Field Update – 1/13/20

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Justin Ballew

Spring fruit and vegetable meetings are being announced daily, so keep an eye on the “Upcoming Events” tab over the next several weeks.

Coastal Region

Dr. Matt Cutulle reports, “I have been seeing a lot of Henbit in the coastal area this year (A big chunk of it in Dr. Brian Ward’s research fields). Don’t be deceived by the pretty flowers. We don’t really have any options for selectively controlling the weed POST in most vegetable crops. Mowing before viable seed head formation is a good way to reduce the weed seed bank deposit of this problematic winter annual. More description of the weed can be found at (https://www.clemson.edu/cafls/research/weeds/weed-id-bio/broadleaf-weeds-parent/broadleaf-pages/henbit.html)”

Henbit flowers. Photo from Dr. Matt Cutulle.

Dr. Tony Keinath reports,”White mold (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) is active in the Charleston area. The two nights of freezing temperatures December 18-19 likely stimulated sclerotia to germinate and produce ascospores. Warm, overcast weather with mist and light rain is ideal for spread and germination of the airborne ascospores. Weather conditions likely will remain favorable for white mold over the next 3 months. Growers will need to rotate conventional white mold fungicides due to limits on the number of applications that can be made per crop.

For organic crops, Sonata at 8 pints per acre may offer some protection. See pages 185 and 222 in the 2020 Vegetable Crop Handbook for Southeastern United States.”

Zack Snipes reports, “Warm and muggy is the only way to describe the past week. I was out in a blueberry patch and noticed some low chill hour varieties already blooming. We have gotten very few chill hours to date in Charleston. Chill hours are the number of hours below 45F and are required for proper fruiting of perennial fruits. For a normal year in Charleston we should get anywhere from 400-600 chill hours. I have also seen strawberries pushing out some blooms. Growers should not worry as that is normal for this time of year. I think it is still too early to starting pushing strawberries for fruiting. Remember that it takes 35 or so days to go from bloom to picking a strawberry. It we let our plants grow and develop more crowns right now (rather than fruit), then we will have greater production this spring.”

Low chill hour blueberries are already showing some blooms. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Strawberries starting to push out a few blooms. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “It was unseasonably warm this past week and we had a couple significant rain events over the weekend. I’ve seen a few daffodils and forsynthia blooming already. Strawberries are growing a little faster right now and that’s good new for fields that are a little behind. The weather conditions we have right now are very conducive to Phytophthora development, so now would be a good time for a Ridomil application through the drip, especially in fields with a history of Phytophthora. Winter weeds are really exploding now. Make sure to pull any weeds coming up in the plant holes so they aren’t competing with the strawberries. We’re still harvesting brassicas and they look good other than a little Sclerotinia here and there.”

A likely Pytophthora infection in a strawberry crown. The tip of the crown near the roots has turned reddish/brown. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Cabbage in the midlands is looking nice. Photo from Justin Ballew

Sarah Scott reports, “Wet and overly warm temperatures have set in along the Ridge over the past week. 2.5 inches of rain have fallen but with soil already wet it is making for difficult working conditions. Fields are still being prepped for peach tree planting and pruning should begin this week. With temperatures reaching into the 70s there is a concern that higher chill varieties of peaches may not get adequate chilling requirements to produce optimum yields but we will have to wait and see what the weather continues to do. Cabbage, collards, and kale are still being harvested along with a few other late winter crops. Strawberries are putting on a lot of growth with the warm temperatures. Some spider mites in the field but very minimal observations.”

Strawberries are growing fast in this warm weather. Photo from Sarah Scott.

Lalo Toledo reports, “Spider mite populations are begging to increase in our area. Most brassica producers are selling out. Remember to disk in remaining plant material as soon as possible, this reduces the chance of disease in your following crop year. Sclerotinia white mold has been very prevalent in our area. Remember to rotate for a minimum of three years if disease emerges. Weather has not allowed for spring bedding to begin.”

Pee Dee Region

Tony Melton reports, “Last week, folks hurried before rain to get land bedded for greens to be planted the first of February. This will allow weeds to emerge so they can be killed before planting in stale-bed-culture. Strawberries are loving this warm weather.”

Upstate

Kerrie Roach reports, “We have some growers who are finished pruning apples and peaches, some who have just started, and others who haven’t touched their orchards yet. We will see who fairs the best… I have concerns with what I would consider to be early pruning, combined with continued warm temperatures creating a perfect storm for when cold temperatures finally arrive. Heavy rains have plagued the area, with more than 13 inches recorded at the Oconee airport in January thus far.”

Apple trees after pruning. Photo from Kerrie Roach.

Field Update – 1/6/20

Posted on January 6, 2020 by Justin Ballew

Statewide

We hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year! Please keep an eye on the Upcoming Events tab for several spring production meetings and conferences coming up around the state.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “We’ve gotten a lot of rain over the last 30 days, including around an inch and a half late last week. The weather was warm in the afternoons for most of the week also. Our corps are going well, though spider mites seem to be picking up in strawberries. Mites are easy to forget about this time of year, so be sure to get out there and scout. We should have 3 branched crowns on our strawberries at this point, but we are a little behind in several fields. Caterpillar populations remain low and the brassicas we are harvesting look great. Sclerotinia white mold is showing up in some brassica fields following all the recent moisture we’ve had. This is a good reminder to use a crop rotation of at least 3 years.

Sclerotinia white mold developing on collard leaves. Photo from Justin Ballew

A cluster of spider mites on the upper edge of the underside of a strawberry leaf. Photo from Justin Ballew

Lalo Toledo reports, “We have seen ‘Sclerotinia stem rot’ on brassicas increase in the last couple days. This moist weather helps promote stem infections that spread rapidly downward to decay roots and expand upward wilting leaves, resulting in plant collapse. We have observed a white, cottony growth near the soil line. Disease development is generally favored by abundant soil moisture and temperatures ranging from 10-25°C (50-77°F). It is important to implement good sanitation practices and long rotations to non-host crops. Cultivate to help promote good soil drainage. Fungicide application are also available. Refer to Vegetable handbook. Remember to rotate fungicide groups.

Wilted collards caused by Sclerotinia development on the stem. Photo from Lalo Toledo.

Pee Dee Region

Tony Melton reports seeing spider mites in most strawberry fields. “Fall strawberries covered in hoop houses or just covered outside are doing well and producing well. Selling out the few remaining regrowth collards and greens. This week should be dry enough to start bedding land for spring greens to allow weeds to emerge and kill using stale-bed-culture. Stale-bed-culture is my favorite way to destroy most of the weeds before planting any crop.”

Bruce McLean reports, “Even though the calendar says January, it’s been feeling a bit more like April here lately. The remaining brassica crops look really good (for the most part). Cabbage, collards, turnips and broccoli are still in good supply. Pest pressure has been extremely low this season. Strawberries are looking very good as well. The recent heat is pushing blooms a bit. I haven’t seen anyone dragging the row covers out yet, so blooms are getting bitten on these coldest nights. No worries… they’ll be plenty more blooms to take their place. I’ve not seen any significant pests on strawberries, either.

The recent heat has really pushed the broccoli out. Photo from Bruce McLean.

Strawberries are looking very good this season in the Pee Dee. Photo from Bruce McLean.

Upstate

Kerrie Roach reports, “We’ve had cold weather along with lots of precipitation in the Upstate over the last few days. There were even some flurries up in the mountains. Pruning for apples is going to commence over the next few weeks. The SE Apple Growers Association Meeting is this week Tuesday and Wednesday in Asheville, NC, and many of our SC growers will attend.”

Field Update – 12/16/19

Posted on December 16, 2019 by Justin Ballew

Statewide

Dr. Matt Cutulle shared the photos below of a direct seeded collard weed control study. “Below is the untreated check (Left) and a plot treated with Treflan (Pre-plant incorporated) and Dual Magnum (Post-applied when collards are at least 3 inches in height). This is approximately 9 weeks after seeding. Main weed is corn spurry.”

Treflan PPI and Dual Magnum POST (right) provided good weed control in direct seeded collards as compared to the untreated check (left). Photo from Dr. Matt Cutulle.

Coastal Region

Zack Snipes reports, “The mild temperatures and rain have helped our crops out. The collard crop is looking great for the Christmas and New Year’s harvest with very little insect or disease damage. Strawberries are looking good as well with excellent fall growth and color. Strawberry plants should be about the size of a baseball cap this time of year. Blueberry plants have turned a beautiful deep red color and are beginning to get some chill hours going into winter dormancy. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season spent with family and eating lots of SC GROWN products.”

Strawberries should be about the size of a baseball cap this time of year. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “We had decent growing weather again last week. Steady rain fell all day Friday and we saw 6.5 inches at my house. Luckily, the sandy soil soaked most of it up. Growers are continuing to harvest brassicas and they look great right now (very little insect damage). We are still battling spidermites in some strawberries.”

Collard harvest is looking great in the midlands. Photo from Justin Ballew

Yellowing and mottling on strawberry leaves from spider mite feeding damage. Photo from Justin Ballew

Sarah Scott reports, “4-8 inches of rain fell across Aiken and Edgefield Counties last week causing standing water and some flooding. Collards, broccoli and root crops are still being harvested. Fields are still being cleared and prepped for peach tree plantings.”

Flooded peach orchard following the rain Friday (12/13) Photo from Sarah Scott.

Pee Dee Region

Tony Melton reports, “Fresh Market collards are selling rapidly. Many growers are re-growing the first cut collards of September/October to have them ready for second cut for New Years because they are running out of first cut collards. Turnip roots are getting large and need to be sold if tops are to remain. Turnip roots alone are a cheap commodity. The last of the processing turnips tops and mustard are being harvested this week and all that will be left is second cut collards to be harvested. Hopefully the rain helped to control spidermites on strawberries.”

Field Update – 10/28/19

Posted on October 28, 2019 by Justin Ballew

Coastal Region

Zack Snipes reports, “Strawberries have been planted in the Lowcountry. Some rain throughout the week has really helped them take. Already seeing deer tracks in fields without fencing. I scouted a few fields and found enough juvenile spider mites to warrant a spray. We need to stay on top of the mites this season. Please scout your fields and take necessary measures to manage them.”

Strawberry transplants are getting established. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Deer tracks show that deer are already browsing in strawberry fields. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “We had a few showers come through the midlands last week. Strawberry planting has wrapped up and the young transplants are getting established well so far, as we’ve had pretty favorable weather lately. Fall brassicas are looking great and worm pressure is still a little below average. Fall crops of cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, green onions, eggplant, squash and zucchini are still being harvested.”

Broccoli head developing well. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Pee Dee Region

Bruce McLean reports, “Brassica (cabbage, collards, turnips, broccoli, etc.) and strawberry planting has finished. The crops look very good. Okra and squash will finishing up soon. Downy mildew is still a challenge on squash. Brassica insect pressure has been relatively light, except for aphids which have been moderate in limited locations. Continue to scout regularly.”

Cabbage looper feeding on a cauliflower leaf. Photo from Bruce McLean.

Tony Melton reports seeing lots of worms and moths. “I have seen sweet potatoes stripped by stripped armyworms, armyworms, loopers and velvetbean caterpilars in greens, and millions of corn earworm moths in peas. Also false chinch bugs are loving the turnips, kale, and mustard. Strawberries are getting established. ”

Worms of all kinds are wreaking havoc in the Pee Dee. Photo from Tony Melton.

Field Update – 10/21/19

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Justin Ballew

Coastal Region

Zack Snipes reports, “A few rain showers and some cooler temperatures have really helped out our fall crops. Collards, kale, and broccoli have really perked up this week and some early stuff could possibly be cut this week. Our worm pressure has not been terrible this year but that does not mean you can take a week off of scouting. Strawberries have gone in throughout the Lowcountry and are looking great after some cooler temperatures and rain. If you have not put up your deer fencing for strawberries, get it out ASAP. Each plant can be worth around $3, so one night of feeding can really cut into your bottom line.”

Brassicas have really perked up in the lowcountry. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “We got some much needed rain this past week thanks in part to Tropical Storm Nestor. This has our fall brassicas growing fast and looking great. We’re still seeing some whiteflies in brassicas, but the caterpillar numbers are a little lower for the time being. Lots of strawberries were planted last week and they are developing well so far. The rain and cooler weather has really been helpful in getting them established. Strawberry planting will finish up this week for the folks planting larger acreages.”

Collards are looking great after the rain and cooler weather. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Strawberry transplants that were set last week are already pushing out new leaves. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Sarah Scott reports, “Cooler temperatures and much needed rain are giving a boost to fall crops including collards, cabbage and broccoli. Bell peppers, tomatoes, squash, broccoli, sweet potatoes are still being harvested as well as hemp. Strawberry plants have been going in over the past couple of weeks.

Strawberry transplants set a few days ago. Photo from Sarah Scott.

Pee Dee Region

Bruce McLean reports, “The recent rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Nestor helped to improve dry soil conditions in the Pee Dee. This beneficial moisture should help the remaining cucurbit crops (yellow squash, zucchini, and cucumbers) and the okra crop through the final few weeks of the season. Planting of brassicas (collards, cabbage, kale, broccoli, etc.) and spinach are finished. Strawberry planting should be finished in the next week. Worm damage on brassicas has been light, but aphids have been plentiful in isolated locations. Be sure to scout your fall crops regularly.”

Okra crop is really starting to slow down, but quality is still good. Photo from Bruce McLean.

Tony Melton reports, “Still in the middle of harvesting processing sweet potatoes – not enough rain to size them up earlier, now having to wait for soil to dry and more rain is coming. Bacterial disease on turnips bad this year (maybe because of the heat), losing about 1/3 of yield because we’re having to harvest early. Also, reduced stand on greens from the beginning because of the excessive heat at planting. Also, bacterial soft rot is bad in the heat where irrigation and harvest equipment has spread through the fields. A lot of moths (Hawaiian webworm) flying in fields. We’re spraying once, which is more than usual (with Coragen and similar products) to keep larvae out of greens. Last of the pickling cucumbers are being harvested this week.”

Upstate

Mark Arena reports early harvest of pecans may begin soon. “Here are some tips for pecan management for the month of October. Prepare for harvest by mowing the orchard floor and keep it free of limbs and other debris. Maintain adequate soil moisture. Treat all “mouse ear” nickel deficiency noticed. Lime, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium can be applied if deficient. Scout and treat aphids, mites and pecan weevils as necessary. Apply preventative fungicides as scheduled and be aware of pre-harvest intervals for all chemicals applied.”

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Field Update – 10/7/19

Posted on October 7, 2019 by Justin Ballew

Statewide

Dr. Tony Keinath reports, “Growers who have “slacked off” on fungicide applications during the dry spell should resume biweekly or weekly fungicide sprays in areas that are or have received rain. For most fungal diseases, the amount of rain determines how severe the disease becomes. The more rain, the more fungicide sprays are needed. Note that many fungicide labels now state that the product may only be applied once every 7 days; 5-day spray schedules are going away.

Coastal Region

Zack Snipes reports, “Another hot and dry week in the Lowcountry. Non irrigated crops are really starting to suffer. Many farms are waiting on rain to plant fall crops. We are beginning to prepare for strawberry season but dry conditions are making it hard to lay plastic. Festivals, corn mazes, pumpkins, and haunted trails are in full gear in the Lowcountry.”

Sunflowers can add extra income to the farm during the summer and fall seasons. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “Last week was hot, but temperatures finally dropped over the weekend. It finally feels like fall. Dry weather remains, though. A few areas got some light showers, but it didn’t amount to much. Growers have laid their plastic for strawberries and planting is approaching quickly. Caterpillars are still very active in brassica crops and we are seeing some whiteflies as well. Keep scouting and stay on top of the insects.”

Plastic laid for strawberries. Planting will start soon. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Whiteflies are showing up on brassica crops in the midlands. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Sarah Scott reports, “We have had spotty rain throughout the Ridge but conditions are still very dry. Cooler night temperatures are bringing some relief. Field preparation for new peach tree plantings are underway including soil fumigation. With the recent discovery of the root knot nematode, Meloidogyne floridensis, in fields in Edgefield County, growers can request a PCR test if nematode samples test positive for root knot nematodes.

Lalo Toledo reports, “Phytophthora blight on bell peppers has been found in Clarendon and Orangeburg County. Phytophthora blight on peppers is extremely damaging and can result in total loss of the crop prior to the first harvest. Proper fungicide applications and resistant cultivars can be used to suppress this disease. Sweet potatoes are being harvested, as well as eggplants. White-fly populations have been found in broccoli and mustard.

Phytophthora blight on pepper. Photo from Lalo Toledo.

Field Update – 9/16/19

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Justin Ballew

Coastal

Dr. Tony Keinath reports, “Watermelons with symptoms resembling cucurbit leaf crumple virus (CuLCrV) were found at the Coastal REC after Hurricane Dorian. Whiteflies were present before the hurricane, so they did not arrive with the hurricane. Laboratory confirmation is in progress. Preventative applications of insecticides to manage whiteflies is the best management option. CuLCrV also affects squash, pumpkin, and cantaloupe.

Small watermelon leaves caused by CuLCrV. Photo from Dr. Tony Keinath.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “It was hot and dry early in the week, but we got some rain Thursday and Friday and temperatures are a little cooler now. Irrigation was running a lot in the first part of the week and some crops wilted in between waterings. Keep an eye out for diseases now that moisture and humidity has returned. Diamonback moth caterpillar numbers seem up be picking up in places as well.”

Collards wilting in between waterings. Photo from Justin Ballew

Diamondback moth caterpillar feeding on the underside of a collard leaf. Photo from Justin Ballew

Sara Scott reports, “It’s been hot and dry along the Ridge with no significant rainfall this past week. Fall fertilizer applications are going out in the peach orchards.”

Pee Dee Region

Bruce McLean reports, “Here we are in mid-September waiting for cooler temps, but having to endure some persisting summer heat. Luckily, the forecast is for some cooler weather about mid week. Muscadine harvest is coming to a close. Carlos and Noble grapes had good yields, this year. Doreen muscadines harvest should be just about to wrap up. Sweetpotato harvest is just getting geared up. Okra is still being harvested in good volumes. Cucumbers, yellow squash, and zucchini are a little light right now, but should be more plentiful in a few days. Peas and butterbeans are still available in limited supply. Fall planting of collards, cabbage, and other cole crops are being done now. Strawberry planting should be starting shortly.

Okra still blooming and bearing heavily. Photo from Bruce McLean.

Field of zucchini soon to be ready for harvest. Photo from Bruce McLean.

Tony Melton reports, “Processing sweet potato harvest has begun. Pickling cucumber harvest continues. Brassicas have been slowed in growth and lost some stand due to the excessive heat – hope it cools down. Processing spinach was delayed by heat, but planting has now begun.

Field Update – 9/9/19

Posted on September 9, 2019 by Justin Ballew

Coastal Region

Zack Snipes reports, “Hurricane Dorian caused some damage, but it could have been a lot worse. There are some trees down and some fields are flooded. We’re still figuring out the extent of the damage. Be sure to take lots of pictures for insurance. Remember, all produce that was flooded cannot legally be sold and should be destroyed. I’ll send out damage paperwork to growers in the low country soon.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “Areas west of Columbia got just a little bit of wind and almost no rain from Hurricane Dorian. We’re still picking muscadines and summer planted squash, eggplant, cucumbers, and tomatoes. The cooler temperatures and recent rain has greatly increased disease pressure. We’re seeing lots of bacterial spot and speck in tomatoes, black rot and ripe rot in muscadines, and various leaf spots in hemp. Stick to your disease programs. Fall brassica planting continues as does strawberry land prep.

Leaf spots on hemp foliage. Photo from Justin Ballew.

A field of kale for fall harvest growing well in the midlands. Photo from Justin Ballew

Pee Dee Region

Tony Melton reports, “Too wet to harvest sweet potatoes or pickling cucumbers. Water is standing in some fields. The closer the beach, the worse it is. It’s time to plant spinach. Much of the collards, turnips, kale, and mustard were planted and up before rain started. If not up before the rain, seed could be washed away. Many waited until after the rain to finish planting.

Upstate

Kerrie Roach reports, “Apples are in full swing. Growers are picking ‘Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’, ‘Early Fuji’, ‘Mutsu’, and ‘Granny Smith’ varieties. Croploads look better than expected thus far, and seem to be about 2 weeks ahead of typical ripening due to the heat and drought. Muscadines are starting to come in to the markets along with the last bit of summer crops. Many of the smaller farmers markets are slim with produce right now because of the transition to fall crops.”

Apples are in full swing in the upstate. Photo from Kerrie Roach.

Andy Rollins reports finding some severe cases of anthracnose in late peppers. “The bright orange colored powdery substance are 1000’s of spores of the fungus Colletotrichum. Leaf symptoms are not evident, just the obvious fruit lesions. Hot rainy weather has persisted in the mountains and lack of good airflow caused this to be a major problem for some growers. Even under the best spray program these problems can still exist if conditions for the disease are favorable enough. Although some variety differences have been noted none are highly resistant to this problem. A good spray program and good sanitation in keeping fruit picked is essential for the best control possible.

Anthracnose lesions on pepper. Photo from Andy Rollins.

Field Update – 9/2/19

Posted on September 2, 2019 by Justin Ballew

Coastal Region

Zack Snipes reports, “Fall peppers and eggplant are looking nice this week due to cooler temperatures. We received lots of brassica transplants this week including broccoli, kale, collards and rutabagas from plant nurseries. Planting on these crops has begun and will continue for the next couple months. Overall, these transplants look weak and have some disease in them. Some of our fall watermelons, cantaloupe, and hard squash are starting to come in strong.”

Black rot already showing up on transplants. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Butternut squash almost ready to pick. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “This past week felt a little like fall. We had some scattered showers and the temperatures cooled down a bit, especially in the mornings. Hemp is blooming well and we are seeing some caterpillars feeding on the buds in some areas. Fall brassicas are still being planted and the young plants are looking good so far. Beans, squash, zucchini, muscadines, eggplant, and tomatoes are being harvested.”

Corn earworm feeding on hemp buds. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Great crop of muscadines in the midlands this year. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Sarah Scott reports, “Peaches are wrapping up throughout the Ridge. Late summer plantings of squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and cole crops have been planted and are starting to take off. Plastic is going down in many fields for fall plantings of strawberries. We’ve had slightly cooler temperatures and varying amounts of rain throughout the week.”

Broccoli transplants taking off. Photo from Sara Scott.

Late season tomatoes with a good bloom load. Photo from Sarah Scott.

Pee Dee Region

Bruce McLean reports, “On most years, the beginning of muscadine harvest occurs right around the Labor Day weekend. This year was no different. A few weeks ago, there were some concerns that a few vineyards may have been experiencing early ripening due to this summer’s heat. Luckily, the heat broke a bit, and the grapes were able to hold on for a timely harvest. So, harvest of juice/wine grapes began earlier this week. Carlos and Noble varieties’ volume looks very good. Doreen is still a little ways out, and needs a few more days of ripening. Harvest will likely be pretty steady for the next couple of weeks. Fresh market muscadines are still coming off in good volumes. Strawberry growers are busy putting down plastic and getting beds ready for planting. Strawberry planting is just a few weeks away. Other produce available in good volumes are: late peas and butterbeans, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and canary melons. The start of sweetpotato harvest is not too far away.

Harvesting muscadines mechanically in the Pee Dee. Photo from Bruce McLean.

Muscadine harvester emptying a load. Photo from Bruce McLean

Tony Melton reports, “Fall butterbeans, snapbeans, and peas are flowering and starting to set pods. Land prep (laying plastic) for strawberries has started. Fall pickling cucumbers are setting fruit and some will be harvested this week. Sweet potato harvest has begun.”

Field Update – 8/19/19

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Justin Ballew

Coastal Region

Dr. Tony Keinath reports, “Phomopsis blight is showing up on eggplant at the Coastal REC. On susceptible cultivars, like ‘Black Beauty,’ the disease starts as leaf spots; later in the season stem cankers and fruit rot appear. Although several fungicides are registered on eggplant, none are specifically labeled for Phomopsis blight. Aprovia Top and Priaxor might give some control; more testing is needed before a definite recommendation can be made.”

Phomopsis blight on eggplant foliage. Photo from Dr. Tony Keinath.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “Last week we had some scattered rains, but some areas remain bone dry. Irrigation is running a lot in those areas. Muscadine harvest has started and so far, this is the largest yield we’ve seen in recent years. Squash, zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, and tomatoes are also being harvested. Quality looks good, but volume is down a bit in some areas. More fall brassicas are being planted and strawberry growers are just starting the process of prepping their fields.”

Great crop of muscadines in the midlands this year. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Good looking eggplant harvested in the midlands. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Pee Dee Region

Bruce McLean reports, “Much of the upper Pee Dee Region received beneficial rains late last week. This helped to drop temps back to about normal, following the excessive heat from a few days earlier. On most crops, the rain really helped to push production again. Late season cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and okra are looking good. Canary melons are looking excellent. Volumes on these crops are good. Last week’s heat did take a toll on watermelons, though. Volumes are significantly down from the prior week and are likely winding down for the season. Muscadines are a bit varied across the region. In some locations, ‘Carlos’ and ‘Noble’ (wine and juice varieties) are getting very close to harvest, while other vineyards are ripening a bit slower. Harvest on the most mature wine and juice muscadines could begin as soon as next week.

Fall cucumbers were showing some downy mildew earlier on. Fungicide applications seem to have held down further development. Photo from Bruce McLean.

Canary melons are looking excellent. Photo from Bruce McLean.

Tony Melton reports, “Heavy rain in certain area but none in others. Some fresh market sweet potatoes are ready for harvest. Processing sweet potato harvest will begin end of August. Pickling cucumbers for machine harvest are still being planted most growers are favoring the parthenocarpic varieties. Brassica planting has begun – seeds and transplants. Fall bearing blackberries are yielding well.”

Upstate

Mark Arena reports seeing pecan scab. “Pecan Scab fungus is a weather dependant disease. There are varieties/cultivars that exhibit tolerance to this disease as shown below in the photos. Observed in Picture #1, we see both the nuts and foliage are showing signs of infection (the brown lessions). Picture #2 shows no sign of disease on either the nuts and/or foliage at the present time. Pecan scab can go undetected for days before the lessions appear, therefore, it is imperaitive to use a preventitive fungicide program to insure nut production.

Nuts and leaves infected by pecan scab. Photo from Mark Arena.

Nuts and leaves appear free of pecan scab. Photo from Mark Arena.

The South Carolina Grower

Fruit and Vegetable News for Growers and Agribusinesses in South Carolina

Tag Archives: rain

Field Update – 1/13/20

Field Update – 1/6/20

Field Update – 12/16/19

Field Update – 10/28/19

Field Update – 10/21/19

Field Update – 10/7/19

Field Update – 9/16/19

Field Update – 9/9/19

Field Update – 9/2/19

Field Update – 8/19/19