Our Spring meeting season is winding down, but keep an eye on the Upcoming Events tab periodically, so you don’t miss anything.
Check out Extension Vegetable Pathologist Tony Keinath’s latest article in Growing Produce: Choose Cover Crops that Suppress Pathogens in Your Vegetable Plantings.
Also, check out the latest episode of the SC Grower Exchange Podcast below.
Don’t forget to look at our Resources tab for links to crop handbooks, helpful websites, and related blogs. 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
- Spring is upon us. Strawberries are pushing out with a big flush. We’re seeing varied increased levels of mite activity as well as anthracnose. I know things are busy with U-picks but, we’re going to have to make time to get out our fungicides and miticides. There are a lot of materials, so be sure to look closely at pre-harvest interval (PHI) so there is no delay in picking.
- Spring crops such as onions, lettuce, and brassicas look really great and are coming in at heavy volumes.
- Yellow margin leaf beetles are active on Asian-type greens and mustard, so be proactive in managing this pest.
Midlands
Rob Last
- Leafy greens are developing well and are of good quality, with few issues with pests and disease. Keep scouting for both aphids and diamondback moths. Both are present in some crops.
- Mite numbers are high; keep scouting strawberries, and also remember to scout other crops such as squash.
- Strawberries are coming to market with good volume and quality. Disease pressure remains relatively low but keep up with scouting. I am finding thrips on farms; under the microscope, these are Eastern Flower thrips, which do not cause damage and hence do not require treatment. I am finding a few sap beetle larvae in some places, they are attracted to overripe fruit, so sanitation and timely harvest can be valuable management tools.
Sarah Scott
- We had a mild week of temperatures along the Ridge last week with some cooler night temperatures over the weekend. It is looking like we will be in the clear of a late freeze, so crews are working hard at thinning fruit, as the trees are loaded right now. With most growers on a greatly reduced spray schedule last year, we will be keeping a close eye on disease and insect pressure. Some blossom blight, cause by Monilinia, has been found. This is the same pathogen that causes brown rot in peach, and is often an issue in seasons following reduced spray schedules, or years where unharvested fruit infected with the disease, known as mummy fruit, may hang on the trees for an extended period.
- San Jose Scale is noticeable at this time, heavy in spots. According to entomologist, Brett Blaauw, we should expect a peak in scale crawler activity in about 2-3 weeks. During this peak, growers should apply an insecticide (refer to page 25 in the 2024 Management Guide), such as Esteem, for optimum control. Peach growers can sign up for the UGA Peach Blog for additional reports during the peach season.
Pee Dee
Brittney King
- In the Pee Dee, some areas received almost 1 inch of rain on Wednesday, followed by a few days of heavy winds, with Saturday having wind gusts of 20mph. I have seen windburn in a couple of different crops and could see more this week. These lesions are papery, dry scars and brown to black in color. No intervention is necessary as crops will naturally grow out of the damage. Monitoring soil temperature during windy conditions will also be important to prevent crops from drying out. If you are unsure if leaf lesions could be from a fungal pathogen, put the leaf in a plastic bag for a few days and see if any spores develop on the leaf.
- English peas put out their first bloom last week, and potatoes are progressing well.
- Strawberries are still producing, and growers are happy about the warmer night temperatures this week.
Question of the Week
What caused this small, toothpick-like mass of sawdust to protrude from from the trunk of this stressed peach tree?
Answer in the comments below and check back on Thursday to see the answer.
The South Carolina Grower 