Good Fruit Grower

May 1

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PHOTO COURTESY OF OSU This is the seventh article in an eightpart series highlighting results of a five-year USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative project to enhance biological control of orchard pests. The project involves researchers Washington State University, Oregon State University, University of California Berkeley, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Yakima, Washington. Pears near harvest. states indicated interest in learning more about biological control (46% and 65% of Oregon and Washington nonadopters, respectively). Lease Payments as Low as What are the perceived benefits and barriers to biological control adoption? Pear growers who relied on biological control practices perceived many benefits to using biological control. These were, primarily, reduced pesticide use, reduced input costs, environmental protection, worker health, and increased natural enemies. Pear growers who did not rely on biological control practices provided many different reasons for their nonadoption. The primary adoption barriers were perceived ineffectiveness, lack of adequate knowledge, and high cost. Some growers said their nonadoption was due to field horticulturists not recommending biological control practices. What other integrated pest management practices do pear growers use? All survey respondents reported that they, their employees, field horticulturists, private consultants, and/or other individuals monitored their pear orchards for insects. Eighty percent of Oregon growers and 71% of Washington growers indicated that agricultural chemical distributor field horticulturists were responsible for insect monitoring in their orchards. Pear growers used an assortment of other integrated pest management (IPM) practices to control for codling moth in their orchards (see Table 3). How do growers want to receive pest management information in the future? Survey respondents were asked about their preferred methods for receiving information on pest management in pears in the coming years. Growers preferred printed materials, Internet, in-person meetings, and field days. The least preferred methods for receiving information were social media, online meetings or workshops, online courses, and in-person courses. Oregon growers were significantly more interested in in-person courses, field days, and e-mail compared with Washington growers. As the project nears completion, team members will take these preferences, as well as growers' perceptions of the benefits and barriers to biological control adoption, into consideration during the development of future educational products and outreach activities. $ 313 per month oac T4000V T4050F Lease a new T4000 Series Tractor for as low as $313.00 per month o.a.c. Call for details •T4000V and T4000F Series Tractors (62 to 82 PTO hp) •BURROWS WA TRACTOR Yakima & Wenatchee, •SUNNYSIDE NEW HOLLAND, LLC. T4040F Sunnyside, WA • www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER May 1, 2013 11

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