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May Vegetable Insect Scouting Update

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 May Vegetable Insect Scouting Update

By Emily Zobel
Ag Agent Dorchester County

It is crucial to check 5-10 locations (50+ plants) throughout the field when making treatment decisions. Localized infestations can be spot treated to save resources, time, and money. For up-to-date chemical recommendations, check the Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Guide or consult your local extension agent.

Spotted Lanternfly Update! 

Spotted lanternfly eggs are hatching. Be on the alert when moving equipment or plants out of the quarantine areas. Early instar nymphs are black with domino-like white spots.

Asparagus: Continue to scout for asparagus beetles. Feeding by beetles can disfigure spears, and depending on the market, the presence of eggs on the spears can make them unmarketable. When scouting, count adults, eggs, and larvae, and take note of the damage to each plant. Consider treatment if >10% of the spears are infested with beetles (1 or more per plant) or 1-2% have eggs or damage. Treat ferns if 50-75% are infested.  Minimize the impact of spear damage on asparagus fields by harvesting asparagus spears every day during the harvest season.

 Brassica/Cole crops: Recently transplanted and newly emerged seedlings of cole crops are at risk of damage from flea beetles. Scout early and consider treating when 50% or more plants show injury and flea beetles are present on plants. Scout fields for imported cabbageworm (ICW) (Fig 2.)and diamondback larvae. With warmer temperatures on the way, these infestations can increase rapidly. When scouting, paying particular attention to the innermost leaves where ICW often feed, consider treating for fresh market cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower if caterpillars are found on 20% or more plants during the seedling stage. Infestations up to 30% may be tolerated from early growth to cupping. On cabbage, once heads begin to form, a 5% threshold should be observed to protect the marketable portion of the plant. For broccoli and cauliflower, use 15% at curd initiation/cupping and 5% from curd development to harvest. For leafy greens such as collards and kale, 10% plants infested is the threshold throughout the season.

Melons: As the weather warms up, you will want to start scouting melons for aphids, cucumber beetles, and spider mites since once we get a few consecutive days of warm, sunny weather, populations can explode. Consider treating if an average of 2 adult beetle is found per plant. For spider mites, treatment is warranted when 10-15% of the crown leaves are infested early in the season and when 50% of crown leaves are infested late in the season. The continued use of Sevin or the pyrethroids may result in mite outbreaks.

Sweet Corn: Sample for cutworms and flea beetles. As a general guideline, treatments should be applied if you find 3% cut plants or 10% leaf feeding. In order to get an accurate estimate of flea beetle populations, fields should be scouted mid-day when beetles are active.

Two Spotted Spider Mites and Cyclamen Mites Found in Strawberries.

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By Jerry Brust, UME

With the cooler weather we have had of late I was surprised to find low levels of mites in strawberry fields, with a few hot spots of mites in some high tunnels. There were two species of mites found: the two spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae and the cyclamen mite Phytonemus pallidus.

Fig. 1 Overwintered female two spotted spider mite.

Overwintering female two spotted spider mites are an orangish-red (Fig. 1) and most of the mites that can be seen with a naked eye will appear reddish in color. Spider mites overwinter in the soil or leaf litter, although they may remain somewhat active in high tunnels through the winter. The light yellowish eggs are pearl-like in appearance and are attached to the undersides of leaves or stems. Feeding damage by mites that occurs before fruiting can cause the most loss in yield, but after the first strawberry harvest plants can tolerate much greater rates of infestation. Growers should check their strawberries for mites now, especially if you have them in a high tunnel. If mites are found now you need more than 5 mites per leaflet (1/3 of a leaf) to justify the expense of a miticide application.

Continue reading Two Spotted Spider Mites and Cyclamen Mites Found in Strawberries.

Strategies for Effective Management of Botrytis and Anthracnose Fruit Rot in Strawberries

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Strategies for Effective Management of Botrytis and Anthracnose Fruit Rot in Strawberries

Dr. Mengjun Hu, Univ. of Maryland, and Kathy Demchak, Penn State Extension

Managing gray mold (Botrytis) on strawberries is increasingly challenging because of fungicide resistance development, plus a new Botrytis species that is less susceptible to fungicides is becoming common in the mid-Atlantic region. Resistance to certain fungicides is also a problem in management of anthracnose fruit rot.  This article describes disease management strategies designed to slow further resistance development, while also providing specifics for managing our two most common fruit rots.

Gray mold on strawberry. Photo: Kathy Demchak, Penn State Extension

First, what’s new with Botrytis.  There are at least 4 species of Botrytis that can infect strawberries, but only two of them have been commonly found in the region. Botrytis cinerea, the species traditionally infecting strawberries, is present nearly everywhere and affects many horticultural crops.  Recently another species, Botrytis fragariae, has also been found and as its name indicates, is more specific to strawberry plants. It appears to overwinter on strawberry plant tissue, and preferentially colonizes blossoms early in the spring, causing them to “turn brown and dry up”.  While sometimes only one of these species is present, both can be present at the same time in a field and even in the same blossom.  Using certain fungicides selects for resistant strains of either species, and also preferentially selects for one species over the other.  This means that both species have resistance to multiple fungicide groups, and both species can survive in fungicide-treated fields.

How can you tell if the newer species of Botrytis might be present in your fields?  While B. cinerea (the traditional species) is often isolated from both flowers and fruit, B. fragariae (the new one) is often isolated from flowers, and it has been shown that B. fragariae infection was much more aggressive on strawberry flowers than fruit. If you see larger-than-usual numbers of blossoms turning brown and shriveling (not to be confused with frost damage, which blackens the center of the flower), it may be prudent to choose fungicides as if B. fragariae presence had been confirmed in your field.  If you see no more symptoms on the flowers or buds than usual, you may be able to assume that the new species isn’t present, or at least not to a great extent.

Continue reading Strategies for Effective Management of Botrytis and Anthracnose Fruit Rot in Strawberries

Upcoming UME Fruit and Vegetable Meetings!

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Below is a list of UME Fruit and Vegetable meetings for 2022!

Virtual Statewide Grower Meeting

The following meeting will be in-person. Participants may be required to wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines based on county guideline at the time of the meeting. Seating may be limited for on-site participation due to University of Maryland COVID 19 meeting rule compliance. 

  • Central Maryland Vegetable Growers Meeting
    January 27, 2022,  8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
    Location: Friendly Farm Inn, (17434 Foreston Road) Upperco, Maryland.
    Topics will include: Blueberry Fertility, Strawberry Disease Management, Apple Rootstocks, Management of Spider Mite and Thrips, MDA updates ….and more!
    Presentations start at 8:30 and end at 12:30 with Friendly Farms famous all-you-can-eat lunch. Cost to attend this meeting is $28.00 if you pre-register or $35.00 at the door. 
    For more information or to register call UM Extension Baltimore County Office at 410-887-8090 or email Erica Crowl ecrowl@umd.edu.  Register online: https://2022veggieday.eventbrite.com 
  • Southern Maryland Vegetable & Fruit Production Meeting
    February 10, 2022, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
    Location: Baden Volunteer Fire Department, 16608 Brandywine Road, Brandywine, MD 20613
     $15.00 fee payable at the door. Speakers will provide IPM updates and present on a broad range of production topics.  For more information please contact Ben Beale (301-475-4484)  or Dave Myers (301-405-4351). Register here
  • Western Maryland Fruit Meeting
    February 10, 2022, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
    Location: Western Maryland Research and Education Center, 18330 Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD.  Fee of $30.00  (after Feb. 3 – $40) Speakers will provide IPM  & Nutrient Management updates and will present on Fruit production topics. For more information please contact Joe Fiola (30-432-2767 x 344). Register Here 
  • Eastern Shore Vegetable Growers Meeting
    February 16, 2022, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
    Location: Cambridge Premier Cinemas, 2759 Dorchester Square, Cambridge, MD.
    Cost $10.  For more information please contact Emily Zobel (401-228-8800).

 

Upcoming Event: Urban Farmer Field Schools

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High tunnels (or hoop houses) extend the growing season for specialty crops. This summer, UMD Extension will teach workshops on urban farms in Baltimore, MD to help urban growers learn about pest, disease, and soil management to get the most out of their high tunnels.
For more information, and to register to attend (free), please follow the link below for the date and location that works best for you.

These classes are supported by Cooperative Agreement #NR203B19XXXXC003 funded by the USDA-NRCS MD (United States Department of Agriculture –Natural Resources Conservation Service, Maryland).
UMD Extension is an equal opportunity provider.
Esta institución ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.
Please contact Neith Little, Urban Agriculture Extension Educator, with any questions. nglittle@umd.edu 410-856-1850 x122

Summary: Comparative efficacy of common active ingredients in organic insecticides against difficult to control insect pests

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By Galen P. Dively, Terrence Patton, Lindsay Barranco, and Kelly Kulhanek.

 

The Full Article can be found online for free here: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/9/614 

 

According to USA organic standards, farmers can apply a certified allowable insecticide when all non-chemical practices fail to control pests. However, there exists a lack of control efficacy information to enable decision-making about which organic product works best for a given target pest. 

 

This paper summarize the results of 153 field trials on the control efficacy of common active ingredients in organic insecticides against groups of the most difficult to control insect pests. The performance of organic products Entrust (spinosad), Azera (pyrethrin and azadirachtin), PyGanic (pyrethrin) and Neemix (azadirachtin) varied widely among pest groups, as well as among pest species within a group, providing an overall reduction in pest infestations by 73.9%, 61.7%, 48.6% and 46.1%, respectively. 

 

Entrust was the most effective control option for many insect pests, particularly providing >75% control of flea beetles, Colorado potato beetle, cabbage worms, and alfalfa weevil. However, Entrust was relatively ineffective against sucking insects, particularly true bugs and aphids. Resistance to spinosad has occurred in several insect pests, especially diamondback moths, several thrips species, and Colorado potato beetles, so farmers should consider using other classes of insecticides in rotation with Entrust to reduce the risk of resistance development.

 

Azera provided >75% control of green peach aphid, flea beetles, Japanese beetle, Mexican bean beetle, potato leafhopper, and cabbage worms. PyGanic was less effective than Entrust and Azera but still provided >75% control of green peach aphid, flea beetles, and potato leafhopper. The growth inhibition effects of azadirachtin in Neemix were particularly effective against larvae of Mexican bean beetle and Colorado potato beetle, but were generally less effective in trials with insect infestations consisting mainly of adult stages. 

 

Those insect pests that were particularly difficult to control included thrips, stink bugs, cucumber beetles, and fruit worms. 

UME May Vegetable & Fruit Newsletter and Sweet Corn Needs Assessment Survey

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The May issues of the UME Vegetable & Fruit Newsletter is now available.
You can download it and past issues here: https://extension.umd.edu/locations/anne-arundel-county/agriculture-food-systems. 

This issue has information about:
– June Vegetable insect scouting Tips
– Leafminers on Spinach, beets and Swiss Chard
– Edema Problem in Greenhouse Tomatoes
– Two Spotted Spider Mites in Strawberries
– Efficacy of Common Active Ingredients in Organic Insecticides
– How to Disinfect Stakes
– Blueberry IPM
– Primocane Blackberries
– Spotted Wing Drosophila Updated Insecticide Efficacy Chart
and more.

If you grow sweet corn please consider filling out the Corn Earworm Management in Sweet Corn Needs Assessment Survey.

Dr. Kelly Hamby, Associate Professor/Extension Specialist with the Department of Entomology at University of Maryland is leading a team of researchers who have developed a survey to prioritize research and extension efforts for improving corn earworm management in sweet corn throughout the Northeast. We appreciate your participation in this survey and will use results to develop a grant proposal to try to get federal funding to address these needs.

Survey link: https://ume.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9vRh1xHnDp4KEaa

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 for Specialty Crop Producers

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The deadline to apply for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) is coming up on  December 11, 2020.  Application should be done through your local USDA Farm Service Agency.

More than 230 fruit, vegetable, horticulture, and tree nut commodities are eligible for CFAP 2, along with honey, maple sap, floriculture and nursery crops. Check to see if the crops you grow are eligible through our Eligible Commodities Finder tool.

Learn more at farmers.gov/cfap or call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer assistance.