By Xavier Martini and Joe Funderburk Thrips are important pests of tomatoes for two reasons. First, they damage fruit directly by egg-laying or feeding (Figure 1). More importantly, some species also vector tospoviruses that include tomato spotted wilt virus, groundnut ringspot virus and tomato chlorotic spot virus. These tospoviruses can considerably decrease the crop yield if thrips are not controlled. …
Breaking the Insect Population Cycle in Vegetables with Dual Modes of Action
By: Craig Campbell, Senior Field Market Development Specialist (Valent U.S.A.) Southeastern vegetable growers are fighting a tough battle against damaging pests like whiteflies, thrips and aphids. Valent U.S.A. is excited to announce that Senstar™ Insecticide is now available to control these tough insect pests in brassica, leafy, fruiting and bulb vegetable production. Senstar works by combining two effective modes of …
Protecting Peppers From Anthracnose
By Pam Roberts Anthracnose is a serious disease problem that can occur throughout pepper-growing regions worldwide. Extensive outbreaks of the disease have developed on bell and other specialty peppers types, such as hot peppers. The disease is more common when both the inoculum and warm weather combined with frequent rains occur. Fruit infections cause significant losses of either mature (red, …
Sweet Grown Alabama is a ‘One-Stop Shop’ for Consumers
More than 150 farmers are part of the Sweet Grown Alabama database. Director Ellie Watson believes the sweetgrownalabama website is an integral part of connecting the state’s producers with its consumers. “We have a pretty great representation across all counties and all areas of the state. Of course, we’re still looking to grow that database,” Watson said. “We know that …
Hemp Industry Primed for Growth in Florida
One of the first commercial hemp growers in Florida believes the industry is primed for growth in the Sunshine State. “All of the skills and experience and ability to make what you need, to observe and adapt to your environment, those are crucial skills to being successful with the crop and Florida farmers are going to know how to grow …
Georgia Peaches Nearing End to ’20 Season
Time is running out on Georgia’s peach crop this year. Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties, confirmed that the state’s producers only have about a week left before they are done harvesting this year’s crop. “We’ll still ship, maybe for another week. We’re getting to the end here,” Cook …
Organic Management Methods for Squash Pests
By Ayanava Majumdar, Rammohan Balusu and Neil Kelly Many pests feed on squash from seedling to harvest. They are generally broken down into two groups: the chewing insects and the sucking insects. Chewing insects of squash consist of common pests like cucumber beetle, squash vine borer larva and pickleworm. Sucking insect pests consist of aphids, squash bugs and whiteflies. The …
Technology to Improve Vegetable Production
By Yiannis Ampatzidis Vegetable growers face a variety of challenges, including pest and diseases, labor shortages and climate change. How can new advancements in technology help growers address these challenges? Can technology improve crops, reduce production costs and protect the environment? How can technological innovations be incorporated into traditional farming to improve production practices? In the last few decades, several …
Mystery Seeds Could Pose Real Threat
By Maggie Lawrence AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. — How much harm could a package of mystery seeds do? Scientists with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System agree that unsolicited seed packets being delivered in Alabama and across the country could pose a real threat to native ecosystems and possibly to people. Threat of Invasive Species Nancy Loewenstein, an invasive plant expert with …
Alabama Hemp Producers Need to Protect Against Caterpillar Damage
Alabama hemp is at a stage in the growing season when it is vulnerable to caterpillar damage, says Katelyn Kesheimer, Auburn University Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist. She said a lot of the hemp in the state is starting to flower, which is when it is most susceptible. “We’re gearing up for corn earworm for caterpillars. A lot of the …