Scale Certification June 18

North Carolina Law requires all individuals using scales to sell produce or other products by weight to have their scales certified every year.  The North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Henderson County Center will be hosting a scale certification event with Kenny Reed of NCDA&CS. 

Scales can be brought to the Extension Office in Jackson Park on Monday morning June 18 from 8:30-10:30 am or dropped off that morning from 7:45-8:30 am. Please include you name, phone number and address with the scale if you plan on just dropping it off. For more information call 828-697-4891.

Spotted Wing Drosophila on Small Fruits

Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), the fruit fly that is a possible game changer for the small fruit industry, is showing up in numbers across the state.  SWD has been captured at small fruit (blackberry) locations in Henderson County.

Dr. Hannah Burrack has posted a lot of information on her blog, NC Small Fruit and Specialty Crops IPM, about SWD.  Below are some important links that small fruit producers should review.

What growers who find SWD should do:
http://ncsmallfruitsipm.blogspot.com/2012/05/what-should-growers-and-homeowners-who.html

Factsheet for caneberry growers:
http://ncsmallfruitsipm.blogspot.com/2012/06/swd-factsheets-for-summer-2012.html

How to monitor SWD:
http://ncsmallfruitsipm.blogspot.com/2011/06/do-it-yourself-spotted-wing-drosophila.html
http://ncsmallfruitsipm.blogspot.com/2012/05/do-it-yourself-update-on-distinguishing.html

Information on our SWD monitoring network:
http://ncsmallfruitsipm.blogspot.com/search/label/SWD*VMN

All SWD posts:
http://ncsmallfruitsipm.blogspot.com/search/label/SWD

If you think that you have SWD and need help identifying the pest, please contact your local Cooperative Extension office.

Pennsylvania Potato and Tomato Growers Hit By Late Blight

Penn State Live is reporting the current outbreak of late blight on potato and tomato.  Late blight has not been found in Western NC, but growers should be scouting their fields.

For more information or to see pictures of the disease, review the post from June 3

Read the article: http://live.psu.edu/story/60029

Pest News June 1, 2012

Though this week's NC Pest News does not contain anything specifically about vegetable or fruit pests (though kudzu bugs may be a problem for folks growing edamame), I did want to draw your attention to some possible issues to be on the lookout for.

Cucurbit downy mildew and late blight of potato and tomato are very devastating and rapid moving diseases.  Though we do not have any reports of these diseases in WNC or our immediate surrounding areas, they have been reported in other parts of NC.  Weather has been ideal for both of these diseases in our area, cool and wet.  Also, because weather has been unsettled (many storms moving throughout the east coast) there is a chance that the spores of these pathogens could travel to WNC.

In fact, the Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecasting site issued WNC a low risk warning on Friday.  Cucurbit downy mildew has both been detected in eastern and central NC.  On June 1, new reports of the disease were confirmed as close as Franklin, Nash and Wake Counties in NC.  Cucurbit downy mildew is also tracking up the east coast into New Jersey.  To view a map of current Cucurbit Downy Mildew outbreaks visit the CDM IPM Pipe website.  Growers are advised to scout for this disease and to report to their local cooperative extension office if they need assistance or to report an outbreak. 

 

Symptoms of cucurbit downy mildew on cucumber are angular lesions that start a pale green and progress to bright yellow and then finally brown (above).  The best way to identify cucurbit downy mildew is to turn the leaf over to look for the downy growth of the pathogen's spores (below). 

 

Late blight on potatoes has also been detected in Camden County, NC and various other states on the east coast.  To view a current map of these outbreaks, visit the USABlight website.  Growers are urged to scout for this disease as well, as we know this can be a deal breaker for organic producers especially.

 

Late blight on a tomato leaf.

  Again, these diseases have not been reported in WNC.  If you suspect you have these diseases in your planting, please contact your local Cooperative Extension office for assistance.  It is reporting and early detection that can save a planting!