By Clint Thompson Southeast peach producers will be interested to know that the bifenthrin product, Brigade 2EC, now has a supplemental label for peaches, along with pome fruits and pomegranates, according to the University of Georgia Extension Peach Blog. Bifenthrin is a pyrethroid, making it a broad spectrum insecticide that is effective against multiple insect pests, especially stink bugs and …
IFAS Blueberry Management Tips
Florida blueberry growers are just a few weeks away from harvest season. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences offers growers management tips for this point in the season. Producers should monitor for botrytis and apply control measures as needed. Any applications of fungicides prior to a need for overhead irrigation as freeze protection can help reduce disease …
Blueberry Management Tips for February
Florida blueberry growers are just a few weeks away from harvest season. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences offers growers management tips for this point in the season. Producers should monitor for botrytis and apply control measures as needed. Any applications of fungicides prior to a need for overhead irrigation as freeze protection can help reduce disease …
Sweet Corn Seminar Focused on South Florida Production
By Frank Giles Florida produces more sweet corn for the fresh market than any other state. About 37,000 acres of the crop are planted in Florida with more than half of that coming from the Palm Beach County/Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA). This year’s crop got off to a shaky start after experiencing heavy rains and winds from Hurricanes Ian and …
Cold Temperatures Did Not Eliminate Pepper Weevils, Whiteflies
By Clint Thompson Two insect pests of specialty crops in the Southeast were knocked back but not eliminated by the Christmas freeze event. Stormy Sparks, (UGA) Extension vegetable specialist, confirmed that pepper weevils and whiteflies are still a problem ahead of spring plantings despite multiple days of sub-freezing temperatures. “In whiteflies we killed a lot of adults. We probably did …
Interplanting Ornamentals With Vegetable Crops
By Ayanava Majumdar, Olivia Fuller and David Lawrence Small farms are diversified farms that grow many crops in a limited space. One question that is asked very commonly is whether it is advisable to interplant ornamentals with vegetable crops, also known as companion planting. It is somewhat common to see ornamental plants in rows with vegetables, for example, in high …
Weekly Field Update – 10/17/22
Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “We have had absolutely beautiful weather as of late. This past week, agents were busy harvesting sweet sorghum to make into syrup, to distill, brew and pop (sorghum popcorn). This old timey tradition …
Transitioning Tips for Summer to Fall Vegetable Crops
By Ayanava Majumdar, Chip East and Eric Schavey The southeastern United States is the hotbed of insect and disease issues in vegetable crops. Growers constantly have to deal with not only established pest and weed issues, but also the invasive ones. Organic farming of vegetables is a challenge for producers everywhere in the United States, and the battle against insect …
Comment Period for Cancellation of Organophosphate Pesticides Extended
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the comment period for the potential cancellation of organophosphate pesticides until Sept. 25, according to the University of Georgia (UGA) Extension Vegetable Blog. Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist, said that if organophosphates are important to your production program, growers should submit their comments to the EPA. “If organophosphates …
UGA Releases Parasitic Wasp to Control Invasive Fruit Fly
UGA Releases Parasitic Wasp to Control Invasive Fruit Fly In a quiet field of abandoned blueberries and shrubby brush in south Georgia, Cera Jones released hundreds of tiny parasitic wasps into the thicket. They followed their natural instinct to search for a host to incubate their predatory progeny. Jones manages the University of Georgia (UGA) Small Fruit Entomology Lab under …