Blueberry spotted winged Drosophila meeting scheduled November 6

This post-season meeting will review the Michigan spotted wing Drosophila experience in 2013: what worked, what didn’t, and preparing for 2014.

We invite Michigan berry growers and processors to join us for a meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013, from 6-8 p.m. at the Trevor Nichols Research Center, 6237 124th Ave, Fennville, MI 49408. Since being discovered in Michigan in late 2010, spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) has become a major concern for Michigan small fruit growers. Michigan State University Extension has held post-season SWD meetings since 2011.

This will be an informal discussion with growers, processors and MSU Extension staff including Rufus Isaacs, Carlos Garcia and Mark Longstroth about the pest management challenge of SWD in 2013. We want to discuss the tactics and approaches that were effective and how to prepare for 2014. We will also update the grower priority list to help guide the pest management regulatory issues related to SWD management, extension programs, and short-term and long-term research goals.

This meeting is free, but we would like you to confirm your participation, so please contact Judy Hanson at 616-994-4548 or hanson26@msu.edu to register. For questions and assistance, please contact Carlos Garcia at 616-260-0671.

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