By Clint Thompson
Pecan harvest season is just around the corner for growers in Georgia and Alabama. That does not mean that producers should be complete with their management programs.
One pest that producers must be wary of this time of year is the black pecan aphids. Its presence in orchards this season makes it a threat to a promising crop, says Apurba Barman, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor of entomology at the UGA Tifton Campus.
He highlighted the insect pest during Pecan Fall Field Day on Thursday at the UGA Ponder Farm in Tifton, Georgia.
“Black aphids are on the rise and in big numbers. I think we didn’t have them until two weeks ago, but they came back strong. I think every grower should be making application for black pecan aphid right now. It may even take one more application because we need to protect those trees as long as we can,” Barman said.
“We have the right insecticides. It’s just about applying them on time.”