Inspiring change in western cranberry grower renovation habits to prevent invasive false blossom disease and blunt nose leafhopper

Preventing the introduction and establishment of an invasive species is more cost-efficient and environmentally sustainable than attempts to manage it later. The phytoplasma called False Blossom Disease threatens cranberries on the East Coast and in Wisconsin. This disease results in stunted flowering that causes permanent yield loss in these perennial plants, which must then be removed. False Blossom Disease (FBD) can be spread either through nursery cuttings, like those used to replant or ‘renovate’ a cranberry bog, or via an insect vector, the Blunt Nose Leafhopper (BNLH). Currently, there are no recorded cases of FBD on the West Coast (United States and Canada) but it is uncertain if the insect vector already exists here.
At the beginning of the project, Kraft communicated with growers in Washington and Oregon at in-person workshops about this pest-disease system and found that growers have a lack of knowledge and are showing a deep hesitancy to change renovation behavior to help prevent these potential invasive species. We developed new communication tools to serve West Coast cranberry growers that focus on the social emotional-connection that growers have across regions through the OceanSpray network to inspire interest in behavioral change to prevent this devastating disease from arriving through plant cuttings. We present findings from our pre/post survey and focus groups on whether this program has or will influence renovation behavior among cranberry growers in Washington and Oregon.