David Riley, a professor of entomology at the University of Georgia, says that two pests have been big issues for Southeastern vegetable growers: diamondback moth (DBM) and whitefly. DIAMONDBACK MOTH DBM continues to be a struggle for Southeastern vegetable growers, mostly due to insecticide resistance. Riley says that DBM resistance in cabbage and collards is a long-standing problem. “Diamondback moth …
Using Plants to Fend Off Pests
Trap-cropping is an organic method to combat pests that has been tested with several different crops in Alabama. Ayanava Majumdar, an Extension entomologist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, has recently been testing different trap crops in yellow squash. Last year, he studied sorghum and sunflower to combat leaffooted bugs and stink bugs in vegetable systems. This year, he is …
Florida Blueberry Growers Report Crop Loss Due to Gall Midge
Update: The FBGA sent another email on March 30 with some survey results. This is what it reported: “Approximately a third of the state’s acreage has responded to our survey, 95% of which are reporting damage at some level. Over two-thirds of the acreage are reporting more than 20% crop loss (many of which indicated they are seeing between 30-50% …
Improving Nematode Management for Vegetable Crops
By Jaci Schreckengost Integrated nematode management for vegetable crops is an ongoing project at one University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences research center. Johan Desaeger, an assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), said researchers are looking for more sustainable management strategies. Current research efforts include new in-field products …
Spider Mite Management Methods
If the weather is hot and dry, growers will want to keep an eye out for spider mites. According to Ayanava Majumdar, an Extension entomologist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, high populations of spider mites can devastate vegetable crops. There are several different types of spider mites, including twospotted mites, russet mites, rust mites and broad mites. All of …
Pepper Weevil Woes
Pepper weevil has been a problematic pest in Georgia peppers, and now it appears to be moving into other crops. David Riley, a professor of entomology at the University of Georgia, has been studying pepper weevil since he received his doctorate nearly 30 years ago, and he was shocked to see this pest spread to other hosts. According to Riley, …
The Complex World of Insecticide Modes of Action
Selecting insecticides can be extremely cumbersome and complex. Ayanava Majumdar, Auburn University Extension entomologist, says there are five different “mode of action” categories that can help conventional growers decide what kind of insecticide will be most effective in their production systems. The five categories are contact poisons, insect growth regulators, mitochondrial or cellular respiration inhibitors, Bacillus thuringiensis and the unknown. …
Southeastern Strawberry Pest Problems
Strawberries are starting to make their seasonal debut in the Southeast as Florida growers begin their harvest. After the harvest is a great time to reflect on issues from the previous season and look toward the next season. Rebecca Schmidt-Jeffris, assistant professor of entomology at Clemson University, recently gave a presentation on a strawberry pest that caused problems this past …
Keeping Fields Clean Year-Round
To protect against pests and diseases, keeping fields clean is a year-round job for growers. Scott Adkins, a research plant pathologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service, has some advice for growers on this subject. He spoke with AgNet Media at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Georgia, in January, following his presentation at …
Foliar Nematodes in Florida Strawberries
A nematode thought to be new in Florida was found recently on strawberry crops. The foliar nematode is one area of research at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, said Johan Desaeger, assistant professor of entomology and nematology. After some research, Desaeger found this nematode is not new …