Author: Justin Ballew
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Spray Strategies for Strawberry Disease Control in South Carolina
Guido Schnabel, Extension Plant Pathologist Disease management is essential for growing high-quality strawberries in plasticulture. While Botrytis fruit rot (BFR) is a disease you can expect every year, Anthracnose fruit rot (AFR) and the more recently introduced Neopestalotiopsis fruit and crown rot (Neo-P) may or may not appear (Fig. 1). This largely depends on how…
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Question of the Week – Yellowmargined Leaf Beetle
What is this critter hanging out on sweet alyssum? This is an adult yellowmargined leaf beetle (YMLB), which is well-known (notorious?) to many of our smaller and low-input brassica farmers, as it is very difficult to manage without conventional insecticides. It is a specialist herbivore of plants in the Brassicacea family and is a key…
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Weekly Field Update – 12/1/25
This will be our final update of 2025. We hope every one has a safe and happy holiday season and we’ll see you back in 2026! The state remains dry, though there is some rain in the forecast for this week. Strawberries are growing slow in places and have growers thinking about covering to accumulate…
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Question of the Week – Scurf
What is going on with the skin of this sweetpotato? This sweetpotato has a superficial disease known as scurf (Monilochaetes infuscans). Scurf develops on the skin of the sweetpotato and is not visible on the flesh after peeling the skin. Though infected sweetpotatoes are still perfectly edible, this cosmetic defect renders them unmarketable. Scurf development…
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Weekly Field Update – 11/24/25
We hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving and is able to enjoy a little time off with friends and family! After some spring-like weather, temperatures are expected to cool down again this week. Fields are very dry right now so growers need to ensure they are watering adequately. Insect and disease pressure is relatively low.…
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Question of the Week – Kohlrabi
Does this collard plant have a massive tumor? This is neither a tumor nor a collard plant. This is kohlrabi. Kohlrabi is a close relative of collards and cabbage. In SC, it is best grown in the spring or fall, just as you would grow broccoli or cabbage. The enlarged bulb-like stem has a taste…
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Weekly Field Update – 11/17/25
After a cold snap, warm weather is back. Some strawberry growers covered their plants for the cold and are now uncovering to let them soak up the warm weather. Warm season crops were finished of by the cold. Brassica crops are showing a few disease issues as well as some cold-related discoloration. The Mildands region…
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October Grower Spotlight – Saxmore Farms
Where are Lacy and Jhessye visiting this week? Saxmore Farms in Dorchester County grows primarily collards, rutabagas, kale, cabbage, peanuts, sweetpotatoes, okra, and corn. It is owned and operated by Peter Smith Sr. and Jr., with 3 generations now involved with the farm operation. Peter Smith Sr. has been farming this land since the 1950s,…
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Weekly Field Update – 11/10/25
The weather has quickly turned cold after a fairly warm week. Fall tomatoes, peppers, and cucurbits will be finished off this week. Strawberries are looking good so far with few disease or establishment issues. See details below. As we get into strawberry season, check out this year’s Strawberry Webinar Series to brush up on disease…
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Question of the Week – Banded Sphinx Moth
What is this large, colorful caterpillar? This is the caterpillar of the banded sphinx moth, Eumorpha fasciatus. The banded sphinx moth is a close relative (in the same family, Sphingidae) as the tomato and tobacco hornworms and catalpa worms. The earlier larval stages have a prominent horn, like other hornworms, but the horn is greatly…
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