By Clint Thompson Dry weather in the Southeast is inevitable. Those conditions could bring a resurgence of whitefly pressure, says Roy Morris, senior technical sales rep at Bayer. “When it’s wet, although your plants are lush, you start getting some fungi and things that’ll naturally occur and take out the (whitefly) populations. When it’s hot and dry, they can turn …
Insect Impact: Whiteflies, Wireworms, Rindworms Impacting Florida Watermelons
Insects are active in North Florida watermelon fields. According to his weekly email, Bob Hochmuth, UF/IFAS Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, said rindworms remain a problem. Growers need to maintain a good preventative program up until the last week of harvest. There have also been various reports of whitefly populations. This is especially concerning because they vector …
Biological Control of Sweetpotato Whiteflies With Predatory Mites in Squash
By Lorena Lopez and Oscar E. Liburd The sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) is one of the most problematic pests in vegetable production in the world and it is a key pest in squash. Most significant damage caused by this pest is due to the transmission of viral diseases and its ability to rapidly develop resistance to pesticides. Sweetpotato whiteflies can …
Whiteflies Still Problematic for Some Florida Farmers
According to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, whiteflies continue to be problematic for some Florida farmers. Around SW Florida, whiteflies continue to bounce up and down, as heavy rains and cool nights slowed them down a few days in most places. Population numbers and nymphs are building in a number of mature fields. Growers should increase monitoring efforts as pressure …
UGA Vegetable Entomologist: Potential Explosion of Whiteflies This Fall Never Occurred
Whiteflies were projected to have a widespread, devastating impact on fall vegetable crops in Georgia. But according to University of Georgia vegetable entomologist Stormy Sparks, that never happened. “We were setting up for an explosion of whiteflies in the fall and it never really occurred,” Sparks said. “I’m pleasantly surprised it wasn’t a lot worse than it was. In the …
Whiteflies Impacting Alabama Vegetables
This has been the year of the whitefly for vegetable producers in the Southeast. Even as they have been a problem for Georgia vegetable producers, they have also been a nuisance for Alabama farmers. Ed Sikora, an Alabama Extension Specialist Professor in Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University, said he’s seen quite a few whiteflies on some of …
Whiteflies Vary in Impact in Florida Vegetables This Fall
According to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, whiteflies are varying in impact in vegetables in South and Central Florida. Around the Central Florida area, respondents report that whiteflies remain active in tomato and melons at mostly low numbers. Growers and scouts in Southwest Florida report that whitefly pressure has declined with recent rains. Scouts report finding mostly low …
Syngenta Insecticide Expert: Growers Need as Many Tools as Possible to Control Whiteflies
The greatest risk of whiteflies to fall vegetable production are the viruses they can transmit, according to Meade McDonald, Syngenta Insecticide Product Lead. That’s why growers need to utilize every weapon in the arsenal this year to combat a threat that is reaching its highest infestations since 2017. “Using multiple modes of action and using as many tools that are …
Whiteflies Flaring Up in Florida Vegetables
According to the South Florida Vegetable Pest and Disease Hotline, whiteflies are flaring up in tomatoes and watermelons in Southwest Florida. In the Central Florida area, growers indicate that whiteflies are present in tomatoes low numbers, although some of the early plantings were hit hard by whiteflies. Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus pressure remains less than 1% but it is …
UGA Vegetable Entomologist More Optimistic About Whiteflies Following Rain, Cooler Temperatures
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist Stormy Sparks is more optimistic about the ongoing whitefly problem that farmers are facing this fall – especially more than what he was feeling two weeks ago. His reason for optimism? Remnants from a hurricane and a drop in temperatures. Remnants from Hurricane Sally and cooler weather this week should help knock back …