By Clint Thompson
Fruit production is well under way in South Carolina’s coastal region. Rob Last, Clemson horticultural Extension agent for Bamberg, Barnewell, Allendale and Hampton counties, provided production updates for various crops, which includes minimal pest and disease pressure.
“Everything’s looking very good at the moment,” Last said. “Peaches, blueberries and strawberries are all flowering nicely. We’re looking very good at the moment.”
One concern that Last cautions growers about are spider mites. According to University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, spider mites cause damage to fruit and vegetable plants and thrive in hot, dry weather conditions. They are a sucking insect that pierce their mouthparts into leaf tissue to suck out nutritious plant saps.
Producers need to scout their fields regularly to ensure timeliness of miticide applications. Farmers need to use an approved miticide rather than a pyrethroid due to potential for exacerbating the mite problem.
“Keep an eye out for spider mites in any fruit crops. They are around in the state. I’m not finding many in my area yet, but I would certainly expect to,” Last said.
Weather conditions have been mostly dry this winter in South Carolina’s coastal region. But this week’s rainfall, followed by cold temperatures during the weekend could impact crop development.
“It’s been a really nice, really warm open spring so far. It’s been quite dry, which is helping limit diseases. We are looking forward to some welcomed rain,” Last said. “There is some potential for some cooler weather, which can cause damage to flowers. We’re monitoring that and making preparations.”
