pests

While much has been accomplished in its 50 years of existence, the Administrator of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Kevin Shea, said efforts to prevent and control pest and disease threats will never really end. For instance, he pointed to efforts to keep African Swine Fever out of our country ...

Development continues for a variety of biological controls for crop pests and disease utilizing living organisms; part of evolving innovations in agriculture. "Products use beneficial bacteria to control disease in primarily vegetable crops," noted Jason Ward of Novozymes ...

With the hot weather the Northwest has seen for weeks, several pests are thriving and multiplying in and around water sources. The Idaho state Department of Agriculture’s Lloyd Knight said it’s important that farmers watch for any unique plant or insect life to make sure a bigger problem is not on the horizon. He noted ...

The Idaho state Department of Agriculture is conducting its annual pest survey, where thousands of traps go up looking for invasive species that could bring harm to the state’s farming community. The ISDA’s Lloyd Knight said they are looking for Japanese beetles, a few grain pests in wheat and corn, the European Shoot Moth as well as a few others. When it c ...

The recent blast of cold air and snow the Northwest has seen over the past week is good news for the snowpack, but it may be too little, too late when it comes to disease pressures this growing season. Washington State University Extension’s Dr. Tim ...

But we’ve heard a lot over the last couple of months about a mission to Mars; putting humans on the Red Planet. But for that to happen, the astronauts would need to grow food. So, what happens if an insect hitchhikes and starts destroying the crops? G ...

Vegetable growers are reminded as we prepare to transition into another growing season to watch for not only well know pests, but new threat that have moved into the area.  Washington State University’s Dr. Tim Waters says with international travel so easy theses days, and so many high value crops grown on the Columbia Basin, growers must be vigilant.   “...

Washington State University's Doug Walsh takes a look at some of the most common pests found in vineyards around the Northwest.       If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekradio.com...

The USDA is allocating $3.39 million to Washington from the 2014 Farm Bill as part of its effort to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, and threat mitigation, and to safeguard the nursery production system.  Ove...

The USDA announced Thursday that $2.7 million will go to Oregon, from the 2014 Farm Bill to improve pest detection and surveillance, to safeguard the nursery production system.  Overall, USDA is providing nearly $70 million in funding this year that will support 494 projects across the country. “...