Good Fruit Grower

July 1

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www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER JULY 2015 11 —Other parasitic wasps —Native bees Predatory bugs and predaceous flies, parasitic wasps, and native bees domi- nated the trapped beneficial insects in 2011, according to James. In the second and third years, significantly more predatory bugs, predaceous flies and parasitic wasps were trapped than other categories. In two of the three years, the most abundant category of the beneficial species was predatory bugs. Minute pirate bugs accounted for around 95 percent of trapped predatory bugs. Very few honeybees were trapped. The research showed that aphids and leafhoppers, which occurred in much lower numbers (less than 20 per trap), also use stinging nettle as a resource. While the nettle patches used in James' study were relatively large, they were separated from other nettle patches by about a mile. Research in Germany has shown that the diversity and abundance of predatory insects was reduced in isolated nettle patches. James believes that the diversity and numbers of beneficial insects in central Washington may be even greater if patches are part of a mosaic with relatively small distances separating them, an aspect he says warrants further study. James says grape growers in Washington have made great strides in using biological control and conservation to manage insects and mites. The state's wine industry is interested in enhancing habitat restoration using native plants that attract and harbor predators and parasitoids. With help from wine indus- try funding, James investigated the attraction of native plant species near vineyards to beneficial insects. His work resulted in a list of the top native plants that have potential as ground cover or refugia plants in vineyards in eastern Washington (see "Native plants attract beneficial insects," Good Fruit Grower, August 2014, bit.ly/nativeplantsGFG). "Based on the evidence of this study, stinging nettle (U. dioica) appears to be a good candidate for inclusion in vine- yard habitat restoration," he said. "It has potential to help in pest management not only in grapes but other crops as well. It is clearly an important reservoir of biolog- ical control agents and should be incor- porated in landscape planning aimed at enhancing pest control." James, who has studied and published books about butterfly conservation, found that stinging nettle is host to five butterfly species in central Washington. "Stinging nettle would be extremely help- ful to butterfly conservation," he said. "I would definitely recommend stinging nettle as a garden plant if you want to see butterflies and improve pest control at the same time." • The quality of our trees is matched only by the quality of our service. At ProTree Nursery we understand that you rely on quality — both in product and in service. That's why we plant only the very best varieties and cultivate lasting customer relationships. We work hard to make your job worry-free — fulfilling your orders completely and standing by our trees, even after you've planted them. For a reliable tree resource, call ProTree Nursery today. 10500 Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, CA 94513 800.634.1671 or 925.634.2191 (Alison Clegg or Richard Chavez) 877.457.6901 (Henry Sanguinetti) Apples Aztec Fuji ® (DT-2 cv) Banning Red Fuji (USPP 16,624 P2) Blondee™ (USPP 19,007 McLaughlin cv) Buckeye ® Gala (USPP 10,840) Firestorm™ Honeycrisp Honeycrisp™ (USPP 7197) JonaStar JonaGold™ (USPP 20,590) Lady in Red * (USPP 18,787) September Wonder™ Fuji (USPP 11,193) Ultima™ Gala (USPP 13,753 P2) Available on B10 ® , B-118, EMLA, Geneva ® , M-9 T337, NIC -29™, or Pajam #2. ** * Trademark license for Pink Lady ® brand available upon request. Cherries Benton™ Bing Black Tart BlackPearl ® Brooks™ BurgundyPearl ® Chelan™ Coral Champagne Cristalina™ EbonyPearl ® Lapins RadiancePearl ® Rainier Selah™ Skeena™ Sweetheart™ Tamora Tulare™ Vans Available on Colt, Gisela ® , Krymsk ® , Mahaleb, or Mazzard. ** ** Not all varieties are available on all rootstocks. Call for specific grafting info. M E M B E R O F w w w . p r o t r e e n u r s e r y. c o m

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