to record symptoms, signs, population stage and level, damage severity, field or weather conditions, and location. Keep these tools together in a backpack for convenient transport to the field on each visit.

15. Monitoring Tools FLAGGING TAPE Brightly colored to mark symptomatic trees. Permanent marker. CLIPBOARD/FLAT SURFACE Helps to collect mites, aphids, or other insects dislodged by tapping the branch. PRUNERS/POCKET KNIFE To clip symptomatic branches for closer observations: signs of insects, mites, or spores. Tapping branches over a white notebook or flat surface to dislodge and observe pests. Photo Brian Schildt, PDA

16. Monitoring Tips 1. Monitoring fields weekly to look for evidence of pests, diseases, and other problems. 2. Scout on cloudy days/evening. 3. Select non symptomatic trees to inspect more closely. 4. Prune a few twigs from the interior and lower portion of the tree for closer inspection.

17. Monitoring: Traps Traps are baited with pheromones, especially use for motts. Traps can be checked any time by a scout. Data can help with the timing of control applications. Traps are monitoring tools

18. Place rim even with soil surface Make a roof to keep rain out Inspect 2x/ week Inspect individual weevils for presence of eggs

19. Monitoring: Sticky cards Yellow sticky cards used to trap flying adult male scales. Photo Cathy Thomas, PDA Yellow Sticky Traps 5 per Package. $4 - 6.00 http://www.gemplers.com/product/RSTRIP/ Olson-Yellow-Sticky-Traps-3x5-Pkg-of- 25http://www.gemplers.com/product/RSTRIP/ Olson-Yellow-Sticky-Traps-3x5-Pkg-of- 25://www.lai.at/es/ciencias Reusable Yellowjacket Trap No Poisons or Pesticides $7.50 - 12.55

20. Setting an Action Threshold (AT) AT refers to the population level for a specific pest at which some control measure is justified in order to avoid economic injury loss (EIL) or aesthetic damage to a crop. Pests vary in the severity of damage. Action thresholds will also vary:  During the growing period of the tree  pre-harvest and post harvest.  Regulatory threshold, zero tolerance

21. How to manage insects Knowing the life cycle. This could be complex with more than one generation during de season Phonological timing

22. 5. Selecting Control Options: Biological Control Biocontrol, is the use of living organisms (parasitoids, pathogens, predators) to control diseases, insect pests, and weeds. In Christmas trees, no biocontrol agents exist for disease, but there are numerous naturally occurring parasitoids, pathogens, and predators of insects and mites.

23. Chemical Control: Traditional Document your choice based on scouting, options, threshold and so on…..

24. Evaluate and Record Results of Control Actions  The ultimate goal of any IPM program is to keep pests under control.  Monitoring pests after a control application is equally as important as monitoring them before the application.

25. 3d. Employees who handle/apply pesticides and fertilizer are trained in accordance with IPM program Training logs maintained (safety, handling, label precautions followed, equipment maintained.) Training providing appropriate to farm “staff” situation

26. 3e. Products (pesticides & fertilizers) stored and handled properly. (by inspection) PPE available, re-entry postings, proper storage of products, again labels and MSDS. Auditors may interview staff “Passing” this section does not mean you are “off the hook” from OSHA or other entities.

27. Next Week, next steps April 21 is the “mock” inspection day in Oregon. Part 4 and 5 remain Get you CPR/first- aid certificates Review your operations for health and safety Drafts of brochures and tree tags coming