GWSS Committee Update - February 2002

GWSS Committee Robert L. Crudup, Jr. Chairman

The Pierce's Disease Control Program, Secretary's Advisory Task Force is set to meet on February 11, 2002 in the CDFA Auditorium in Sacramento. This is the stakeholders group that has helped to shape the state's response to the proliferation of Pierce's Disease and the control of the GWSS..

The agenda will include a legislative update, sub-committee reports including Research, Nursery, Outreach, Citrus, and Grape movement. Program reports include Kern County Pilot program, Nursery approved treatment status, Biocontrol, Rapid Response, County Work plans, CEQA, and Financial.

The meeting is held quarterly and is open to the public.

Chris Ono recently attended and spoke at the Pest Management Alliance for Containerized Nurseries program 'Management of the GWSS for containerized nurseries" where he presented a session called: The impact of GWSS on Nursery Production and Profitability.

David Morgan, CDFA reported that they are very far behind in the Biocontrol program and have made only 20 releases of parasitoids. Problems include completion of rearing facilities and keeping the adult GWSS to increase populations. If the program gets up to speed a significant reduction in populations can be achieved but bio-control is looked at as a part of an overall management and control program.

Rick Redak, UCR, who is doing various research for the program stated that the approved treatment they are looking for would not be an ovicide. It will be aimed at killing the nymphs. Field trials will continue to demonstrate the efficacy of the products before they are accepted by CDFA.