A small round table meeting was hosted by the California Strawberry Commission (CSC) in Santa Maria to help mediate a discussion on concerns of high lygus bug populations (Fig. 1). Both Cal Poly Strawberry Center (CPSC) and the California Strawberry Commission spoke on issues related to lygus bug management and discussed possible short-term and long-term goals. The discussion focused on five main topics related to lygus bug in strawberries with input from all growers and PCA’s in attendance (Fig. 2).
The CSC grower/PCA roundtable series invites strawberry growers, agricultural pest management professionals, and researchers to share knowledge, raise concerns, and coordinate action. Roundtables are held several times each year within each growing district (i.e., Watsonville/Salinas, Santa Maria, and Oxnard). The current 2022-2023 topics include: Lygus bugs, mites, Botrytis fruit rot, Macrophomina crown rot, bug vacuums, spray rigs, and UV-C for pest & disease management. Reach out to CPSC or CSC staff if interested in attending.
