Weekly Field Update – 11/14/22

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Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see this week’s Question of the Week, and check back on Thursday for the answer!

Coastal Region

Zack Snipes reports, “We missed a lot of rain and wind from the hurricane that came through. The rain was much needed. We got pretty chilly last night, which will really help all of our fall crops.  Strawberry cut-offs are starting to push out, which is always a relief for growers. I’ve gotten many questions about using products to manage phytophthora root rot in strawberries. Unless you have had specific issues in a field before, your plants are suspect of the disease, or we have copious amounts of rain, I’m not sure there is a good return on investment for running products through the drip. When we preventatively apply these products, we also run into resistance issues in seasons down the road.”

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “It’s finally turned cool, and the forecast is showing a hard freeze later this week. That means our fall cucurbits, tomatoes, and peppers are quickly coming to their likely end. Some had already been damaged by the cold snap we had about three weeks ago. Towards the end of last week, we received a fair amount of rain from Hurricane Nicole ranging from 1.2 to 2.1 inches. It was breezy, but it seems we were spared the worst of the wind. Strawberries are doing well. After the rain, keep an eye out for signs of Phytophthora root rot.”

Phillip Carnley reports, “It was nice to finally get rain in Orangeburg and Calhoun counties this past week. In total, there was anywhere between an inch to an inch and a half. Strawberries are rooting in nicely with the cool nights and warm days. Bare root plants seem to be having more issues than plugs or cutoffs with Phytophthora crown rot so far. The chemical options are limited to Ridomil Gold, Orondis Gold, or phosphonates. Keep in mind that replacement plants have been very hard to come by this season, so variety selection has played a large factor for many growers. So far, San Andreas and Fonteras have looked the best of the varieties I have seen. San Andreas has had more of an issue with spider mites, though, so make sure to scout and keep a miticide like Acramite, Nealta, or Kanemite on hand.

Sarah Scott reports, “Last week brought some very warm weather to our area. We were lucky and received some much-needed rain from the tropical depression that came through, with some areas getting 1.5-2 inches of rain. No storm damage to report, just some wind. Crops are looking pretty good right now. Fall crops are looking good, and a few late summer vegetables like cherry tomatoes, squash, and zucchini were still hanging on. Temperatures dipped to freezing last night in parts of Aiken and Edgefield County, so the end is likely for some of those crops.”

Question of the Week

For this week’s question, take a look at the photos below. What is going on here?

Answer in the comments below and check back on Thursday to see the answer.