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
- As cucurbits begin to be transplanted throughout the state, it is time to think ahead and be ready for our most common pests.
- Cucumber beetles are an important and recurring pest for some squash, cucumber, pumpkin and watermelon growers. Note that in the spring, cucumber beetles start becoming active and enter fields from overwintering sites around late-April and through May in the Lowcountry, so a little bit later for those in Midlands and Upstate. These trends will shift based on spring temperatures.
- I’ll publish a separate more detailed post on South Carolina Grower in a few weeks with specific recommendations on scouting, management and deterrence. But for now, note this expected trend and start thinking ahead. Seedlings are the most vulnerable stage and need to be protected, especially if your field has a history of cucumber beetle problems.
Coastal Region
Zack Snipes
- We had some nice weather last week and a bit of rain last night. I really expect things to jump this week.
- Growers are extremely busy in the fields laying plastic, planting and harvesting any leftover winter crops.
- Spring greens look good with very little black rot or insect damage.
- I found some scale on blueberry and whiteflies on blackberry. We need to manage these right now to get control throughout the rest of the year. The MYIPM app is an excellent resource for identification and management options.
Midlands
Rob Last
- Another warm spring week in the Midlands leads to rapid crop growth and development.
- Strawberries are flowering well with a good fruit set.
- Please make sure to keep fungicide applications on a program and remember to rotate active ingredients.
- Keep monitoring for pest and disease activity; mites are active and present.
- Growers are seeing some differences in cultivar development. Notably, Fronteras has a more erect growth stage and appears to be a more vigorous plant in the spring. Whereas Camino Real is more prostate at this stage with a lower, flatter appearance. The plants are at very similar development stages, but the cultivar growth habit seems like Fronteras is further advanced.
- Blueberries are beginning to flower with the early cultivars, bud swell, and flower cover sprays, which assist in managing anthracnose and mummy berries.
- Leafy greens are growing well, with some crops showing aphids. Please keep monitoring for diamondback moths.
- Bed formation and plastic laying are going well here. With some rainfall over the weekend, soil conditions will be perfect to finish land preparations. We are looking for a firm bed with defined shoulders, and a rough rule of thumb is a 150-pound person should sink into the bed to approximately one inch.
Sarah Scott
- Warmer temperatures this past week have pushed crops along.
- Peaches are looking good. Growers are putting out copper sprays and continuing to prune later varieties.
- The temperatures from the latest chilly night caused frost in spotty locations across the Ridge. We are finding a few blooms here and there with cold damage but nothing out of the ordinary or to be alarmed about. Light, cold events can actually help us do some natural thinning.
- Strawberries are developing more blooms, and some fruit is being spotted in the fields.
Pee Dee
Christiana Huss
- We have had warm, wet weather in the Pee Dee.
- Strawberries that were covered during the warm days are showing more signs of disease compared to those left uncovered. The plants that were covered are also larger, brighter, and have more flowers and berries than those that were uncovered.
- Strawberry picking has begun! I tasted my first Medallion strawberry this week. It was sweet and delicious! This is a new variety for many of our growers.
- Aphids have been common on all plants. Fortunately, I’m seeing a high number of them killed by parasitoid wasps. Lady bugs are also quite active.
