By Ayanava Majumdar, Chip East and Eric Schavey The southeastern United States is the hotbed of insect and disease issues in vegetable crops. Growers constantly have to deal with not only established pest and weed issues, but also the invasive ones. Organic farming of vegetables is a challenge for producers everywhere in the United States, and the battle against insect …
Whitefly Research at UGA-Tifton
By Clint Thompson Whiteflies are the basis for Teddy McAvoy’s fall research at the University of Georgia (UGA) Tifton campus. Whether it is testing susceptible varieties or researching alternative methods of whitefly management, the UGA Extension vegetable specialist’s focus is clear this fall; provide growers with better solutions in combating whiteflies. “It’s bad this year. We’re doing leaf counts, and …
Florida Growers Seeing Uptick in Stink Bug Problems
By Clint Thompson The stink bug has increasingly become problematic for Florida tomato growers. Not only must producers scout regularly to see if there are stink bugs in their fields, but they must also decipher what species is impacting their crops. That’s what makes controlling stink bugs such a challenge, says Amanda Hodges, an Extension scientist at the University of Florida …
Stink Bugs a Growing Concern for Florida Tomato Producers
By Clint Thompson Stink bugs are increasingly become problematic for Florida tomato growers. Not only must producers scout regularly to see if there are stink bugs in their fields, but they must also decipher what species is impacting their crops. That’s what makes controlling stink bugs such a challenge, says Amanda Hodges, an Extension scientist at the University of Florida …
Peak of Whitefly Pressure? Growers Hope Populations Start to Decline
By Clint Thompson Whitefly populations have spiked across the Southeast. One university specialist hopes they have peaked, and specialty crop producers will soon start seeing a decline. Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist, describes what farmers and other specialists are seeing in their fields. “We’re hoping we have peaked. The trap lines that Phillip’s (Roberts) group …
Nematode Management: Know the Species Impacting Your Field
By Clint Thompson Before Florida specialty crop producers begin treating for guava root-knot nematodes, they need to understand what kind of nematodes species is impacting their fields. Not all nematode species can be treated the same, says Johan Desaeger, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and …
Early Season Insecticide Applications Key in Managing Whiteflies
By Clint Thompson Early season insecticide applications to manage whiteflies are key for Florida cucurbit growers hoping to manage this annual pest. Jawwad Qureshi, an entomologist at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, discussed the importance of not delaying treatments at the Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo. It could have disastrous results. “These are an important …
Solid Crop Needs to Survive Rust Mites
By Clint Thompson Citrus growers in North Florida and South Georgia are expected to start harvesting in early November. While the crop still looks promising, producers need to keep an eye on rust mites, says grower Kim Jones. “Rust mites can still be a real danger at this point. With fresh fruit, we’ve got to have a pretty piece of …
Guava Root-Knot Nematode More Aggressive, Reproduces Faster
By Clint Thompson The guava root-knot nematode can reproduce faster and be more aggressive than other nematode species. Those are two factors that all specialty crop producers should be mindful of. Johan Desaeger, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, discussed his findings with …
Minimize Mite Pressure in Citrus
Hot temperatures and dry conditions in some parts of the Southeast add up to ideal conditions for mite populations to increase in citrus groves. Lauren Diepenbrock, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor and entomologist, said citrus can tolerate some spider mite pressure. Increased pressure, though, can leave an impact. “You can handle some amount of …
