As many of you are aware, we had significant issues with spotted wing drosophila (SWD) in raspberries, blackberries, and other (persimmons, kiwi, etc) crops in North Carolina this year. My lab has received funding for 2012 from the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. These funds will allow us to conduct management (chemical, non-chemical, and post harvest) research & extension as well continue our monitoring efforts for next year.
There's more work needed on SWD than we can do in a year. In order to secure funding for the future, I am working with a group of scientists in the eastern US to submit a USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative proposal to study SWD. To make sure that our proposal is addressing the right questions, we are seeking input from stakeholders affected or potentially affected by SWD, including you!
If you have experience with an concerns about SWD, please consider filling out the stakeholder survey here: https://docs.google.com/
Please also feel free to share this survey with others. I'd like to receive responses back by December 1.
On a related note, I will be presenting an update on SWD status and our 2011 research findings on December 8 at 10am. You can link to the webinar here: http://elluminate.wolfware.
You can read more about SWD in North Carolina here: http://ncsmallfruitsipm.
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