Virus symptoms in dry peas; a bee pest survey
Washington Ag Today June 9, 2010 The Legume Virus Project’s Aphid Tracker, operated by the University of Idaho, reports virus symptoms were being seen this week in dry pea fields. Pea enation mosaic virus was observed in pea fields near Almota and Albion Washington. No symptoms were found in fields north of Albion. Traps for this year’s Aphid Tracker program were put out May 18th and collections began May 24th. You can view trapping locations and incoming data on the project’s website. A search for “aphid tracker” will quickly get you to that web page. Washington is one of 13 states which will be surveyed by the USDA regarding honey bee pests and diseases. The survey will help USDA’s scientists determine the prevalence of parasites and disease-causing microorganisms that may be contributing to the decline of honey bee colonies nationwide. Robyn Rose of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says this is more than a telephone survey. Rose: “We have state apiary specialists who are going out and actually collecting samples from the hives.” This voluntary survey includes 350 apiaries across 13 states and will last through the end of the year. Bee keepers have suffered huge losses of bees in recent years with the most recent threat being Colony Collapse Disorder. Bee health is critical for the success of pollination-based agriculture, which in Washington includes the fruit industry. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net. ?
