Hi all,
With the consistent high humidity and continuous rains, we are seeing a lot of white mold and other diseases popping up in the region (e.g. cucurbit downy mildew, angular leaf spot, etc). This week we’ve received reports of basil downy mildew (BDM) showing up on a couple of farms in Vermont. BDM can severely affect basil plantings, and if left untended can lead to complete crop loss. The tell-tale sign of BDM is a gray coloring (from the developing spores) on the underside of basil leaves. It can sometimes look like soil has kicked up onto the bottom of the leaf.
A great resource for identifying, reporting, and managing BDM is the Ag Pest Monitoring Site for basil. In recent years, some resistant cultivars have been developed. These cultivars and information on them may be found on the monitoring site too. For those dealing with a current outbreak, prompt removal of affected plants will help to reduce the inoculum from infecting other plants.
Some other important updates are:
We have recently caught our first spotted wing drosophila adults in our monitoring traps. Once adults are being found in traps that is typically an indicator that larvae are feeding in berries too. The arrival of SWD in traps in mid-July is on target with previous yeas (excluding last year’s low pressure). For growers looking for a low-cost monitoring protocol, Jaime Piñero and his research team at UMass has shown that a simple diluted concord grape juice + salt mixture works better than most commercial traps. The basic bait cocktail is: 1 part concord grape juice + 3 parts water + 2% salt by weight. We hang two traps per field (one on either side of a bed) to monitor SWD on our partner farms. Also, we are currently in our second year trialing the commercially available.
To our surprise we are still seeing Leek moth adults showing up in our traps, though the trap numbers are low when compared to previous years. That said, the second flight has been very long this season. With the unique climatic conditions and consistent low numbers of adult moths found in our traps, we are hypothesizing that we may be seeing some overlap of generations.
Swede midge damage continues to show up in some pockets within the region, but the outbreaks have been limited to certain beds and areas on farms. Reports out of New York have indicated that organic farms have been more susceptible to recent outbreaks.
As always, our website for the scouting reports can be found here. In addition to the pests reported here, our website also has a more comprehensive list of pests. The list also documents the progression of many common pests as they emerge throughout the season.
For detailed management information about these pests, as well as a comprehensive guide to current production and pest management techniques for commercial vegetable crops, check out the New England Vegetable Management Guide. And, as always feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.
Cheers,
Vic, Scott, Ava, Katie, and the rest of the VEPART Team and Collaborators
| Pest | Crop | Observations |
| Swede midge | Brassicas | In general swede midge pressure has been low, but we are seeing some increased damage in recent weeks in the region. |
| Spotted Wing Drosophila | Blueberries | We are beginning to see flies in our traps rather consistently. The trap counts are relatively low, but they are building |
| Colorado Potato Beetle | Potatoes | CPB populations are multigenerational at this point, but we are seeing a substantial number of late instars and we presume many individuals are currently pupating in the soil. |
| Spinach/Beet leaf miner | Spinach, Swiss Chard, Beets | The second generation of leaf miner is fully underway as eggs are being found consistently Vermont and other regions. |
| Mexican Bean Beetle | Beans | MBB is still relatively rare in the crops that we are monitoring! We are seeing essentially no pressure on the farms we are monitoring. |
| Striped Cucumber Beetle | Squash/Cucumber | SCB is spiking in pockets. There are reports out of MA that SCB is really taking hold. We have seen some outbreaks in maxima varieties, but the pressure seems less than previous years. |
| Flea Beetle | solanums | Flea beetle pressure in solanums are being seen but it has really slowed down |
| Imported cabbage worms | Brassica crops | ICW damage is beginning to really pick up. We are seeing many furry green larvae and feeding damage in most brassicas. |
| Tarnished plant bug | Strawberries | Tarnished plant bugs are being found in relatively high numbers potato and chard. |
| Potato Leafhoppers | Alfalfa | We are still keepin our fingers-crossed as no leafhopper outbreaks have been reported thus far. We’ll keep reporting. |
| Leek Moth | Onions/Garlic | The second flight is very persistent this year, and we may potentially have some overlapping generations with the strange weather this year. |
| Squash vine borer | Winter and Summer Squash | We are beginning to see some major dieback from vine borers in squash. Telltale signs are wilted plants with deep gouges and holes in stems |
| Squash Bug | Winter and Summer Squash | Squash bugs are high in most areas |