Root-knot nematodes (RKN) are a devasting soilborne pest on a wide range of vegetables and fruits. They are most active in well-aerated soils and they like warm weather. Increasingly, we saw this pest in our regions. Root-knot nematode infections result in root swellings called galls, and heavily infected crops by RKN display aboveground symptoms such[Read More…]
Pests and Pest Management - General
References, associations, organizations, periodicals, pesticides, pesticide safety, pest laws and regulations
This is our second year scouting CBD hemp to learn more about the insect communities occurring on these plants throughout the season and ‘who’ the potential pest insects might be! This year we had the opportunity to scout CBD hemp plants grown both in the field and in a high tunnel environment (Figure 1). Since[Read More…]
We were all hoping it would happen later, but unfortunately, the spotted lanternfly (SLF) (Lycorma delicatula) (Figure 1), an invasive planthopper with a piercing-sucking feeding strategy, was officially detected in Vevay, Indiana (Switzerland County) for the first time in July 2021. You can see pictures and read more about the detection at the Indiana Department[Read More…]
Winter squash – butternut, acorn, and kabocha – in our downy mildew sentinel plot at Pinney Purdue were showing some wilted and stunted plants by late July (Figure 1). They are easily pulled up, the stem breaking off at ground level, revealing a brown stringy decayed-looking stem base (Figure 2). Sometimes there is a little[Read More…]
Entomologists are looking for growers willing to participate in research examining the detection and distribution of striped cucumber beetles. We would like to visit your fields on multiple occasions this year to count the number of cucumber beetles we encounter in your crop. If you grow slicing cucumbers in the field, and are interested in helping to improve[Read More…]
Samples in plug trays, as well as unrooted and rooted cuttings, and plants in pots require extra care when they are packaged for submittal to a diagnostic lab. Before you mail the next sample, please take a few minutes to review these suggestions for packaging and submitting samples. This will help preserve the integrity of[Read More…]
Small vegetable growers may find pesticide applications with a tractor driven sprayers impractical. Such growers may turn to hand sprayers. In a separate article, I argued that garden sprayers are not appropriate for most commercial pesticide applications. In this article, I will discuss the use and calibration of a backpack sprayer, an excellent alternative to[Read More…]
As part of a multi-state effort being headed by Dr. Ian Kaplan at Purdue University in the Department of Entomology, we are investigating how to best manage insect pests on cucurbits, in our case watermelons, while having the least possible impact on pollinators. The research is being funded through the USDA/NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative.[Read More…]