Doug Walsh

Research

Cutworms, a major economic pest of Washington grapes, were once managed with foliar sprays. Extension Entomologist Doug Walsh is leading a team of WSU researchers in developing a technique of spraying only the area where the vine trunk and trellis meet the soil. This targeted “barrier treatment” keeps cutworms on the ground and off the plants. This technique has eliminated the use of organophosphates in grapes, reduced overall chemical inputs by 25,000 lbs. a year, and saved growers $5.5 million. To reduce chemical use even further, the team also developed attract-and-kill bait stations that reduce the numbers of adult moths later in the season so that fewer cutworms are present in the field the next spring.

Riparian Habitat/Production Agriculture Interface:
I have several collaborative projects involving the study of arthropod population dynamics in disturbed and rehabilitated riparian habitats in the lower Yakima River watershed of south central Washington state. My major focus is developing the relationship among the host plants with constituent arthropod populations.

This research is being conducted in collaboration with Drs. Richard Zack (WSU Entomology) and Martin Williams (WSU Crop and Soil Science) and is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation Center for Integrated Pest Management, the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, and the Washington State Commission on Pesticide Registration.

Arthropod Pest Control on Washington Cropping Systems:
My laboratory is involved in multiple integrated pest management programs;

Extension Activities

Washington State IPM Coordinator:

• Develop annual and 5 year plans of work for the implementation of IPM strategies in Washington State.
• Participation in WCC-69, “Coordination of Integrated Pest Management Research and Extension/Outreach Programs for the Western States & Pacific Basin Territories”.
• Manage IPM mini-grant program. Fiscal yr. 2000 for $69,000.

Washington State Liaison USDA IR-4 Project:

USDA/IR-4 is a federal/state/private cooperative that aspires to obtain clearances for pest control chemistries on minor crops. I serve as the State Liaison from Washington State to the to the USDA/ IR-4 program. My laboratory serves as the Field Research Center for EPA Region 10. EPA Region 10 consists of Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington, and most of Idaho.

All IR-4 research–field and laboratory–is carried out according to Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) requirements as mandated by EPA. The research process is inspected by IR-4 quality assurance personnel to validate compliance.