By Clint Thompson Horticultural oil applications are essential this winter for peach producers hoping to manage San Jose scale insects. Brett Blaauw, assistant professor at the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, says the warm winter conditions across Southeast aid the scale’s development. Growers can ill-afford to miss an application. “Getting ready for their dormant applications …
Corteva Ridgeback™ Insecticide Effective Against Whiteflies
By Clint Thompson and Frank Giles Specialty crop producers can never have too many insecticides in their management system. Growers will soon be able to add a new insecticide to the toolbox from Corteva Agriscience. Ridgeback™ insecticide should provide farmers in the Southeast another weapon in the arsenal in their annual fight against one destructive pest, says Nathan Alonzo, product …
Blueberry App Puts Information at Growers’ Fingertips
By Doug Phillips The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) blueberry breeding program has developed a phone app resource that includes several tools for Florida blueberry growers. It is available for download on both iOS and Android systems. Blueberry breeder Patricio Muñoz developed the idea for the UF/IFAS Blueberry Growers Guide app. He had a vision …
Insecticide Rotation Key in Long-Term Management of Whiteflies
By Clint Thompson Insecticide rotation when managing whiteflies remains key to long-term success in the Southeast. It has to be if growers want to avoid insecticide resistance developing. Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist, believes farmers have improved in recent years in protecting their insecticides for the future. “The same chemistries that we rely on, primarily …
Blueberry Management Tips for January
January remains a busy time of year for Florida blueberry farmers managing this year’s crop. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) reminds growers that it is essential to monitor for disease development, especially with Botrytis flower blight. Once bloom occurs, growers need to monitor for the disease during cool and wet periods. Producers need to …
ABT Populations Vary Across South Florida
According to UF/IFAS, scouts in south Hendry County detected the highest populations of Asian bean thrips (ABT) this week. In south Hendry County, an infestation of 0.2 adult ABT per bloom were reported, though population increases could surge over the next few weeks due to many larvae present. ABT populations were up to 0.1 per bloom in the Moore Haven …
Proclaim Insecticide a Valuable Option for Growers Against Diamondback Moth
By Clint Thompson One of the leading insecticide treatments for diamondback moth could still be vulnerable to overuse and eventual resistance. That’s why John Taylor, agronomic service representative for Syngenta, implores producers to rotate different modes of action so resistance does not develop. “Proclaim® is one of the stalwarts, so to speak, of diamondback moth management. With that being said, …
Pesky Pest: Diamondback Moth Remains Concern for Georgia Growers
By Clint Thompson One pest that Georgia vegetable growers can bank on for the upcoming season is diamondback moth. Its high resistance to insecticides makes it an annual pest that growers need to be wary of, according to Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist. “We have products that when they first come out, they were probably …
Sen. Booker Announces Legislation Aimed at Banning Dangerous Pesticides
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) has announced the Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act of 2021 (PACTPA) that would remove dangerous pesticides within the agricultural system. Specifically, this legislation would update the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act of 1972 (FIFRA) by banning the most damaging pesticides that have been scientifically proven to harm the safety of people and …
Scouting Report: Asian Bean Thrips Update
According to University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), the highest populations of Asian bean thrips (ABT) were detected this week by scouts in western Hendry County and on the Lee/Collier county line. Many thrips larvae were seen, which suggests that populations may be increasing. On the Lee/Collier line, an isolated infestation was reported where ABT adults …