CALIFORNIA AND ARIZONA JOINT SOUTH AMERICAN PALM WEEVIL OUTREACH AND EXTENSION WEBINAR SYMPOSIUM
Extension Education
Sonia Rios
Area Subtropical Horticulture Advisor
University of California Coop. Ext.
Moreno Valley
Abstract
The South American palm weevil (SAPW), has the potential and is causing significant damage and death of native and non-native palms in California. In addition, SAPW has the potential to greatly impact the commercial date industry in counties adjacent to heavily infested San Diego, as this weevil can attack the agriculturally important date palm Phoenix dactylifera that produces Deglet Noor and Medjool dates. Dates produced near Yuma, Arizona and the Coachella and Imperial Valleys contribute about $30 million to California’s economy. Of great concern is the rapid spread of this pest across the southwestern US. South American palm weevils first spread from Mexico’s Tijuana area into San Diego County in 2011, where it is now killing Canary Island date palm trees. Surveys also have detected the weevil in California’s Imperial County, as well as in Yuma County, Ariz., and Alamo County, Texas. Due to the alarming rates of palm deaths in California, information needed to be distributed to the neighboring state of Arizona. A two-day symposium was created for all ornamental and date palm stakeholders. The aim of this training was to mitigate SAPW’s deleterious impacts. Target audiences were native habitat managers from public and private lands, urban ornamental tree growing and management sectors, including homeowners, and commercial agricultural date producers in Arizona and California. The University of California Cooperative Extension and University of Arizona collaborated on two-half day trainings that were held on May 26th-27th, 2021. The symposium had approximately 80 participants from California, Arizona, and northern Mexico. This online webinar symposia was a two-part series on the SAPW. Day 1, focused on the biology, current status of this new invasive pest of palms. Day 2 consisted of monitoring and management and County updates. On average there were 32 participants that attended each day, with sessions lasting three hours long. The overall goal was to educate all stakeholders on the impotence of staying vigilant for the pest and to educate them on the pest and related damage. Continuing education Units were offered. The majority of classes started with interactive PowerPoint lectures that encouraged student questions along the way and ended with quizzes after each speaker. The effectives of the trainings were measured by participant in a post-survey after the webinars were conducted. Results determined that more than 99% of all attendees gained knowledge from the seminars and would use one or more management practice presented one of the seminars. As part of an Outreach and Extension, Western Integrated Pest Management Grant, two more webinars were also conducted for San Diego and Riverside County in California in 2021-2022 academic year.
Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC
This poster is being submitted for judging. It will be displayed at the AM/PIC if not selected as a State winner. The abstract will be published in the proceedings.
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Authors: Sonia Rios, Glenn Wright, Mark Hoddle, Michael Rethwisch, Apurba Barman, Petr Kosina
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Rios, S. Area Subtropical Horticulture Advisor, University of California- Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, California, 92557
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Wright, G. 2Extension Horticulturist Specialis, University of Arizona Extension, Arizona, 85721
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Hoddle, M. Extension Entomology Specialist, University of California, Riverside, California, 92521
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Rethwisch, M. Crop Production and Entomology Farm Advisor, University of California- Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, California, 92225
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Barman, A. Low Desert Integrated Pest Management Farm Advisor, University of California- Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, California, 92250
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Kosina, P. Content Development Supervisor, UC ANR IPM, California, 95618