What’s Happening? Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates

Weekly Field Update

Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state.

Coastal Region

Zack Snipes

• Another extremely dry week down our way. Growers are struggling to keep plants alive with the lack of rain, low humidity and winds. Unfortunately, the 10-day forecast does not look like much rain is coming.
• Strawberries are all over the board. Some look really great, while others really have me worried. If crowns start dying, send a sample to our plant pathology lab ASAP.  
• Many growers performed a pre-plant dip on plants, which I think is helping. We lose most of our plants to Neopest early in the fall, so an aggressive spray program this time of the year can really help us out. Let your local Extension agent know if you need with help timing and product selection. 

Midlands

Phillip Carnley

• We are still desperately dry here in the midlands and hoping for some much-needed rain this week. Hopefully the weather forecast will be accurate with the increased chances this week.
• Leafy greens are doing well despite the drought. Cabbage, collards and kale are being harvested with great quality and few issues. Cabbage is yielding well with the first harvested heads averaging about five pounds.
• Strawberries are doing well. Most producers in my area are right at the two-week post-plant window for the first application of Orondis Gold or Ridomil. With the Orondis Gold, remember the max usage rate is 124 oz per season, so treat wisely. There is already some phythophthora crown rot kicking around, so make sure to monitor your bed moisture levels and adjust accordingly. Some weird things are also happening in a few fields. Plants are showing chlorosis and other crowns have started to leaf out and then just suddenly died. Further testing should and is being done to determine the cause of this decline. 

Rob Last

• Conditions continue to be very dry in the region; again, with no rainfall in the forecast for the near future.
• Brassicas and leafy greens are growing well with evidence of diamondback moth activity. Keep scouting crops.
• Disease pressure at present remains low.
• Strawberry panting is wrapped up in the area with second true leaves emerging on bare root plants. Establishment of bare roots appears very good this year.

Sarah Scott

• We are still incredibly dry, but hopefully, some rain will hit us later this week. 
• Crops are looking good with minor disease issues, likely because of the dry weather.
• Broccoli is looking nice with heads coming to size. Diamondback moth pressure is relatively low this season, but I am seeing some cross-striped cabbage worms in a few brassica crops. Nothing alarming but they are present. 
• Strawberries are establishing nicely. Growers using overhead irrigation to establish cut-offs are seeing more new growth on plants. Overall, plants are looking ok, but we are watching closely as leaves continue to emerge.