Cranberry Station Newsletter 2026 Vol. 27:2

2026 UMass Cranberry Pesticide Safety Meeting

• Thursday, April 9, 2026

• 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM

• Early Registration fee is $60 per person (by 4/1/26)

   

• 4 pesticide credits are available 

   

This will be a hybrid meeting; you can choose to join via Zoom or in-person. Meeting will be held in the AD Makepeace Meeting Room, at the UMass Cranberry Station. In-person seating may fill up fast due to room capacity allowance. . Registration after 4/1/26 is $75 per person. Please contact Robyn Hardy at 508-970-7635 or rmhardy[at]umass[dot]edu (rmhardy[at]umass[dot]edu) to get your preferred attendance choice.

TENTATIVE AGENDA

7:30 Check in starts, in-person coffee chat 

8:00 Pesticide Safety - Marty Sylvia ​

8:30 Pesticides and Regulatory Updates - Katie Ghantous​

9:00 New Insects, Old Insects - Marty Sylvia    ​

9:30 KQF and Strategic Disease Management - Leela Uppala​

10:00 Coffee and Stretch Break ​

10:15 Making Every Spray & Management Decision Count - Leela Uppala ​

10:45 Weed Management - Katie Ghantous ​ ​

11:30 Calibrating a Backpack Sprayer - Krystal DeMoranville

2025 Selected Highlights of the Cranberry Extension Education/Entomology Program

By Marty Sylvia

EXTENSION EDUCATION

• Organized two Entomology Clinics in May and June, which were well received by growers. Provided information on spring outbreak pests, including hands-on lab time for participants (totaling 122 attendees) using microscopes and large monitor hook-up to see the small-bodied insects. A 3rd clinic covered internal fruit feeders, cranberry fruitworm and Sparganothis fruitworm, was also run.  Disease presentations and lab rotations were included in all clinics this year.
• Organized and presented at:  January Research Update (188 attendees), April Pesticide Safety (64 attendees), and Respirator Training through CCCGA and OS (35 attendees), 4 session WPS Handler training (45 total attendees). All meetings were offered “hybrid” with in-person or zoom option.
• Participated in additional Bogside meetings - held July 14 and Sept 10
• Regular contributor to Cranberry Station newsletters and weekly IPM message during season
• Consulted with over 100 growers on insect-related issues (cranberry weevil, cranberry scale, black bug and leafhoppers) on phone, email and in-person including 25 bog visits and diagnostics on over 50 samples
• Issued ten Zone II Groundwater support letters
• Wrote Crop Insurance Letters supporting grower claims, worked with RCIS to verify conditions
• Worked with 50 growers for online state pesticide audits and renewal of pesticide certification, assisted 25 growers in transition to online state pesticide use reporting
• Tutored 15 new growers to pass the cranberry exam, consulted on aerial exam for drone operators
• Assisted on four workshops for credit with UMass Pesticide Education for all pesticide applicator categories (core, turf, landscape, shade tree, general pest control, etc.)  (Nov 2025) (800 attendees)

SURVEYS AND RESEARCH

1. Cranberry Black Bug (Plagiognathus repetitus ) and Blunt-Nosed Leafhopper (Limottetix vaccinii)/False Blossom Survey: Monitor and ID as necessary.  Leafhopper populations continue to grow and were found commonly in association with Black Bug.  Documented crop loss resulted from infestation and recovery. 30 growers brought in leafhopper and black bug samples (or sent pictures electronically) to verify species and consider management options.  Second False Blossom site recorded.
2. Cranberry Weevil populations were monitored.  A large on-farm insecticide trial investigating the possibly of improving cranberry weevil management with the addition of an insecticide synergist (PBO) to currently used insecticide was pursued with disappointing results. The experiment assessed rinse time of chemigation systems, including adjuvant, and addition of a synergist (PBO - piperonyl butoxide) to Avaunt (indoxacarb) in an effort to combat resistance to that compound. The results conclusively showed that the added synergist PBO did not improve control compared to the pesticide alone. A lab trial with cranberry weevil was also conducted as a companion study comparing Avaunt, Avaunt with the PBO synergist, and Actara (thiamethoxam). Cells were set up using with two cranberry uprights with approximately two inches of new growth that were dipped in insecticide solution (and dried) and two weevil per cell (44 to 48 cells per treatment). At 48-hrs after the weevil were allowed to begin feeding, weevil were categorized as A=Alive, M=Moribund, or D=Dead.     Moribund means weevil were alive and twitching but not appearing healthy. The 48-hour assay shows that all pesticide     treatments increased mortality and decreased feeding injury compared to the untreated control. The addition of a synogist to Avaunt increased the number of dead weevil and slightly decreased feeding injury compared to Avaunt alone.        (Table 1) Additional lab trials were run with cranberry weevil, black bug, cutworms, and green spanworm testing the efficacy of a fungus for biological control, Isarid (Isaria fumosorosea), and a new but still unlabeled Syngenta insecticide, Plinazolin. The insecticide worked well on all species 24 hours post exposure. The fungus took 6 days to impact the green spanworm and black bug but was ineffective on the weevil and cutworms.
3. Vaccinium Scale: A dozen scale samples collected from grower beds were microscopically inspected for activity and timing in both June and again in August.  Consulted with many other growers on timing.
4. Bumble bee diversity study – Continued DNA analysis of misidentified vagans/perplexus bombus (bumblebees).  Of and additional 350 samples sent in, 13% were able to be successfully ID’ed using DNA while 13% of those were confirmed to be Bombus sandersonii, confirming issues with depending on ID via morphological features.  The rare sandersonii has likely been under-reported all along (>100 years). Continue curation of our large collection of native bees, which will be important for future researchers.

2025 Selected Highlights of the Cranberry Pathology Program

 By Leela Uppala

EXTENSION AND OUTREACH

• Delivered nine major presentations at UMass Cranberry Station (Jan–Sept 2025), including Research Updates, Bogside Meetings, Insect & Disease Clinics, and the Cape Cod Alumni Workshop—collectively reaching over 600 attendees.
• Contributed to cranberry disease management content to the MyIPM smartphone app, a national Extension collaboration, enhancing digital diagnostic and crop management resources available to growers nationwide with 202 growers using it nationally.
• Launched the YouTube Extension channel “Dr. Leela Uppala @ UMass Cranberry Station,” producing over a dozen grower-focused videos that collectively received 3,000+ views, addressing grower questions and providing timely guidance on disease management, cultural practices, and soil/tissue testing demonstrations.

COMMUNITY AND EDUCATIONAL ENGAGEMENT

• Guest Speaker, South Elementary School (Plymouth, MA – Oct 2025): Discussed about cranberries, research and led a hands-on microbiology activity for 3rd-grade students inspiring early interest in STEM and agricultural sciences.
• Invited Speaker, “Berry Talk” – Sippican Woman’s Club (Marion, MA – Nov 2024): Shared ongoing research innovations and sustainability initiatives supporting the Massachusetts cranberry industry.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

• Published six peer-reviewed journal articles in leading journals including Frontiers in Plant Science, Plant Health Progress, Plant Disease Management Reports, Plant Disease and Acta Horticulturae.
• Completed NE-SARE–funded study defining key criteria for Late Water flooding decisions in cranberry production.
• Advanced SCRI multi-state project (SAME CFR) by characterizing fruit-rot fungi across developmental stages, evaluating the effect of shading on fruit quality, and initiating baseline fungicide sensitivity studies to monitor resistance development.
• Continued Phytophthora root rot pathogen characterization in Massachusetts bogs.
• Continued evaluating novel FRAC-group fungicides and biological products to expand CFR management toolbox.
• Collaborative research with colleagues in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Wisconsin contributed to the registration of the new fungicide “Switch” (Cyprodinil + Fludioxonil, FRAC 9 + 12) for use in cranberry production—an important addition to growers’ management options.

2025 Selected Highlights of the Cranberry Physiology/Fruit Quality Program

By Giverson Mupambi with support from Kyrstal DeMoranville, Brian Makeredza, and Manu Priya

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Pesticide Application. We began the second year of our project to study UAVs for pesticide application. The questions we are trying to answer have been posed by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) as they assist in the review and development of regulations. Current aerial regulations do not address UAV application, which is a “new” method of application that Massachusetts growers are interested in. The project will benefit growers by (1) developing regulations that are based on data and (2) providing reliable information on how UAVs perform in aerial pesticide applications. Growers can then make informed choices when deciding to adopt this technology.

Off-target drift (Figure 1). Significantly more off-target drift occurred downwind as a direct consequence of wind carrying droplets away from the bog, resulting in predictable, tapering deposition patterns. Usually, off-target drift was noticeable up to 23 feet from the edge of the bog. Upwind off-target drift was generally non-existent. This information helps determine safety during UAV pesticide applications (1) Drift can pose health risks to bystanders and workers, (2) Off-target drift can contaminate water bodies, harm aquatic life and affecting drinking water supplies, and (3) Drift can damage adjacent, sensitive crops, potentially making them unsellable and causing significant financial losses for neighboring farmers. Studying off-target drift helps optimize application parameters such as flight speed, altitude, and spray pressure to ensure the product reaches the target area effectively, leading to better pest control with fewer resources. 

Application uniformity (Figure 2).  In general, there was a good density distribution. The number of drops per square inch is clustered between 400 and 800 drops. Studying application uniformity is critically important when using UAVs for pesticides because it directly affects treatment efficacy, pest resistance management, crop safety, environmental protection, and economic viability.

Efficacy of UAV herbicide application (figure 3).

2025 Selected Highlights of the Cranberry Plant Nutrition and Physiology Program

By Peter Jeranyama with support from Sandeep Bhatti and Brian Makeredza

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Parameter measurement and monitoring in spring frost model development. This study aimed at developing an accurate frost forecasting system that includes current trends in weather patterns. The new forecasting method used random forest machine learning model which included various weather, site, and geographic predictors. (Figure1) The error in prediction for Franklin formulas (RMSE = 15.4°F) was much larger as compared to the developed model (RMSE = 4.8°F). The random forest model was able to reduce false alarms by ~72% when compared with the current system.

Optimum fertilizer Phosphorus rates in new Hybrid cultivars. Phosphorus fertilizer application rates study is necessary so we can have scientific numbers to justify fertilizer P application rate(s) should any environmental monitoring be required. From a recent grower workshop on phosphorus, fertilizer P rates were all over the place for second-generation hybrids. There is therefore a need to pin-down the optimum application rates. 

We conducted a replicated phosphorus rate study in Mullica Queen and Haines hybrids. The P rates tested were 10, 20, 30, 40 lb P/acre. Phosphorus was split applied in three application periods starting at early vegetative growth up to bud development stage. All other elements such as N, K and micronutrients were kept at optimum while phosphorus varied depending on treatment. Fruit yield, vine biomass and fruit quality characteristics were measured and analyzed both in the field and laboratory. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of phosphorus rates on the fruit yield, quality and biomass in second-generation hybrids. First year result seem to suggest that Haines responds better to P than Mullica Queen (MQ) (Figure 2).

Fertilizer Nitrogen effects on canopy biophysical factors (Figure 3). Optimizing cranberry production requires providing essential mineral nutrients in the correct amounts, forms, and at the right time.  Nutrient management strategies should therefore be both flexible and environmentally sound.

Our goal was to determine the effect of nitrogen application rate on cranberry fruit rot. We set out to test whether nitrogen fertilizer provides increased substrate for microbial biomass and activity resulting in diverse microorganisms affecting fruit rot. In addition, external nitrogen may cause excessive cranberry canopy growth thereby providing a conducive environment for high relative humidity (RH) that encourages fruit rot pathogens. To measure biophysical data, we deployed micro climatic sensors in each treatment. Previous work by Jeranyama unpublished showed high fruit rot incidence with increase in fertilizer N rate. Result seems to show that high fertilizer N rate is associated with high RH, hence conditions for high fruit rot incidence.

PUBLICATIONS

• Bhatti, Sandeep, Peter Jeranyama, Casey Kennedy, Carolyn DeMoranville, Anthony Buda, David Millar, Katherine Ghantous. 2025. Changes in cranberry phenology from 1958 to 2022: Implications for spring frost protection in Massachusetts, United States. International Journal of Meteorology 69:1297-1309. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-025-02892-w
• Makeredza Brian, Peter Jeranyama, Giverson Mupambi and Leela Uppala. 2025. Nitrogen fertilizer effects on cranberry fruit quality. Acta Hortic.1432:153-158.
• Jeranyama, P., G. Mupambi, and C. Kennedy. 2023. Optimal nitrogen fertilizer rates for second -generation cranberry hybrids. Acta Hortic. 1357:9-12.

2025 Selected Highlights of the Cranberry Weed/IPM Program

By Katherine Ghantous with support from Krystal DeMoranville

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Dodder Variation Study. As a prolific seed producer with a long-lived seedbank (>20 yr), dodder (Cuscuta spp.) can lead to decades of management and is an economically impactful cranberry pest. The parasitic plant coils around a host plant, penetrates the host tissue via specialized organs called haustoria, and then steals water, nutrients, and photosynthate from the host. While dodders are generalist (can parasitize multiple different species of hosts), they do show preferences for certain hosts over others. The same species infest both cranberry and blueberry. Cranberry in Massachusetts is heavily parasitized by Cuscuta while in New Jersey it is not widespread on cranberry and problematic on blueberry. This indicates local genetic variation among Cuscuta populations even within the same species.

We are participating an exciting multistate NSF-funded research project titled “The genomics of host-specific response and adaptation in the parasitic agricultural pest, Cuscuta”, led by Jesse Lasky at PSU and collaborators such as Co-PI Ana Caicedo from UMass Amherst, an expert in weed evolutionary genomics. This summer we collected DNA and RNA samples of dodder growing on different weed and cranberry hosts from over 20 commercial cranberry beds in MA. Our samples will contribute to a large sample set collected on NJ blueberry farms and a diverse range of uncultivated sites across the Northeast.

Herbicide Studies. Based on conversations with several growers, we tested spot applications of concentrated quinclorac on poison ivy and compared to spot applications of concentrated mesotrione which was previously demonstrated to be effective. Initial results showed that while poison ivy was injured, the crop was also injured. Plants will be evaluated for recovery and long-term efficacy next year. 

In other systems such as turf, copper-based pesticides are sometimes used to control moss. Our past experiments showed that some coppers do suppress moss in cranberry, but the high cost and number of applications needed render them not practical for use. A copper-based aquatic herbicide is used to manage algae in late water floods. We studied the impact of this algaecide and several other copper aquatic herbicides on moss as both a demonstration style study on grower beds as well as in a controlled study using multiple species of moss and product rates in buckets. These products were not effective for managing moss. 

We have continued to work with collaborators in other regions, IR-4, and registrants to pursue a glyphosate alternative for woody weed management in cranberry. Additional crop safety and efficacy experiments are planned for this fall and spring. 

Other ongoing projects. After planting a new bed, growers do not crop those beds for the first few years to allow vines to establish. Growers use short floods during bloom to remove flowers and preventing fruit production. This practice has variable results and can stress vines. Based on interest from growers, we initiated a project studying the potential to use herbicides and other chemical means to remove cranberry flowers. While we did not find a silver bullet, we did have some promising results. Based on the 2025 pilot study, we will refine the suite of products tested, rates, and timings and will do more comprehensive testing in 2026. 

In a collaboration with Ocean Spray ag scientists from MA and New Jersey, we began tracking the expression of virus symptoms on hybrid cranberry cultivars. These viruses are thought to be Tobacco Streak Virus and/or Blueberry Shock Virus, but identification will be confirmed by genetic testing. While these viruses are thought to have little impact on cranberry yields for older varieties, it is unknown how susceptible the newly developed cultivars are to infection and some anecdotal reports from growers of yield losses warrant further investigation. 

EXTENSION HIGHLIGHTS

• Wrote and published an online weekly IPM message throughout the growing season (May – August) with assistance from Marty Syliva. Recorded an accompanying audio message for the IPM phone line.
• Edited and published an updated addendum to the 2024-2026 MA Cranberry Chart Book.
• Authored articles in all 2025 newsletters.
• Participated in virtual, hybrid, and in-person extension meetings for MA cranberry growers. UMass Cranberry Station Annual Winter meeting, the Annual Pesticide Safety Meeting, bogside workshops, CCCGA Meeting.
• Obtained a renewal of the Emergency Exemption permit from the U.S. EPA for the use of Kerb    (pronamide) for dodder control on cranberries in MA and are working on a renewal for 2026 use.
• Obtained renewal of Special Local Needs labels for sulfentrazone (Spartan), and working on renewal of Callisto SLN for concentrated spot treatments.
• Participated in several interregional cranberry research discussions with other scientists and industry representatives regarding ongoing research, Maximum Residue Limits (MRL), and export issues impacting pesticides available to growers for use.
• Staying updated on and keeping growers informed regarding changes to pesticide labels concerning EPA mitigations to protect endangered species and changes in registrations.
• Had over 80 extension-related phone calls, texts, emails, and bog visits with MA cranberry growers.

OTHER PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

1. Co-PI on NIFA EIP grant program for UMass Extension small fruit, tree fruit, vegetable, and cranberry teams. Year 1 USDA-NIFA EIP $239,313. Also awarded $12K in commodity grants. 

2. Assisted in the purchase of an applicator UAV for the Cranberry Station, which will result in exciting new research projects in 2026. 

Station News

MDAR 2025 PESTICIDE USE REPORTING DUE JUNE 1, 2026

https://www.mass.gov/how-to/use-and-pesticide-dealer-sales-reporting

MDAR requires all pesticide certified applicators to submit annual reports detailing the quantities of all pesticides used.  Failure to submit a use report can result in the loss of eligibility for renewal of your license.  Paper forms are no longer used; forms must be completed online. Each form includes a product look-up based on the required EPA Registration Number.  Required fields for product information include drop-down menu to make reporting the product and related data quick and easy.

Submit one report on behalf of multiple Pesticide Applicators or Licensed Dealers that work for the same farm or company.  MDAR automatically receives notification of the submission, and a confirmation email will be sent from PestExamLicense[at]mass[dot]gov (PestExamLicense[at]mass[dot]gov) to the email address provided in the report. If you are having trouble or cannot complete this, Marty can help at 508-265-6921 or martys[at]umass[dot]edu (martys[at]umass[dot]edu).

ANNUAL WPS TRAINING FOR HANDLERS 

• Wednesday April 8, 2026, Wednesday May 6, 2026, or Wednesday May 20,2026

• 8:00-9:00 AM, hybrid option

Anyone working on the cranberry bogs (bogs that have been treated within 30 days) that does not have a MA Pesticide Certification needs to have worker protection training each year.  This will be a handler training and will allow workers to help apply general use pesticide and apply Roundup (glyphosate) or spot treat with Intensity or Stinger.  Krystal DeMoranville will be running hybrid trainings in the AD Makepeace room here at the Station; you can choose to join by Zoom or in-person.  This training can be done with each person on a smartphone or computer, or in a group setting around a screen.  Paperwork will be completed to cover EPA WPS requirements.Please contact Krystal DeMoranville at 508-970-7631 or krystald[at]umass[dot]edu (krystald[at]umass[dot]edu) to sign up or for more information.