Wild Blueberry Newsletter - June 2014 - Cooperative Extension: Maine Wild Blueberries - University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Wild Blueberry Newsletter – June 2014

June 2014

Wild Blueberry Commission Newsletter (PDF)
Wild Blueberry Summer Field Day Agenda (PDF)

Organic Blueberry Meeting

The University of Maine is sponsoring an organic wild blueberry meeting on Wednesday, July 9,2014 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. It will be hosted at Josh Dickson’s home and organic wild blueberry farm located at 143 West Hill Road in Frankfort, Maine. To get to the field from Route 1, in the center of Frankfort, take the Loggin Road and then bare right onto the West Hill Road. The farm is on the right about 0.8 miles up the road. Frank Drummond will be discussing trapping and identification of the new pest the spotted wing drosophila (SWD). He will also demonstrate trapping for control and indicate what organic control materials are effective for controlling SWD. This pest is expected to cause significant crop loss if not addressed. This is also an opportunity to get an update on the research progress from the University and to network with your fellow organic wild blueberry growers.

Integrated Crop Management Field Training Sessions

The third field training session will take place on July 1^st in Warren, July 2^nd in Jonesboro, and July 3^rd in Orland at 6:00 p.m. (see May Newsletter for details). We will cover blueberry maggot fly trapping, SWD identification, trapping and control, a discussion of diseases we had this year, leaf and soil sampling, and weed identification and post emergence management. One recertification credit per session will be offered for certified pesticide applicators for this session.

Wild Blueberry Annual Summer Field Day

The annual summer field day for wild blueberry growers will be held on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Blueberry Hill Farm on Route 1 in Jonesboro. The meeting will begin with an expanded vendor presence at 9 a.m. The discussion with blueberry growers, processors, and University and government employees, affiliated with the blueberry industry on this year’s wild blueberry crop will begin at 10:00 a.m. The remainder of the program will provide updates on current issues and research projects. This year will feature a marketing update from the Wild Blueberry Association, a demonstration of how to determine if you have adequate pollinators in your field as well as many other presentations.

2014 Wild Blueberry Summer Field Day Agenda
9:00 a.m.	Trade Show Vendors (Open)Sponsors BioBest USA Inc. oug Bragg Enterprises Ltd. NovaSource Exhibitors BioBest USA Inc. Crop Production Services Doug Bragg Enterprises Ltd. Dow AgroSciences Gowan Company Hammond Tractor Company Northeast Agricultural Sales Inc. Union Farm Equipment, Inc.
10:00-11:00 a.m.	Open Crop Discussion (Light blue metal building)Chancellor’s Comments – James Page, Chancellor of the University of Maine System Wild Blueberry Association of North America (WBANA) Marketing Update – Mike Collins, Ethos Career Recognition – David Bell, Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine
11:00-11:30 a.m.	Pollinator Identification and Assessment – Frank Drummond, University of Maine
11:30-1:00 p.m.	Cookout
1:00-4:00 p.m.	Research Talks/Demonstrations (UMaine) Botrytis Blossom Blight and Mummy Berry Blight: Control Measures – Seanna Annis Valdensinia Leaf Spot in Maine – Erika Lyon Blueberry Tip Midge … an Emerging Pest? – Judy Collins SWD Biology and Management – Frank Drummond Research on Movement of SWD within Fields – Elissa Ballman What Do Bees Want? Testing Preferences for Flowers – Alison Dibble How Do Blueberry Plants Strategize for Spending Energy – Alex Bajcz Bumble Bee Health in Maine Blueberry Fields – Kalyn Bickerman A Comparison of Pollination among Wild Blueberry and Cranberry Growers – Aaron Hoshide Pollinator Plantings from Seed – Eric Venturini Native Bee Conservation – Kourtney Collum Weed Management Research for Weed Resistance Management – Dave Yarborough Two re-certification credits for Maine certified applicators
4:00 p.m.	Trade Show Vendors (Close)

Sincerely,

David E. Yarborough
Extension Blueberry Specialist

If you are a person with a disability and need an accommodation to participate in this program, please call David Yarborough at 1-800-897-0757 to discuss your needs. Receiving requests for accommodations at least 10 days before the program provides a reasonable amount of time to meet the request, however all requests will be considered.

Wild blueberry fact sheets, past newsletters, contacts, resource links, calendar of events, and more can be found at the wild blueberry website: www.wildblueberries.maine.edu

Information in this publication is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.

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