Program: Partnership
Project Title: Translation and Promotion of a Cranberry Weed Identification Guide
Project Type: Regional IPM Communications
Project Director: Hilary Sandler, University of Massachusetts-Amherst Cranberry Station
Start Date: April 1, 2014
End date: Feb 28, 2016
Funding: $18,504
Funds leveraged as a result of this project: $14,080
Number of people reached as a result of this project: 2600 with approximately 300 of those
people reached one-on-one through workshops or small presentations regarding the guide.
Summary: An excellent weed identification guide for cranberries was published by the Centre
de Reference en Agriculture et Agroalimentaire due Quebec (CRAAQ) in French in 2013. Upon
seeing this French guide, English-speaking stakeholders quickly indicated a need to translate the
guide into English. The English version will benefit stakeholders throughout the Northeast as
well as other regions of the US and Canada, including cranberry and low-bush blueberry
growers, research and extension personnel, IPM practitioners, and graduate students. After
consultation with cranberry and low-bush blueberry weed specialists throughout the U.S. and
Canada, 24 new weed species were selected to be included in the translated guide. We have
completed the translation of the guide into English. We have assigned a weed management
priority rating to each weed using a rating scale developed by the Quebec authors. As of the
writing of this report, the translated text is in the hands of the publisher. We hope to have the
guide published by July 1, 2015. We will conduct training sessions in 2015 (one in MA, ME, and
NJ) on the use of the guide and provide hands-on instruction in weed identification. We will
create a short YouTube video to promote the guide and weed IPM. We will conduct surveys at
the workshops and meetings to document increases in knowledge of weed biology and
identification.
Problem, Background, and Justification: Cranberry and low-bush blueberry (LBB) production
have a long history in Northeast and are economically important to the region since they are
produced in MA, NJ, ME, NH, RI, and VT. Massachusetts is the largest cranberry producer for
the region; cash receipts ranged from $75.8 M to $102.1 M between 2006-2011(NASS, 2012).
Maine is the largest LBB producer with the crop valued at $69.1 M in 2012 (NASS, 2013). These
industries employ more than 5,500 people with over 950 full and part-time growers (CCCGA,
2011; Yarborough, 2004). More than 80 species of weeds are known to infest cranberry and
LBB farms. Weeds account for approximately 25% yield loss in cranberry production (Swanton
et al., 1993). Proper weed management has been noted as a significant contributor to improved
yields in LBB (Yarborough, 2004). Small fruit growers currently face tremendous financial
pressures and must use every possible integrated management tactic to keep their farms
sustainable.
Since cranberries and LBB are perennial crops, most of the plants that are problematic on these
farms are also perennial species. Many perennial weeds cannot be controlled with one
application of any treatment; it is an investment of time and money to attain adequate weed
control. It is of crucial importance that growers properly identify the weed that is causing yield
loss and/or vine death on their farm before they began their multi-year process to control and
manage that weed. Due to the current serious financial downturn in cranberry, many growers
may opt to not produce a crop over the next few years. However, they must continue to
perform basic maintenance activities to sustain vine health for when the market improves
(DeMoranville, 2001); a cornerstone of this maintenance is weed identification and weed
management.
Cranberry and LBB growers are committed to IPM and will readily adopt practical and
economical pest management options into their daily farm operations (Blake et al., 2007;
Yarborough, 2004). It is well known that the initial step in any IPM program is to properly
identify the pest in question. The last cranberry weed guide published in the Northeast was in
1995 and featured only two dozen species and relatively little IPM information (Sandler and
Else, 1995). The Guide d’identification des mauvaises herbes de la canneberges (Neron et al.,
2013) published by CRAAQ contains 120 species and over 850 photographs of weeds that occur
in cranberry production. The Guide promotes the use of IPM by highlighting multiple
management strategies along with the use of a weed prioritization system. Although the French
guide was intended for the cranberry industry in Quebec, an English version that utilizes the
same photographs and text would fill a large resource and knowledge gap as English-speaking
cranberry and LBB growers do not have a comparable weed identification guide.
Objectives:
1. Translate Guide d’identification des mauvaises herbes de la canneberges into English.
2. Supplement the current suite of weeds in the French guide to include those of importance to
cranberry and LBB regions outside of Quebec.
3. Assess the “nuisance potential” (weed priority rating) to ensure the ratings are compatible
with the collective experience in other regions of the cranberry industry.
4. Conduct workshops and meetings workshops on weed identification and weed IPM, featuring
the use of the guide (projected attendance/trainees listed in the timeline).
5. Evaluate stakeholder response and implementation of weed IPM strategies.
Approach and Procedures:
First, the co-PDs reviewed the content of the Guide and identified additions needed for this
guide. Stakeholders, including weed scientists from cranberry and LBB growing regions,
industry personnel, grower association representatives, growers, and the translator, were
contacted to selected 24 species to add to the weed guide. Photographs for the new species
were obtained. The guide was translated and revised for readability. Draft narratives were
reviewed by scientists with cranberry and botanical expertise. The draft is currently in the
graphic design stage and Dr. Sandler has been in frequent contact with Ms. Danielle Jacques,
the CRAAQ liaison. Revisions are being made as progress on the layout moves forward. The
publication of the Guide was announced at cranberry grower meetings. CRAAQ anticipates
producing at least 500 copies. In addition to promotion in industry and Extension newsletters
and web sites, we will promote the Guide and the weed priority rating system by creating a
short YouTube video to highlight the utility of the guide for use in integrated weed
management programs.
Once the guide is completed, we will work with Northeastern groups to announce the
publication of the guide, workshops, and meetings. Training sessions will be held in Year 2 in
MA, ME, and NJ to demonstrate the utility of the guide and to improve grower skill at weed
identification and weed mapping. We will grow and/or collect specimens to provide hands-on
experience for the attendees. We will apply for pesticide contact hours for our workshops as
appropriate. Surveys will be distributed at all meetings and workshops to gauge the relevance
of the Guide for the grower community and to determine increases in weed identification skills.
The Guide will be promoted regionally at the 2015 New England Vegetable and Fruit
Conference, the 2016 Northeastern Weed Science Society meeting, and the 2016 Maine
Agricultural Trade Show, and internationally at the 2015 North American Cranberry Research
and Extension Workers Conference. We will gauge the utility of the publication by purchasers
who cannot attend the workshops by collecting contact information at the time of purchase
and surveying them post-purchase.
Progress: In Spring 2014, Sandler and Ghantous reviewed the overall structure the Guide and
constructed a list of potential additions to incorporate. In late spring-early summer, we
contacted 22 individuals, who work in the cranberry industry in the U.S. and Canada, who had
expressed an interest in helping with the Guide. After a series of emails, phone calls and
conference calls, a core group of 10 people reviewed and revised an extensive list of hopeful
inclusions and selected 24 species to add to the translated version of the Weed Guide.
Photographs for the new species were obtained during the summer, fall and early winter.
Announcements of the publication of the guide were made at the UMass Extension Update
meeting on January 14, 2015 (MA) and at the American Cranberry Growers Association meeting
on January 22, 2015 (NJ). We had initially planned to survey the grower community at the
UMass January meeting but 5 surveys were already being distributed and we decided to wait
for another opportunity. We will survey growers at an upcoming meeting (4/7/15) on their
weed ID knowledge and use of weed mapping. We should still be able to get a good sense of
the current knowledge base as we anticipate an attendance of 75 growers at this meeting.
Dr. Leo Dalbec completed the translation of the guide into English by late January 2015. Dr.
Sandler then revised the translation to improve readability; additional botanical information
was added where necessary. A new section on “Similar species” (not in the French version) was
added to improve the utility of the guide. The weed priority ratings were reviewed and minor
changes were made to existing weed profiles; weed priority ratings were assigned to the 24
new weeds. A reviewed draft was given to Ms. Danielle Jacques, the CRAAQ liaison, in midMarch. Jacques and Sandler are in frequent communication as the layout process continues.
We are targeting July 1, 2015 for publication release date.
Breakdown of leveraged funds:
Departments of Agriculture (Nova Scotia, Newfoundland,
Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick)
$8,500
Grower groups (NJ, MA, and British Columbia)
$3,580
UMass Extension
$2,000
People reached (to date):
UMass Extension Update meeting, Jan. 14, 2015
American Cranberry Growers Assn, Jan. 22, 2015
Make-up Meeting, Feb 17, 2015
176
45
31
Outcomes: This is an interim report. The publication is in the layout phase. No meetings or
workshops to promote the guide have been held yet (planned for the upcoming summer and
fall). Outcomes will be highlighted in the final report. A PDF of a DRAFT of one part of the book
is attached.
Impacts:
Safeguarding human health and the environment: Cranberry and low-bush blueberry growers
will properly identify and manage weeds on their farms. They will apply the correct herbicides
at the correct time to the proper spectrum of weeds. Improper or unnecessary applications will
decrease.
Economic benefits: Through the judicious use of herbicide on correctly identified weed
species, growers will save money by minimizing pesticide inputs and maximize yields through
reduced weed competition. Other requested data are not available at this time since the
project is still in the development phase and this is an interim report.
Implementation of IPM: Growers will understand and utilize weed mapping on their farms.
Other requested data cannot be presented at this time since the project is still in the
development phase and this is an interim report.