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
- Pickleworm and melonworm have arrived in the Lowcountry. Be on the lookout and ready to spray for this pest complex because of its potential to cause significant yield loss. Summer squash is at particular risk because of these pests’ strong preferences. It only takes one worm to ruin an entire squash or melon. They can also destroy many of the flowers before they become fruit as well as feed on the rinds.
- Many caterpillar insecticides are highly effective, especially Radiant and any of the diamides (Coragen, Exirel, etc.). Bt products (Dipel, Xentari, etc) can work well for organic growers (as will Entrust) but are limited by their short residual activity. Longer residual helps against these pests, because once they burrow into flowers or fruit, they become protected from subsequent foliar sprays.
Midlands
Rob Last
- The hot weather over the last week has been a blessing for many warm season crops, such as watermelon and cantaloupe, to encourage the ripening of crops.
- Crops coming to market include tomatoes, peppers, corn, early okra, eggplant, watermelons, squash, blackberries and cantaloupe.
- Keep scouting for pests, such as tomato hornworms, aphids and whiteflies.
- Both foliar and root diseases are prevalent. Timely scouting and applications of fungicides will be beneficial to protect crops.
- Sunscald is also very apparent on loaded crops of tomatoes, peppers and watermelons. Kaolin clays can help to mitigate the effect.
Upstate
Andy Rollins
- Peach picking is light but is continuing in the Upstate.
- Most strawberry growers are killing plants and cleaning up fields preparing for next year.
- We are seeing many problems on vegetables. We are finding Southern stem blight on pepper. Page 255 of the 2023 vegetable handbook addresses control options.
- We believe we have fusarium wilt in tomato and squash coming in after excessive rain the week before last. We are waiting for results from the lab to be sure. The tomato has damaged cambium that is proceeding toward interior of the stem.
- Successful new plantings of blueberries are doing well.
- New in-line fumigation training is being done for a few strawberry growers.