Plant Protection Today – Tracking the Elusive Asian Giant Hornet

Dan Citrus, Field Crops, Fruits, Industry News Release, Pest/Pest Control, Pollinators, Research, Specialty Crops, USDA, Vegetables

PPQ Shares Cutting-Edge Methods with State Partner By Greg Rosenthal (USDA/APHIS) — After weeks of searching, Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) entomologists–—with some cutting-edge methods from USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ)–—have located and eradicated the first Asian giant hornet (AGH) nest ever found in the United States. For months, WSDA had been trying to find the nest they …

citrus nematode

Citrus Nematode and Resistant Rootstocks

Dan Citrus, Pest/Pest Control, Research

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor Larry Duncan discussed the citrus nematode (Tylenchulus semipenetrans) during a recent international webinar on plant parasitic nematodes hosted by ADAMA. T. semipenetrans has a worldwide geographical distribution, making it the most common plant parasitic nematode of citrus. According to Duncan, this pest is ….. Read more about Citrus Nematode and Resistant Rootstocks …

agricultural

USDA Releases 2019 Pesticide Data Report

Dan Environment, Field Crops, Industry News Release, Nursery Crops, Pest/Pest Control, Specialty Crops, USDA

The USDA published its 2019 Pesticide Data Program’s Annual Summary. The report shows that nearly 99 percent of the tested samples had pesticide residues below benchmark levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency. The two agencies work together every year to identify which foods get tested on a rotating basis. The Agricultural Marketing Service works with state agencies to collect …

Systems Approach Key to Controlling Palmer Amaranth

Clint Thompson Cotton, Georgia, Pest/Pest Control

By Clint Thompson Georgia’s cotton farmers continue to be consumed with weed management issues, specifically with Palmer amaranth. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension weed scientist Stanley Culpepper said during the University of Georgia Cotton/Peanut Research Field Day that grower’s No. 1 priority is resistance management in Palmer amaranth, also known as “pigweed.” “Palmer amaranth, last year, based on 1,737 growers …

Whiteflies Are Spreading Across Georgia

Clint Thompson Alabama, Georgia, Pest/Pest Control

Whiteflies are in high numbers and spreading to areas in Georgia not prone to whitefly infestations every year. That is tough news for the state’s cotton producers with harvest season just around the corner. “They’ve really built high numbers in areas prone to get whiteflies. In those areas we have high populations. Growers are actively treating,” University of Georgia Cooperative …

Caterpillars a Danger to Peanuts

Clint Thompson Alabama, Georgia, Peanuts, Pest/Pest Control

Foliage-feeding caterpillars are the insects peanut growers need to be most concerned with as harvest season approaches, according to Mark Abney, University of Georgia Extension peanut entomologist. “The one that comes in every year and will probably eat the most peanuts and infest the most fields is velvetbean caterpillar. We started hearing about velvetbeans in southwest Georgia maybe a month …

Whiteflies’ Impact to be Felt in Late-Planted Cotton

Clint Thompson Alabama, Cotton, Florida, Georgia, Pest/Pest Control

Cotton growers need to continue to monitor for whiteflies, as the pest is starting to impact fields across the Southeast, according to Alabama Extension cotton entomologist Ron Smith. “I know we’re finding them as far north as Quitman County (Georgia), which is just across from Eufala, Alabama. We know we’ve got them in the Panhandle of Florida, and we know …

cotton

Whitefly Populations Exploding in Cotton

Clint Thompson Alabama, Cotton, Florida, Georgia, Pest/Pest Control

Scorching temperatures and dry conditions could make an already tough whitefly season even worse for cotton growers, according to Phillip Roberts, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension cotton entomologist in Tifton, Georgia. “In cotton, populations can build so rapidly. Whiteflies really thrive in hot, dry conditions. They’ve just exploded in some localized areas in the last 10 days. The last 10 …

cotton

High Whitefly Populations a Concern for Cotton Growers

Clint Thompson Alabama, Cotton, Florida, Georgia, Pest/Pest Control

By Clint Thompson Cotton growers in Georgia and Alabama need to be mindful of high whitefly populations. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension cotton entomologist Phillip Roberts said silverleaf whitefly populations have increased rapidly in some Georgia fields in the past 10 days. Since cotton is susceptible, producers need to scout and take appropriate action. “It’s extremely important that you know …

Cotton Scouting School Goes Digital, Set for July 24

Clint Thompson Alabama, Cotton, Pest/Pest Control

By Katie Nichols For 60 years, Extension scientists taught the Scouting School in person and hands-on. But the 61st Cotton Scouting School is going digital — pushed to an online version because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The short course will be July 24 from 8 a.m. to noon via Zoom. Growers, consultants, scouts and others are encouraged to attend just as …