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.

Statewide

Tom Bilbo (Extension Entomologist)

• Be on the lookout for stink bugs and leaffooted bugs in fruiting vegetables. I’ve seen a noticeable uptick in their occurrence and damage in two tomato trials in Charleston, and on tomatoes and eggplants in a home garden. Likewise, a grower reached out to me this weekend with a picture of stink bug eggs hatching in their tomatoes.
• Effective insecticide options for stink bugs are limited to the broad-spectrum pyrethroids and neonicotinoids. The latter are recommended, as they are less likely to flare spider mite problems. Options include Venom, Scorpion and Actara. Organic options include any of the pyrethrin products, but note, they are primarily effective against smaller nymphs, and these products are rapidly degraded by UV. Spraying late in the day may improve efficacy as well as reduce negative impacts on pollinators.

Coastal Region

Anna Sara Hill

• July is National Watermelon Month, and growers are in the thick of harvesting! Large densities of watermelons and cantaloupes are being harvested, and truckloads are being sorted and processed at the packing houses. A few larger operations have specialized equipment that makes life easier on the crew’s backs. The watermelons are picked and placed on a conveyor belt, which feeds the melons into bins on flatbeds or buses that are driven in front of the equipment.   
• I am seeing a lot of melons with blemishes from sandblasting and rindworm complex.   
• There is still a high incidence of disease in fields. Do not let up on the cover sprays.  

Pee Dee

Brittney King

• The Pee Dee received around an inch of rain over the weekend, and some areas experienced some high wind gusts. I expect to see some sandblasting on leaves, so it will be important to scout for signs of damage and apply a protectant fungicide. It looks like we are starting out the week very hot and humid!
• Strawberry growers have already put in their orders for next season, especially if they want to get a specific variety.
• Pumpkin growers are getting their fields prepped for planting.
• A variety of crops are being harvested in good volumes right now like tomatoes, watermelon, peaches, blueberries and peppers.
• Disease pressure is rising as we continue getting rain followed by hot, humid conditions. I am seeing anthracnose on a couple of different crops, and bacterial wilt is very present in tomatoes this year. Remember that there are no resistant varieties to bacterial wilt. The best thing to do if you have a history of bacterial wilt in your fields is to start off with grafted plants.
• I am seeing more tomato hornworms this year than any other caterpillar pest on tomatoes. These caterpillars can easily blend in with foliage and are known to feed heavily on the leaves and can even move to the fruit if the infestation is large enough. Check out pages 185-186 of the 2025 SE Vegetable Crop Handbook for a list of recommended insecticides for control.