2013 Vegetable Handbook Available On-Line

 

 The 2013 Southeastern Vegetable Crop Handbook is now available on-line.  The hard copies will be available early next year.  Make sure to visit your local Cooperative Extension office to pick one up!

Doctors Writing Prescriptions for Fruits and Vegetable

Link to full article: http://bit.ly/NR0Cl3

 Gary Clary, CNN


Bad cholesterol, depression, high blood pressure; these are all conditions that often prompt a trip to the pharmacy. But now, physicians are administering a different treatment entirely: produce. Doctors at select clinics across the country are writing some obese patients "prescriptions" for fruits and vegetables.

The Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program provides daily $1 subsidies to buy produce at local farmers markets. FVRx, as it is also known, is funded through Wholesome Wave, a non-profit organization which operates from private donations. Each member of a family gets the $1 prescription so, for example, a family of five would end up getting $35 per week to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables.

To read the entire article go here.

Consumer spending on fruits, vegetables stagnates, study says

Tom Karst
The Packer
07/30/2012


While buying more sweets and processed foods, Americans are spending virtually the same percentage of their budget on fruits and vegetables in 2012 as they did 30 years ago.

A study by Planet Money/National Public Radio released this summer shows consumers spend an average of 14.6% of their grocery budget on fruits and vegetables, compared with 14.5% in 1982.

Processed foods and sweets showed the most dramatic gains over the past 30 years, rising from 11.6% of the grocery budget in 1982 to 22.9% in 2012.  Reflecting the efficiencies gained in larger scale animal facilities, the percent of the grocery budget spent on meats dropped from 31.3% in 1982 to just 21.5% in 2012.

The data, compiled from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed that the percent of groceries spent on dairy products dropped from 13.3% to 11.1%, while the amount spent on grains and baked goods rose from 13.2% to 14.4%.

Comparing 1982 and 2012, the study found inflation-adjusted prices of selected fruits and vegetables (measured in 2012 dollars) showed mixed trends.

The 2012 prices of apples, bananas, lettuce and tomatoes were cheaper than 1982, while grapefruit and pepper prices were higher compared with 30 years ago.

U.S. Grocery expenditures

                                           2012                                     1982

Meats                                  21.5%                                    31.3%

Fruits and vegetables              14.6%                                    14.5%

Grains and baked goods           14.4%                                    13.2%

Beverages                             11.1%                                    11%

Dairy products                       10.6%                                    13.2%

Other foods                           5.1%                                      5.3%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Planet Money/NPR

Original link: http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/Consumer-spending-on-fruits-vegetables-stagnates-study-says-164270706.html

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!

Cucurbit Downy Mildew and Powdery Mildew Early

There have been unusually early reports of both downy mildew (Pseudoperonspora cubensis) and powdery mildew (Podosphaera xanthii and Erysiphe cichoracearum) on cucurbits in the southeast this season.


Growers are encouraged to be on the lookout for these diseases and to call their local cooperative extension office if they need identification help, management recommendations and to report disease.

DOWNY MILDEW
Southeast Farm Press. May 11. 2012: Downy mildew showing up early in cucumbers.

Cucurbit Downy Mildew Found in NC, Rapid Response and Implications for Local Growers.

Frank J. Louws (1), Wendy Britton (1), Peter Ojiambo (1) and Billy Little (2). (1) Department of Plant Pathology, NCSU; (2) Cooperative Extension, Wilson NC.

There was a confirmed report of cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) in a hoop house in Wilson County, NC on May 3, 2012.  The house contained 2 rows of trellised cucumbers and about 20 vines had early symptoms.  The infection was about 5% and with actively sporulating lesions.

Wilson Cooperative Extension, the NCDA, NCSU specialists, and the CDM ipmPIPE team actively worked to contain this outbreak as soon as possible. Discussions with the grower, industry representatives, and state/University employees reached a quick consensus that the best course of action was to destroy all cucumber vines. The vines were cut, roots extracted, all debris swept up and placed in plastic bags. The contained plant material was carried from the greenhouse and buried at the edge of a field that will not be cultivated this season. This was completed and verified as of 2:00 pm Friday May 4, 2012.

CES and industry knowledge about the area suggested field cucumbers were not present in the vicinity and the inoculum from the hoop house presented a zero to low risk to the industry as a whole. The CDM ipmPIPE subsequently changed the status of this outbreak from "confirmed" to "no longer found".  The county in NC will remain on the map but will not be forecasted as an active source. This data is available at http://cdm.ipmpipe.org.

The only other recorded incidence of CDM is in south Florida. Based on recent weather patterns, there is no evidence the inoculum originated from south Florida and there are no field reports of CDM north of south Florida. A thorough examination suggested the grower used optimum best management practices regarding sanitation, removal of all volunteers and other standard practices. Thus, the source of inoculum remains unknown. However, early detection, rapid destruction and historical weather patterns provide high confidence the problem was contained and does not represent a threat to the industry. At this time, we would not recommend implementation of spray programs to manage CDM in cucumber fields in NC. Monitoring of local fields and forecasting spore dispersal from known sources in south Florida will continue and observations will be posted at the CDM ipmPIPE website.

For further information or questions do not hesitate to call Dr. Frank Louws 919-515-6689 or email frank_louws@ncsu.edu (use subject line Downy Mildew).  

To view previous posts on cucurbit downy mildew click here


POWDERY MILDEW
Dr. Tony Keinath, Clemson University Extension Plant Pathologist, sent out a Timely Talk Update about the presence of powdery mildew on watermelons already this season.  To learn more go to Early Outbreak of Powdery Mildew on Watermelon in South Carolina.

To learn more about cucurbit powdery mildew click here.

New Rust Found on Eggplant in Florida

It seems like this year will be challenging for pest control on vegetables. Please see the message below from Gene McAvoy, County Extension Director in Hendry County, FL.

Dr Pam Roberts reports a new find of rust on eggplant in SW Florida.

Rust detected on eggplant (Solanum melongena) in Southwest Florida Pamela D. Roberts, Katherine Hendricks, and Mark Verbeck 3/3/2012

Lesions were detected on the top of eggplant leaves that were roughly circular, with a yellow halo and a dark center. Lesions on the undersides of the leaves were similar except they were a bit smaller and contained pustule, cup-like structure with erupting yellow to orange spores.

Microscopic examination revealed that the individual structures (aecia) contained spores (aeciospores). Spores were red-orange in color and round to ovoid.

A rust disease caused by Puccinia sp. was described on eggplant in Georgia in 1997. Eggplant was the aecial host for the rust pathogen of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum). We suspect this is the same rust and will follow with additional testing.

In this outbreak, nearly every eggplant in a 10 acre field was affected. Plants are mature and have been harvested 2 to 3 times. No symptoms occurred on fruit.

To see pictures of the disease and read more about, please visit Eggplant Rust Alert.

NC Pest News for July 22

Sorry this is a little late. The latest edition of NC Pest News is now available.

In the July 22 issue:

1. My tomato plants are wilting...then they die
2. New website to report brown marmorated stink bug sightings in North Carolina

Downy Mildew Confirmed in Buncombe County

Downy mildew has been confirmed at very low levels in a 2-acre cucumber field in Buncombe County. Growers are encouraged to begin treatment.

Review this post from June on the current recommendations: Pest News June 24

Don't forget to review the Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecasting website for more information.

Vegetable Production Workshop July 27, Mountain Research Station

Mountain Research Station

There will be a Vegetable Production Workshop on July 27 at the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville.

Please take this opportunity to see the exciting research being conducted on the test farm.

What: Vegetable Production Workshop

Where: Mountain Research Station, 265 Test Farm Road, Waynesville, NC. 828.456.3943

Agenda: 1:30-2 pm Registration

2pm - Welcome - Kaleb Rathbone, Superintendent of Mountain Research Station

2:15 pm - East Coast Broccoli Production, Dr. Jeanine Davis, NCSU Horticulture

2:35 pm - Tomato Insect Control, Dr. Jim Walgenbach, NCSU Entomology

2:50 - Drip Irrigation, Dr. Greg Hoyt, NCSU Soil Science

3:10 - Tomato Breeding Program, Dr. Dilip Panthee, NCSU Horticulture

3:25 - Organic Research Overview, Dr. Jeanine Davis

3:45 - Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecasting, Mike Adams, NCSU Plant Pathology

4:05 - Pumpkin Variety Trial, Dr. Jonathon Schultheis, NCSU Horticulture

4:20 - Sweet Corn Variety Trial, Dr. Terry Kelly, Harris Moran Seeds

4:35 - Vegetable Disease Control, Dr. Kelly Ivors, NCSU Plant Pathology


Registration is free.

Pesticide credits are available. 1.5 hours N, O, D, X

South Carolina: Downy Mildew Found on Cucurbits in Home Garden Center

**No cucurbit plants infected by downy mildew have been identified in NC big box stores, but growers and home owners should always inspect transplants before purchasing**

Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Keinath at Clemson sent the following report to agents:

"My technician found cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) on yellow summer squash and zucchini plants at a Home Depot store in Charleston, SC on Wed. 4/6/11. There were several plants at bloom stage in 1-gallon pots with spots of downy mildew on about 25% of the leaves. Several CDM spots had begun to sporulate. (The plants also had powdery mildew, which was more severe than CDM.) The plants were grown in Miami, FL, and labeled with Home Depot tags. The garden manager pulled all of the remaining plants. However, it appears that some diseased squash plants were purchased between Wed. and Sunday, when I confirmed CDM.

Please check your local Home Depot store to see if they also had a shipment of diseased squash plants. These plants could be the start of an early epidemic of CDM in your area! If you find any diseased plants, please let me know. (Squash plants with powdery mildew only also should not be sold.)"

Dr. Keinath put together an informational fact sheet on this problem including control recommendations. Timely Talk: Cucurbit Downy Mildew.

Please revisit my blogpost from April 22, 2010 on diseases in home garden centers entitled "Don't Bring Problems in With Transplants! "

Use the "Search WNC Veggies" application at the top of the right hand menu to find pictures and descriptions of cucurbit downy mildew.

Researchers Taking Bite Out of Late Blight

Late Blight on Tomato Leaf

• The North Carolina State effort will focus on the development of an online national late blight reporting and alert system.

• The system, which will show farmers late blight outbreaks across the nation, will include what is known as decision support information on how best to deal with the disease.

North Carolina State University scientists will be heavily involved in a national effort to help farmers better manage a plant disease called late blight, which can decimate tomatoes and potatoes.

Jean Ristaino, a professor of plant pathology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State, and Ryan Boyles, state climatologist and director of the State Climate Office of North Carolina, which is located on North Carolina State’s Centennial Campus, are part of a $9 million, 5-year U.S. Department of Agriculture effort to give farmers better tools to use in dealing with late blight. The effort is being led by the University of California at Riverside but will involve scientists across the nation.

Ristaino said the North Carolina State effort will focus on the development of an online national late blight reporting and alert system. This system, which will show farmers late blight outbreaks across the nation, will include what is known as decision support information on how best to deal with the disease.

Late blight, which is caused by a pathogen called Phytophthora infestans, infects American tomato and potato crops every year, Ristaino explained, but various factors, including weather, determine whether the disease causes significant crop losses from year to year.

The disease was particularly bad in 2009, she added, when cooler than normal temperatures and abundant rainfall helped spread late blight. In 2009, late blight destroyed much of the tomato production in the northeast U.S.

Ristaino said growers can protect their crops from the disease if they apply fungicide prior to a disease outbreak and if they apply the correct fungicide.

The system that Boyles and Ristaino are developing is designed to give farmers the information they need to protect their crops from the disease.

The state climate office will develop an online map that will use information from monitoring teams around the nation to locate late blight outbreaks.

Usually begins in Florida Ristaino said that on the East Coast, the disease typically begins each spring on tomatoes in Florida and then spreads to other areas by weather events.
The spores that cause the disease can be carried on the wind, although Ristaino said that in 2009 most pathogen movement was the result of the shipment of infected plants from one part of the country to another.

The severity of the disease also depends to a large degree on the strain, or type, of late blight. Working with scientists at Cornell University in New York, Ristaino will determine the type of late blight found in farmer’s fields. Ristaino said 24 different late blight strains, or genotypes, have been found in the United States, and some of these strains tend to damage one crop, either
tomatoes or potatoes, more than the other.

At the same time, different strains are more or less susceptible to different fungicides. In 2009, five different strains were found on tomatoes and potatoes, but one particular strain, US-22, did most of the damage, she added.

When reporting teams across the country find the disease, they will send samples to Cornell and North Carolina State and to Oregon State on the West Coast. At North Carolina State, Ristaino’s lab will determine the disease genotype. This information along with the location of the disease will be available through the online map.

The late blight website will also include information on how best to protect crops from the disease. Ristaino added that as she and other scientists identify late blight strains they should be able to track the development of strains that are resistant to various fungicides, information that should be extremely helpful in aiding farmers in managing the disease.

Ristaino said the project also includes an educational component. Summer internships will be available to undergraduate students who wish to work on the project.

The reporting and alert system is expected to be operational for the 2011 growing season, and Ristaino said she expects to begin receiving disease samples in early May.

She added that the disease typically moves up the East Coast as the growing season progresses. Late blight is usually found on North Carolina potatoes in June, while it’s usually found on tomatoes in western North Carolina in late July and August.

This year, farmers should be better prepared than in the past when late blight makes its annual appearance.

Source URL: http://southeastfarmpress.com/vegetables/researchers-taking-
bite-out-late-blight

2011-04-08
Byline: By Dave Caldwell, North Carolina State University

More 2011 Food Trends: More Fruits and Veggies!

On Monday, President Obama signed a bill to overhaul child nutrition standards. This move plus Mrs. Obama's "Let's Move" anti-obesity campaign, may be what is contributing to Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert from ConAgra Foods to predict more nutritious foods, including fruits and vegetables for 2011.

Yesterday, I posted on the 'What's Hot' Restaurant Trends for 2011, which were also based on nutritious, locally-grown, sustainable foods. I'm glad this is catching on!

Ethnic Crop Opportunites for East Coast Growers

There is an interesting article in the Journal of Extension (JOE) dealing with some new, ethnic crop ideas for vegetable farmers.

Abstract
We examined the potential for expansion of production of ethnic crops on the U.S. East Coast by commercial farmers from a market-first and economic perspective based on consumer demand. A survey of consumers from four ethnic groups showed that the ethnic crops in greatest demand are as follows: Chinese—Baby Pak Choy, Oriental Eggplant, and Smooth Luffa; Asian Indians—Bottle Gourd, Indian Eggplant, and Bitter Melon; Mexicans—Chili Jalapeno and Tomatillo; Hispanic—Aji Dulce, Batata, and Pepinillo/Bitter gourd. Results of the study have important implications to assist local growers in deciding to produce ethnic crops.

Read the full article at http://www.joe.org/joe/2010december/rb2.php

Authors
The study was conducted by folks at Rutgers University and the University of Florida.
Ramu Govindasamy, Richard Van Vranken, William Sciarappa, Albert Ayeni, Venkata S. Puduri, Kim Pappas, James E. Simon, Frank Mangan, Mary Lamberts and Gene McAvoy.

"What's Hot" Trends for 2011

The National Restaurant Association's annual survey of 1,500 professional chefs from the American Culinary Federation is here!

I find that this list is an important tool for growers to use during the planning for next season. This is especially important for producers who sell to restaurants.

Again this year we see local, sustainable and organic as some of the top trends. I hope this means these "trends" are here to stay!

Here are the top 10 overall trends:

1. Locally sourced meat and seafood
2. Locally grown produce
3. Sustainability
4. Nutritionally balanced children's dishes
5. Hyper-local (e.g. restaurant gardens, do your own butchering)
6. Children's nutrition
7. Sustainable seafood
8. Gluten-free/food allergy conscious
9. Simplicity/back to basics
10. Farm/estate-branded ingredients

Also making the top 20 is Locally produced wine and beer (#12), Organic produce (#14) and Fruit/Vegetable children's side items (#18).

The top 5 produce trends:

1. Locally grown produce
2. Organic produce
3. Superfruits (acai, goji, purslane, mangosteen)
   
4. Heirloom beans
5. Exotic fruit (paw paw, passion fruit, durian, dragon fruit and guava)
   

Download the entire What's Hot for 2011 chef survey results (PDF).

USDA Reports Increased Diversification in Horticultural Operations

To read the full report click here.

Highlights from the article include:

The sale of food crops grown under protection, including fruits and vegetables in hothouses, as well as transplants for commercial vegetable production increased 149 percent since the last time the census of horticulture was conducted in 1998.

“Despite the recent economic downturn, the U.S. horticulture industry as a whole is showing resilience by increasing diversification of the products produced,” said Joe Prusacki, NASS Statistics Division director. “Food crop production has shown the largest growth in this sector of agriculture, possibly a link to increased consumer interest in fresh fruits and vegetables.”

“Overall, total sales of horticultural crops between 1998 and 2009 increased by 10 percent to $11.7 billion,” added Prusacki. “Looking at the entire agricultural industry however, this 10-percent increase lags behind the 60-percent increase seen for all agricultural crop commodities during this same time period.”

To read the full report click here.

Greenhouse Growers Workshop

When?: Thursday, November 18. Registration starts at 8 am. Program runs from 9 am-4:30 pm

Where?: Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River

Who Should Attend?: This educational program is geared toward both the ornamental and vegetable greenhouse grower.

How much?: Registration is $10 per person and includes lunch. Registration is required by Friday, November 12. Click here for the brochure and registration form.

About the Program: In the morning, all attendees will learn the newest container designs, latest substrate options from Fafard and about releasing biologicals in the greenhouse. During lunch, you will learn how to improve your greenhouse efficiency. There will be two afternoon sessions, one for ornamental and one for vegetable growers.

The vegetable session will include talks about Commercial Production of Vegetable Transplants, Vegetable Varieties and Soil Fertility.
Click here for the complete agenda.

Come see, ask questions and network with other growers, specialists and industry representatives!

NC pesticide credits will be available.

Sustainable Insect Management Workshop

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Sustainable/Organic Insect Management for Vegetable Growers Workshop in Clinton, SC. Our first stop was Parson Produce, a certified organic farm located at Bush River Farm.


Here we were greeted by Daniel Parson, a young and gregarious farmer who has been farming for 12 years. Daniel is a great presenter and has a Master's degree from Clemson University. Some of you may know Daniel from his presentations at SSAWG.

Daniel discussed his farm and showed us his farming equipment, which he stated is a piece of his pest management strategy. In true organic fashion, his production is a whole-farm system and pest management starts with productive soils, adequate not abundant nutrition, cover crops and good weed management.

Next, we moved to the field where Dr. Powell Smith (Extension entomologist and vegetable specialist from Clemson University) showed us some insect collection tools. These include sweep and butterfly nets, aspirators (used for catching small insects by sucking them into a container) and fabric sheets.

Below you can see Daniel's cover crop mixture of sorghum-sudangrass and buckwheat.

A great place to find insects!

Check out this field of pure buckwheat! A quick summer cover crop and insect attractor.

Insects, especially those that are predators to some plant-eating insects love the small buckwheat flower and will visit often for a source of food.


Daniel allows his buckwheat to go to seed and therefore re-seed the field.


Here is a group of workshop participants learning about the insects they collected in the buckwheat.


Next, we moved on to look at the broccoli to see what kind of insects we could find in this crop.


Here we saw some bad insects, but also some natural predators. We also learned about 'banker plants'. 'Banker plants' are plants that have some kind of problem and attract crop destroying insects and the predators that feed on them. Daniel has chosen to leave his 'banker plants' in order to keep the good insects in the planting. His 'banker plants' had lots of aphids (typically a sign of excess nitrogen). In addition to the aphids, they contained aphid predators. Below is a lady beetle larva feeding on the aphids.


Syrphid fly larvae were also present and feeding on the aphids(below). These insects are known as "aphid killers".


We also found harlequin bugs, a yearly problem on brassica crops. Below are nymphs of the piercing/sucking pest.


Exploring the eggplant crop we noticed a lot of flea beetle damage. Management for flea beetles is difficult. Some have found that row covers are effective for crops that do not require pollination. The covers cannot have open spaces for the beetles to enter. This control method is not effective if the flea beetle larvae are present in your soil. If they are, you will be trapping them in and may have a big problem on your hands.

Below you can see some flea beetle damage (the shot holes). The insect pictured below is an adult two-lined spittlebug, which is a plant-feeding insect.


Another plant-feeding pest that we found on the eggplant was a some kind of leaf-footed bug (below).


Thrips damage was also noted on the eggplant crop. Thrips are usually found in the flower of crops. These insects have rasping mouthparts. Damage on eggplant appears as green to brown streaking on the fruit. Sorry, I don't have a picture.

After all of our fun in the field, we enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by the owners of Bush River Farm and Bed and Breakfast.

After lunch the group headed to Presbyterian College to learn some more about insect pest management and to do some more insect identification. Dr. Powell Smith discussed the different characteristics of identifying insects and the major plant-feeding and beneficial insect groups. The group discussed management options and the importance of attracting beneficial insects, as well as learning about the life cycle of an insect pest.


Overall, managing insects in vegetable crops organically is similar to a conventional IPM approach. Like discussed above, healthy soils, adequate nutrition and weed management will go along way. IPM includes cultural control methods (including proper selection of vegetable varieties for your area, avoiding insects by changing planting date, eliminating insect overwintering areas, attracting beneficial insects, planting trap crops, etc), using mechanical or physical control methods (tillage to disturb life cycle, row covers, hand picking or vacuuming) and finally the use of organically approved insecticides. Keep in mind that many insecticides will also kill or disturb your beneficial insects, that is why it is your last line of defense.

To learn more about attracting beneficial insects and biological control, visit NCSU's Biological Control Information Center or the Biological Control Resources page on GrowingSmallFarms.org.

Overall, the day was successful. We learned a lot about identifying insects, management options and even got to take a few specimen home with us. Below you can see our insect collection.


I took a wheel bug (a predator in the assassin bug family), a leaf-footed bug and larva, a squash bug and a running ground beetle (a voracious eater in the Carabidae that will feed on cutworms) home with me!

To learn more about insect identification, insect collection and insect control visit the following links:

ATTRA's Links to Insect Management
Growing Small Farms Links to Insect Management Web Resources
Collecting and Preserving Insects and Arachnids

Insect Pests Plaguing Vegetable Growers

This article is from the latest edition of NC Pest News from Entomology Extension Specialist, Dr. Mark Abney.

"A variety of insects are currently plaguing vegetable growers across North Carolina. Armyworms and corn earworms have been abundant and moth flights are continuing. European corn borers have been abundant in many of our research trials this year after several years of low numbers. Heavy European corn borer infestations occurred in sweet corn at the Central Crops Research Station in Clayton and large numbers were seen in bell pepper trials near Kinston and in the mountains near Fletcher.

Melon growers have not been immune to insect problems, and there have been a couple cases recently of corn rootworm larvae feeding on the undersides of cantaloupes. We do not see this on a regular basis, but it seems to happen somewhere every year. Larvae feed on the undersides of fruit, usually after a heavy rain, and there is no technology currently available to effectively control the problem.

As we approach late August, home gardeners and commercial growers alike will be faced with managing pickleworms in cucumber and squash. Commercial growers are forced to rely on preventative insecticide applications as tolerance for pickleworms in harvested produce is essentially zero. Home gardeners are faced with an uphill battle against this pest as management options available are not likely to provide good control. The best advice for gardeners is usually to plant early and harvest before pickleworms arrive from the south each year.

Another perennial foe of the cucurbit grower, the squash bug, is making its presence known in backyard gardens, commercial organic production, and in research trials. Large populations recently moved into research plantings of squash and cucumber at the Horticultural Crops Research Station near Clinton. It only takes a couple squash bugs to kill a young squash plant, so scouting and timely management are critical. These bugs can be difficult to kill, and the adult stage is particularly tough to control. Targeting the nymphs is important.

Scouting vegetables is absolutely essential to prevent losses due to insects and to maximize the effectiveness of insecticide applications. For control recommendations in specific crops, please refer to the North Carolina Agricultural Chemicals Manual (http://ipm.ncsu.edu/agchem/5-toc.pdf)."

Late Blight Confirmed on Tomatoes In Henderson County

Late blight has been positively identified in Henderson County on tomatoes. With the afternoon showers and reports from other parts of the eastern U.S. it was only a matter of time.
Growers are encouraged to scout their fields and begin with control measures.

Sorry I don't have a lot of time to put details in this afternoon, but review my post from last year for some basic information.

Recommendations for conventional producers are chlorothalonil as a preventative if late blight is not found in your field or nearby. If late blight has been identified in your field applications of cyazofamid (Ranman at 2.1-2.75 fl oz/acre), fluopicolide (Presidio at 3-4 fl oz/acre) or mandipropamid + difenoconazole (Revus Top at 5.5-7 fl oz/acre) are recommended. Always read and follow the label when using pesticides! The label is the law.

For organic recommendations, see this article from Alex Stone on eXtension.

More to be reported later. Sorry again for the short note.

UPDATE 1 PM:
This just in from NCSU Plant Pathologist Dr. Kelly Ivors:

"Hey Everybody-

This morning we found and confirmed late blight (by microscopic examination) in one small shaded area of a conventional tomato field in Henderson County. We have not been able to confirm its presence anywhere else in the tomato production areas of NC this summer, so I believe this is the start of the tomato late blight epidemic in WNC. We've had some rains recently and I'm sure it's out there elsewhere now, or soon to arrive.

Fungicide recommendations for controlling late blight on fresh market tomatoes start at week 9 in the NC tomato foliar fungicide guide.

It can be found at this link.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/programs/plantpath/tomato-spray-guide/tomato-spray-guide.pdf

In addition, there is information (fact sheet) on this disease in North Carolina, including pictures of the symptoms at this link.

Check out the different diseases and select the one under Tomato Late Blight.

http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/plantpath/extension/fact_sheets/index.htm

Please make sure to get your preventative sprays on as soon as possible if you grow tomatoes in late blight prone areas. Chlorothalonil works well as a protectant if you do not yet have the pathogen in your field. If already established in your tomato field, it would be best to apply something more than a protectant like Presidio (+ chlorothalonil) or Ranman.

If you need a confirmation of late blight in your fields, please do not hesitate to call your agent or my lab to submit a sample.

Thanks

Kelly"

Downy Mildew on Cucumber in WNC

Well, this has been a very exciting week to be a plant pathologist! First, downy mildew on basil, now downy mildew on cucumbers.
*These are two different disease problems, just because they have the same name DOES NOT mean that these two disease are caused by the same organism and will cross-infect one another!*

Cucurbit downy mildew, caused by pathogen Pseudoperonospora cubensis, has been confirmed on pickling cucumbers in Henderson County. Growers are advised to scout their cucurbit plantings which include cucumber, squash, melons and other gourds. Last year we found the downy mildew in Henderson County late in July.

Symptomatic downy mildew cucumber leaf. Angular lesion are first light green and then turn brown with age.

The underside of a downy mildew infected cucumber leaf. You can see the dark spores of the pathogen as they arise from the angular lesions which are bound by the leaf veins.

Downy mildew of cucurbits has the potential of spreading very quickly. Its wind-borne spores can spread easily throughout the region - especially on cloudy days. The pathogen prefers cool temperatures and wet conditions, which we certainly have not had in WNC as of late! I believe that recent hot, dry and sunny conditions are the reason that the downy mildew on cucurbits is not widespread at this time. For example, large cucumber plantings just miles away from where I initially found the disease are unaffected at this time.

With rain possible this weekend, it is very important to prevent downy mildew from infecting your cucurbits, especially cucumber. Growers are advised to protect their plants using fungicides. For conventional producers, review the June 4th North Carolina Pest News or review my blogpost from June 2009 for control recommendations.

Management of downy mildew on cucurbits is tricky for organic producers. There are a number of OMRI-listed products that are labeled for the control of downy mildew on cucurbits, including copper, OxiDate, Serenade and neem. In research studies, copper products were proven to be the best option (only option, really) for managing downy mildew on cucurbits. Copper is only efficacious in plants that are not yet infected or exhibit only mild symptoms.

Visit the Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecasting Website to see where the disease is currently located and where the team predicts it to show up next.

If you need help diagnosing a problem on your cucurbits, please contact your local NC Cooperative Extension Office.

To see more pictures of the downy mildew on cucurbits and to learn more about the disease, visit my previous posts.