VEPART Pest and Scouting Report

Hi all,

Thanks to the cooler temps many pest populations have slowed down their growth rates, leading to a rather “normal” progression of pest outbreaks for this time of the year. However, the one thing we can bet on is that normal will surely change to “abnormal” at some point.

The key notes from this week’s scouting:

Several growers have reached out to our team to inquire about our plans for monitoring Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) within Vermont. Our current SWD monitoring program is primarily based in Chittenden County and will begin this upcoming week as we deploy our monitoring traps. We will be reporting on those numbers going forward. For growers interested in trapping on their own farms, recent research from Jaime Piñero at UMass has shown that a simple diluted concord grape juice + salt mixture works better than many commercial traps. His research on comparisons of the traps can be found here.  The basic bait cocktail is: 1 part concord grape juice + 3 parts water + 2% salt by weight.

Striped cucumber beetles are in full force in most squash and cucumber plantings within warmer regions. We are seeing lots of mating pairs and feeding damage, especially in winter squash of the maxima species (e.g. Blue Hubbard).  Though feeding damage can be worrisome for smaller plants and seedlings, SCB are also a vector of bacterial wilt which can be quite a challenge. Cucurbita maxima is known to be the preferred species of winter squash for cucumber beetles (and squash bugs) and is often utilized as a trap crop for other less preferred species (C. pepo and C. moschata). C. maxima has been well researched as a potential trap crop. As mentioned previously, Kaolin clay applications (e.g. flat dunks) are a popular and effective  organic method for reducing pressure on smaller seedlings.

Mexican bean beetle adults are being found in all of the bean crops that we are monitoring, and we have reports from other growers that they are seeing eggs and adults as well.  Be sure to scout your crops over the next week, especially if you are already seeing eggs being laid on the underside of leaves. Once bean beetle larvae begin to pop out of their eggs, damage can build very quickly.  Luckily, for those growers interested in using biological control tactics, there is a rather effective option. The parasitoid wasp species, Pediobius foveolatus is commercially available within the region. The wasp is currently reared and sold by the New Jersey Dept of Agriculture and can be purchased from other biocontrol suppliers. For more information on the wasp and ordering directly from suppliers, you can check out the informative UMass website dedicated to the wasp.

Finally, I want to acknowledge and extend gratitude to our newest summer undergraduate research scouts, Ava Toomey-Cordeiro (University of Santa Barbara) eand Katie Monacella (University of Vermotn). These two burgeoning entomologists will be doing the bulk of the scouting work for the rest of the season. You may see them on a farm or at a farmer’s market, in which case give them a high five! These scouting reports wouldn’t be possible without their tireless effort.  

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
Colorado Potato Beetle		Potatoes	We are still primarily seeing adults and eggs, but presumably there is likely some growers that are seeing larvae…any day now.
Spinach/Beet leaf miner		Spinach, Swiss Chard, Beets	The first generation of larvae is just about over in most of the region. Most populations are currently pupating in the soil below plants.
Mexican Bean Beetle		Beans	We are seeing adults in beans and eggs.
Striped Cucumber Beetle		Squash/Cucumber	In the warmer areas of the state cucumber beetles have really taken off and are decimating susceptible cucurbits.
Flea Beetle		Broccoli/ Kale	Now that many of the primary hhost plants for flea beetle are larger in size, beetle outbreaks have become less worrisome.
Imported cabbage worms		Brassica crops	We are beginning to see damage in various brassica crops and reports of diamondback moth are coming out of Massachusetts
Tarnished plant bug		Strawberries	Tarnished plant bugs are being found in relatively high numbers in strawberries.
Potato Leafhoppers		Alfalfa	We are still yet to hear of any major outbreaks,
Three-lined potato bug.	Tomatillos		We are seeing some large outbreaks in tomatillos and ground cherries.
Leek Moth	Onions/Garlic		Baited traps for adult moths are still clear, so the second flight is still yet to begin.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi all,

What a difference a week makes. After the warm temperatures and dry conditions that ushered in the growing season, we are now experiencing much cooler, wetter and smokier conditions! Though the rains have provided us with much needed moisture, it comes with its own set of challenges, particularly related to pests and diseases.

One of the more important scouting notes this week is a prediction informed from the recent change in weather. The new storm systems arriving in the area are likely a precursor to potato leafhopper (PLH) pressure. Though we are yet to receive any reports of major outbreaks in Vermont, our hunch is that there are some small populations building in various crops. This is informed by our documentation of previous arrival dates and the recent storm activity.  So, it is a good time to start scouting for the adults and small green nymphs. Tapping or brushing plants is one way to check crops for adults (they’ll jump/fly when disturbed) but you’ll need to look on the underside of leaves to find the wingless nymphs, which tend to be the most damaging life stage. The sooner you can identify them the better. Once you get “burned”, the damage is not reversible.

PLH can be a serious pest in a variety of crops including potato, beans, eggplant, alfalfa, strawberries, among many others. Legumes tend to be their preferred host. You will often see a spike in populations following hay-cuttings in the area. Luckily, PLHs are not able to overwinter this far north. However, once they are found in the region, they are here to stay for the season.  PLH populations will exhibit explosive population dynamics, with rapidly growing populations soon after colonizing a crop, so be on the lookout and let us know if you see anything!

 

A few of the most important new developments:

Prior to the recent rains, we were finding onion thrips lurking in onion plantings at our monitoring sites, though they were yet to explode in numbers. Reports out of Massachusetts and New York corroborated our findings. Hopefully, with the new rains, these populations may be suppressed a bit. But that will be temporary! Also, there is some evidence that onion transplants being shipped into the region are harboring onion thrips. A word of caution: be careful when sourcing transplants from more southernly regions that experience pests earlier in the growing season. You may be jump-starting thrips infestations. Because thrips can reproduce asexually, it only takes a small population of thrips to start an outbreak.

Though the increased rains may suppress onion thrips they also invite slugs to the party. We have seen a spike in slug damage over the past couple of days as they move into the more hospitable (slug/snail) conditions. Slugs are particularly an issue in crops that capture and hold water within their foliage (e.g. napa cabbage, lettuces, etc.), though they can eat just about any broadleaf crop. Commercially available baits containing iron phosphate, are shown to be rather effective and with a low impact on the environment.

Spinach leaf miner eggs are hatching and actively tunneling into leaves. If you can get to those eggs it is always helpful to reduce the pressure, else removing leaves with mines and getting them out of the field can reduce the likelihood of second generation infestations.

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, and the rest of the VEPART Team and Collaborators

 

Pest		Crop		Observations
Colorado Potato Beetle		Potatoes		We are seeing CPB in eggplant, but not in high numbers yet. Mostly adults and a few egg masses.
Spinach/Beet leaf miner		Spinach, Swiss Chard, Beets		Adult flies are flying and laying eggs. Mines are beginning to   be seen but less pressure than previous years at this time. Though we are seeing many eggs.
Striped Cucumber Beetle		Squash/Cucumber		Beetles are being seen and reported but populations are yet to spike.
Flea Beetle		Broccoli/ Kale		With the cooler temps and rains, we have seen less pressure than in previous weeks.
Imported cabbage worms		Brassica crops (Kale, Broccoli, Cabbage, etc.)		Cabbage whites are flying and laying eggs. We have not seen larvae yet, but that should only be a matter of time.
Tarnished plant bug		Strawberries		Tarnished plant bugs are being found in strawberries in the region. Cat-facing and other types of strawberry deformation from the “sting” of the bug has been seen.
Potato Leafhoppers		Alfalfa		There have been minimal reports of leaf hoppers, but be on the lookout
Three-lined potato bug.	Tomatillos		We are seeing some large outbreaks in tomatillos
Leek Moth	Onions/Garlic		We are primarily seeing pupae and late instar larvae. Though our traps are still clear, so the second flight is still yet to begin

 

 

 

 

 

Hi all,

Though it feels like July this week, I can assure you that it is barely June. The record high temps have really pushed some pest insects into overdrive. Populations of pests that are typically peaking in mid-June, are already exhibiting high pressure in various crops. It is important to remember, however, that things tend to even out over the course of the season. Looking at the upcoming weather forecast in much of the region, we should be returning to more seasonal temps, which hopefully will slow some outbreaks.

Pest Week in review

One pest that is peaking relatively early this season is the three-lined potato bug. Don’t be fooled by its name, this pest is rarely found feeding on potatoes. For most growers and gardeners, the three-lined potato bug is a scourge of tomatillos. We are seeing large outbreaks of the pest in Chittenden County and reports of high pressure in the southern parts of the state. These beetles are often confused with striped cucumber beetles to the untrained eye, as they exhibit a similar striped pattern. However, the three-lined potato beetle displays a distinctly orange/red head and legs, contrasting with the yellow and black heads of striped cucumber beetle. Also, larvae of the three-line potato beetle feed upon the leaves of their host plant (and cover themselves in their own feces as a predator repellent!), in contrast to cucumber beetle whose larvae feed on plant roots. Growers that are yet to see the pest can protect their susceptible crops with exclusion netting or row cover. This approach can be rather effective.  Once an outbreak has occurred within a planting of tomatillos, it is difficult to recover without a curative chemical application.

A few other highlights from the past week:

Leek moth:  Scouting in garlic has revealed that many of the populations within the region are in the pupal stage with adult moths soon to emerge. The recent hot weather suggests that we are likely to see an earlier second flight in comparison to last year. With scaping just beginning in the plantings that we’ve been scouting, it could be a bad combination for those growers that value scapes for their markets. Our traps are yet to capture any second flight adult moths, but we will alert you once we see signs that the flight is beginning.

As mentioned last week, Colorado potato beetle adults are actively laying eggs in eggplant and potato plantings. We’ve even seen some colonizing field tomatoes. In the next week or so, those eggs will start to hatch, if they haven’t already. The larval stage of the beetle is the most damaging stage, so any control tactics should be timed accordingly.

Striped-cucumber beetles are colonizing cucurbits on many farms, and we suspect that pressure will build rapidly over the next couple of weeks. Kaolin clay applications (e.g. flat dunks) are a popular organic method for reducing pressure on smaller seedlings. The clay particles coat the leaves, reducing their attractiveness and physically deter beetles trying to feed upon the foliage.

Spinach/beet leafminer:  We are officially seeing leafminer eggs and even some damage in spinach and chard. As we warned last week, early application of insect exclusion netting can be very effective managing leafminer damage. If you are seeing foliar damage, remove and destroy leaves showing active “mines” to reduce future pressure.

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.

vizzo@uvm.edu & slewins@uvm.edu

Pest	Crop	Observations
Three-lined potato bug.	Tomatillos	We are seeing some large outbreaks in tomatillos
Leek Moth	Onions/Garlic	We are primarily seeing pupae and late instar larvae. The second flight will likely begin soon.
Flea Beetle	Arugula, kale, broccoli	Beetles are being found in high numbers in many brassica crops. Row covers can be an effective strategy for protecting vulnerable brassica seedlings.
Spinach leaf miner	Spinach	There are reports from Massachusetts that leafminer eggs are being found on various chenopod leaves, particularly chard
Cutworms:	Various crops	Cutworms are causing a lot of trouble in high tunnels and in the field. We’ve seen several large outbreaks in gardens around Burlington and on a couple of farms.
Colorado potato beetle	Eggplant	We are seeing CPB adults laying eggs on eggplant. We haven’t seen many larvae, but that will change very soon
Striped cucumber beetle	Cukes	Though most damage is being seen in high tunnels, there are certainly some outbreaks in the field.

 

Hi all,

With last week’s cold snap and the frost that was experienced throughout the region, many growers have been focused on addressing frost damage. As mentioned by Vern a few days ago, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture is looking to collect data about the extent of crop loss or damage to obtain federal disaster payments for farmers. So, if you have experienced losses associated with the frost, please fill out this short form here. Any data that is collected will support the agency’s efforts.

Pest Week in review

With the low temps, the farm sites that we have been monitoring have held off on planting much outside. However, we are seeing some early season pests emerging and feeding on what is in the field and on wild host plants. Case in point, Colorado potato beetle (CPB) adults are being found on wild solanums in and around fields patiently waiting for those cultivated solanums to arrive. Seeing CPB searching for viable host plants at this point of the season highlights the potential of delayed potato planting as a strategy for reducing CPB damage. Similarly, some growers are using some interesting early season trap and burn strategies that are reportedly showing some success (shout out to Mink Meadow Farm). If you would like more information on this technique you can check out Seth Bent’s short presentation from the recent winter VVBGA webinar series here. (25:30 minute mark)

A few other highlights from the past week:

Leek moth:  We are beginning to see leek moth caterpillar feeding damage in garlic. Window paning damage are the primary symptoms that are most recognizable. Generally, economic damage in garlic tends to be limited to scapes. So if garlic scapes are important for your farm, I would monitor any garlic plantings for leek moth damage to gauge their potential future impact on those scapes.   We expect the next adult flight to begin sometime in mid/late June.

Spinach/beet leafminer: Though we are yet to see any signs of leafminer here in Vermont, there are reports of damage (in chard) coming out of Massachusetts. As with most leafminers, pre-emptive or timely action is recommended. Once the larvae get into the leaf they are very well protected from any control strategies. Last year we began to see leafminer eggs in Burlington around May 20^th, so I would be looking for their white eggs on the undersides of any chenopods (e.g. beets, chard, spinach, etc.) right now. Insect exclusion netting can be a very effective method for reducing leafminer damage if applied before they arrive. Rotations are also an important cultural control, as leafminers pupate and overwinter within the soil. If you are seeing foliar damage, remove and destroy leaves showing active “mines” to reduce future pressure.

Aphids in High Tunnels: There have been reports of significant aphid pressure in high tunnels throughout Vermont. This is a constant struggle, but luckily growers have the great support of Margaret Skinner, Cheryl Sullivan, and the rest of the team at the UVM Entomology Research Lab to assist in developing the best IPM programs for your high tunnel management. For more information on their innovative strategies (e.g. banker plant systems), you can visit their High Tunnel IPM resources here.

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.

vizzo@uvm.edu & slewins@uvm.edu

Pest	Crop	Observations
Cabbage root maggot:	Brassicas	We are seeing damage in various early season brassicas including radishes. But we suspect that as warmer temps arrive next week, root maggot pressure should begin to subsied
Leek Moth	Onions/Garlic	Larval damage is beginning to be seen in garlic. Typical window-paning and some frass is being documented
Flea Beetle	Arugula, kale, broccoli	Beetles are being found in high numbers in many brassica crops. Row covers can be an effective strategy for protecting vulnerable brassica seedlings.
Spinach leaf miner	Spinach	There are reports from Massachusetts that leafminer eggs are being found on various chenopod leaves, particularly chard
Cutworms:	Various crops	Cutworms are causing a lot of trouble in high tunnels and in the field. We’ve seen several large outbreaks in gardens around Burlington and on a couple of farms.

 

Hi all,

We’re back…

While it seems strange to kick off the scouting and monitoring season with snowflakes falling throughout the region, it also seems completely normal (for Vermont).

Farm and Garden Partners

Before jumping into the notes from the field, we want to first acknowledge this season’s partner farms, as they will be providing valuable regional specific data to help capture the variation in pest and disease activity throughout the state. In the southern region of the state (Arlington, VT) the lovely garden crew at Yellow Barn Farm will be providing weekly scouting and monitoring data. The collaboration with the Garden at Yellow Barn Farm, is a direct outcome of our team’s partnership with UVM’s Extension Master Gardener Program. In the north country, the folks at Boneyard Farm, Hannah and John Doyle, will be sharing their weekly counts and observations from Cambridge, VT.  We are so grateful for these two partners as they come on board to support this important work. If you are in their respective areas and rub elbows with them, give them some love.

Week in review

Ok, now on to the pests…Given the recent cooler temps and dry conditions, our pest season has been somewhat unique in comparison to recent years.

We are particularly interested in keeping an eye out for signs of the allium leaf miner, (ALM), as we would like to monitor the expansion of this new invasive pest. Reports from the Finger Lakes region in NY, are showing increased incidence. Growers in western MA and the lower Hudson Valley have also indicated positive IDs. Especially be on the lookout if you are in Southern VT. As a refresher, the adult ALM female fly deposits eggs directly in the leaves of allium plants leaving a distinct line of white dots (egg laying scars).  ALM’s impact is seen during the early spring and can be a significant issue for growers harvesting scallions or overwintered onions. The ALM displays a summer hibernation which typically begins around the first week of June and ends around September. So, it typically is not an issue for garlic and onion growers. However, the fall generation emerges just in time to affect any late season alliums (e.g. leeks, scallions).

Maggot pests (e.g. cabbage maggot, seed corn maggot, etc.) seem to be especially thriving this spring. The combination of early season warmth followed by cooler temperatures is a perfect storm for maggot outbreaks. The early season warmth can lead to early emergence, while the subsequent cooler temps can extend egg-laying and egg survival within the cooler soil profile.This seems to be consistent with what we are seeing and hearing about.

A few other highlights from the past week:

Cabbage root maggot: According to the degree day models from NEWA, overwintering populations of cabbage maggot flies are roughly ~80% emerged from their overwintering habitat. Adult females are actively laying eggs at the base of brassica crops. As the cool temps persist, it is likely that the pressure will continue in a serious way.

Flea beetles: Flea beetles are thriving here in Burlington and the southern part of the state and it sounds like they are some large outbreaks in brassica plantings throughout the northeast. Row covers for small seedlings can be an effective strategy for dampening their impact on the sensitive plants.

Cutworms: Cutworms are being seen at our monitoring sites and being reported by many growers. Many growers are seeing them in tunnels and are experiencing significant pressure. Remember that the first generation of cutworm may initially begin to feed on available weeds, so keeping weeds at bay especially around tunnels can help to reduce their impact.

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.

vizzo@uvm.edu & slewins@uvm.edu

Pest	Crop	Observations
Cabbage root maggot:	Brassicas	We are seeing damage in various early season brassicas including radishes.
Leek Moth	Onions/Garlic	Adult moths from the emerging overwintering population are no longer showing up in baited traps. Eggs are likely developing on alliums, however, we are yet to  see any larvae or feeding damage in any alliums.
Flea Beetle	Arugula, kale, broccoli	Beetles are being found in high numbers in many brassica crops. Row covers can be an effective strategy for protecting vulnerable brassica seedlings.
Spinach leaf miner	Spinach	Primarily being seen in tunnels, though that seems to be widespread

 

 

Welcome to the Vermont Entomology and Participatory Action Research Team (VEPART) scouting report. Over the course of the growing season we will be reporting out on the major insect pests and diseases found at UVM’s Horticultural Research and Education Center and in collaboration with farm partners throughout the region. This year’s farm partners include: Last Resort Farm,  Intervale Community Farm, and Bone Mountain Farm. This scouting program is also a collaboration between UVM Extension, UVM Insititute for Agroecology, and the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (VVBGA). Funding for the program is generously provided by VVBGA and UVM College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Reports can be found below.

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 and improved New England Vegetable Management Guide. And, as always feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. (vizzo@uvm.edu & slewins@uvm.edu)

Hi all,

As we pass the halfway mark of August, many growers are already beginning to think about next year! For some, many of the pests that we’ve seen throughout the season have done their damage and are now just a part of this season’s history. That may be the case for most pests but there are still some pests that are rebounding and/or have grown large enough to cause greater damage.

 

In general, there aren’t many new pests to report on this week. Though, here are a few notes from the field this past week:

 

• We’ve been monitoring Basil Downy Mildew since reports of the disease popped up rather early in the season. It now seems that the disease is being found in and around Burlington and likely is prevalent in other areas. As a reminder, BDM is a pathogen that blows in from the south each year and once established in a field is very hard to manage. It really becomes a situation of damage control – getting rid of any diseased plants in the hopes of saving healthy plants. The reality is, once an outbreak takes hold, there is not much can be done. Also, a reminder that the Ag Pest Monitoring Site for basil is a great resource for identifying, reporting, and managing BDM.  If you suspect that you are seeing BDM, please send us a message and/or send a sample to the Plant Diagnostic Clinic here at UVM.

 

• We continue to get reports of various Tomato leafspot diseases (Septoria and Alternaria) in the region. This is no surprise and is generally expected as the season marches into the later parts of the summer with higher humidity and summer rains. Cultural controls (e.g staking, drip irrigation, keeping up fertility , etc.) can be effective strategies and may minimize large outbreaks. The recent dry weather will slow the spread of the disease but with each rain, the fungus will move higher in the crop canopy. We’ve been lucky to avoid late blight, despite its arrival in Canada several weeks ago. There have been reports out of Maine regarding “air samples” of late blight spores, but no confirmed plant infections. So that is good news, all considering. We encourage growers to stay vigilant and report any potential late blight signs.  

 

• Over the past week, we’ve gotten reports from several farmers that flea beetles are rebounding (in a major way) in many brassicas. Provided the dry and relatively mild summer temps (excluding a few days in early August), it is not a complete shock that we’re seeing larger than normal flea beetle pressure for this time of the year. Typically, flea beetle populations begin to wane during the hot and humid parts of the summer.  Temps in the 90s, combined with humid/rainy conditions can suppress their populations. It may be counterintuitive that higher temps would slow insect populations, but it is important to note that insects have both a lower and upper threshold temperature range for development.  Flea beetles typically do very well under hot (but not too hot) and dry conditions. This season, for much of the region, we have experienced the perfect storm for consistent flea beetle pressure. Insect exclusion netting is great for controlling flea beetles during the hotter times of the season, as it has less insulating capacity (i.e. R-value) than remay, but it may be fools gold for late season usage. Flea beetle larvae feed upon the roots of plants, and the netting may simply trap emerging adults.

 

• Swede midge populations seem to be building in many brassicas that we’ve been monitoring. Damage is being seen in a variety of brassica plantings and in some case it has been severe.  Broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and collards are generally consider the most susceptible brassica crops and should be the most closely monitored. Be on the lookout for swede midge signs, like twisted leaves, scarring, and/or dead heads (not the tie-died kind).

 

Finally, reports from squash vine borer trapping programs in the region suggest that SVB population numbers are falling within the area and the risk from the pest is waning.  We’re not out of the woods quite yet, but the falling numbers is a good sign.

 

As always you can find more details on other pests and diseases at our pest and scouting website.

 

Thanks to all of the growers that have reached out with their own questions and pest scouting information. All information and questions help us to better serve the needs of the VVBGA community.

 

Cheers,

The VEPART team

Pest	Crop	Observations
Colorado Potato Beetle	Potatoes	CPB continues to be an issue in
Flea Beetle	Most all brassica crops	Flea beetle pressure is rebounding in a major way in many brassicas.
Imported cabbage worms Diamondback moth	Brassica crops (Kale, Broccoli, Cabbage, etc.)	Cabbage moths are inflicting damage, but most of the damage seems to be tolerable.
Leek moth	Garlic	We are yet to see any new adults in traps. Last season we did see a third flight that affected leeks in some regions. We’ll keep monitoring to help predict if this will happen again.
Mexican bean beetle	beans	We’re seeing extensive damage in Burlington, but have not heard much from other regions.
Japanese Beetle	Potatoes, Beans, Basil, etc.	Generally, we’re seeing fewer scarab beetle issues in various plantings.
Potato Leafhoppers	Beans and Potatoes	Hopper burn is being found in beans and potatoes. Undeniably, beans are being the worst hit.
Striped Cucumber Beetle	Squash/Cucumber	Thus far, on farms that we are scouting, SCB populations seem to be more manageable this season.
Spinach/Beet leaf miner	Spinach, Swiss Chard, Beets	We are not seeing any expanding damage from leaf miners.
Squash bugs	Summer and Winter Squash	Squash bugs seem to be significantly down from last year’s seemingly record year. In general we have seen lower levels than years past.
Squash vine borer	Winter squash	Moths are being found in traps from around the region but they are falling.
Swede Midge	Brassicas	We are seeing increasing Swede midge damage in the most susceptible crops
Tarnished plant bug	Strawberries	We continue to see high pressure from TPB

Hi all,

 

With the mini-heatwave over the weekend a few insect pests have spiked in the area. Most of these insects have been causing some damage but have really hit their stride over the last week. The ones that have been most notable on the farms over the last week have been onion thrips, flea beetles (in eggplant) and Mexican bean beetles. We’ve discussed both of these pests in detail over the past couple of weeks. If you would like to refresh your memory on the life cycles or potential management tactics, just click on the hyperlinked names above for these pests or scroll through our website blog to reread the previous entries.

 

This week, we are focusing on several of the diseases that we are seeing in abundance on farms and have been reported to UVM’s Diagnostic Clinic.

From Ann Hazelrigg:

 

“Powdery mildew is on the rise in cucurbits. Fusarium crown rot at the base of stems was identified in high tunnel cukes where soil conditions were warm and wet. I also have seen this fungus cause a rapid collapse of squash in fields in hot mid to late summer following rain. The pathogen causes a rot right at the soil line even though roots may look fine.  It can be hit or miss in fields.

 

I have seen more angular leaf spot in cucurbits this year than in years past. It is a bacterial disease that typically shows up earlier in the season because it is seedborne. Cucumbers seem to get a lot of leafspot problems and are hard to diagnose from just a picture. It is best to send in a sample if you want to know, because the pathogen can only be identified by looking for fungal fruiting bodies or bacteria under the microscope. Here is a good factsheet on leafspots from UMASS: Leaf Spot Fact Sheet

 

Bacterial wilt was diagnosed on yellow squash where cucumber beetle numbers were high earlier in the summer. Tomatoes are just showing the usual leafspot diseases with an isolated (hopefully!) incidence of late blight in Ontario. There is a fair amount of blossom end rot on some of the first ripe tomatoes. I have been hearing of blossom drop in high tunnels due to the recent high temperatures. Peppers are also showing blossom end rot on sides of the fruit. It is hard to tell the difference between BER and sunscald, but either way, the fruit is ruined!

 

Downy mildew is prevalent on some onions. This fungus-like organism will not infect the bulbs but can influence size if the plants die early. It shows up as lighter green patches on the foliage with purple-grey downy growth visible especially when conditions are moist or in the early morning. Cercospora and other leafspots are showing up on beets. Don’t forget that thrips and spider mites may explode in this hot dry weather.”

 

Also, in regards to late blight, Meg McGrath from Cornell Cooperative Extension wanted to be sure that growers in the region are aware of some late blight look-a-likes. “There are 2 other Phytophthoras that can cause leaf and sometimes stem spots that resemble late blight.: P capsici = Phytophthora blight (tomato) and P nicotianae (both hosts but more common on potato).  They don’t occur very often.  Key difference – these 2 don’t sporulate on these tissues like the late blight pathogen (won’t see the typical late blight fuzz when leaves are incubated in a plastic bag for a day), so they don’t move as easily, and they are not so destructive.  I’ve got photos in my Photo Gallery: https://blogs.cornell.edu/livegpath/gallery/”

If you have any questions regarding diseases on your farm you can send Ann a picture of a problem first and then she can follow up if a sample is needed at ann.hazelrigg@uvm.edu

 

In addition, our research team is looking to collect wireworms from agricultural soils to assess some biological controls that we have been testing. If you have any fields with a history of high wireworm pressure, we’d love to come out to your farm and put out some traps to collect for our experiments. Please reach out, we’re happy to take them off your hands…err…farm.

 

Pest	Crop	Observations
Colorado Potato Beetle	Potatoes	Adults are being found in mass right now, with a lot of late instar larvae too.
Flea Beetle	Brassica and Solanums	Flea beetles have rebounded in some areas. We’re seeing some high pressure in eggplant on some farms in Vermont.
Imported cabbage worms Diamondback moth	Brassica crops (Kale, Broccoli, Cabbage, etc.)	Damage seems to be spotty in brassicas for most of the cabbage moths
Leek moth	Onion	The second flight of leek moth has begun! Adult moths are currently laying eggs in alliums.
Mexican bean beetle	beans	We have been documenting some pretty large outbreaks in beans these days.
Japanese Beetle	Potatoes, Beans, Basil, etc.	There has been a marked increase in Japanese beetle populations in various crops.
Potato Leafhoppers	Beans and Potatoes	Hopper burn, at the moment, is limited on the farms we are monitoring. Some pressure in potatoes but not too bad.
Striped Cucumber Beetle	Squash/Cucumber	Beetles are being seen and reported in numerous cucurbit crops. The field population for winter squash have been rather normal for this time of the year, tolerable levels for most good-sized plants. However, some extensive bacterial wilt is being seen on farms with higher pressure.
Spinach/Beet leaf miner	Spinach, Swiss Chard, Beets	Lear miner damage has been steady in the last couple of weeks. Most of the damage seen right now is a remnant of early infestations.
Squash bugs	Summer and Winter Squash	Nymphs are being found in high numbers in most squash plantings. Adults are still laying eggs too.
Squash vine borer	Winter squash	Moths are being found in traps from around the region. We have seen many moths in traps and flying around summer squash plantings.
Swede Midge	Brassicas	We are seeing pressure building in many brassica crops. Be sure to rotate out of any fields that are showing high pressure this season. Swede midge overwinter in the field as pupae.
Tarnished plant bug	Strawberries	We are getting a lot of reports of farms with very high TPB numbers, especially flower farms.

 

 

 

 

Hi all,

With the consistent heat over the last few weeks were seeing some continued pressure from the usual (pest) suspects within the region. Luckily the dry conditions in much of the state has reduced the incidence of some of the more common diseases at this point in the season. The lack of moisture reduces the transmission and establishment of many diseases. For example, downy and powdery mildew in cucurbits seem to be mostly spotty within New England and we are not aware of any major outbreaks in Vermont.

Some notable pests and diseases from our monitoring this week:

We are hearing a lot from growers about their struggles with Colorado potato beetle. Yes indeed, it seems like a very bad year for folks with a significant amount of acreage in potato and other solanums, especially eggplant. According to some of our own research, CPB in Vermont actually shows a preference for eggplant. With the consistently high summer temperatures this season, we are seeing some extensive overlap in CPB generations leading to populations of mixed life stages (i.e. adults, larvae and eggs). Once a population becomes mixed with various generations, CPB control becomes rather problematic without some chemical intervention. In recent years, delayed planting has been as an emerging tactic for some growers in the region and is on our radar to explore more intentionally with research trials. Though it may not be helpful for this season, any growers interested in hosting delayed planting trials for CPB control (next season), please reach out. We are actively searching for farmers looking to adopt delayed planting or to establish best practices for the tactic. The more farms that participate, the easier it is to develop adaptable recommendations.

We reported last week that we have yet to see high pressure from spotted wing drosophila (SWD) this season. In fact, we were yet to find a single male fly in our traps. That luck is beginning to change as we are now seeing flies in our traps. Though the numbers are small at the moment, be aware that once you begin to find adult flies in traps, it is a good bet that your fruit has larvae feeding in them. We suspect that over the next few weeks SWD counts will be creeping up. This is bit later than last couple of years, so our hope is that this may lead to a lower peak population on some farms.

There has been a recent report of late blight symptoms on tomatoes in Canada within eastern Ontario. Despite this concerning news, the silver lining is that the outbreak is likely an isolated case and not an indication that the disease has arrived from a recent weather event. No other areas adjacent to the outbreak region have reported seeing any symptoms or validated cases. Despite this encouraging news, it is still important to monitor your tomatoes and potatoes for any sign of late blight. Common symptoms on tomatoes and potatoes are greenish-brown lesions on leaves and stems, that are often water-soaked and may be accompanied by white fuzzy fungal growth. It is especially important to monitor for potential infections after a heavy rain. If you suspect that you may have late blight, be sure to destroy any infected plants as soon as you are confident in your diagnosis. Late blight requires living plant material to survive, so destroying any living infected material will reduce the likelihood for spread to other areas on your farm or neighbors. We’ve been lucky to avoid any outbreaks over the last few years, but we still must be vigilant.

 

As always you can find more details on individual pests and diseases from our on-farm monitoring at our pest and scouting website.

 

Pest	Crop	Observations
Colorado Potato Beetle	Potatoes	Pressure has increased in recent weeks with overlapping generations
Flea Beetle	Most all brassica crops	Flea beetles are rebounding and pressure is picking up and may effect newly planted brassicas
Imported cabbage worms Diamondback moth	Brassica crops (Kale, Broccoli, Cabbage, etc.)	Cabbage worms in general are becoming problematic in several brassica crops, especially in high tunnels where parasitism and predation may be minimal.
Leek moth	Garlic	The second flight is over in the region. Larvae are feeding on onions and leeks. We are even beginning to see pupae in some alliums.
Japanese Beetle	Potatoes, Beans, Basil, etc.	In general, scarab beetles are a real problem right now. Japanese beetles, Asiatic Beetles, and Oriental beetles can all be a big problem for flower growers this time of year. We are even seeing high pressure in edamame plantings.
Potato Leafhoppers	Beans and Potatoes	We are seeing some high pressure in some areas, especially after cutting of alfalfa or other cover crops.
Striped Cucumber Beetle	Squash/Cucumber	SCB do not seem to be that bad this year. Despite some early season outbreaks, the SCB populations seem to be rather manageable.
Spinach/Beet leaf miner	Spinach, Swiss Chard, Beets	A few growers have indicated that they are seeing increased damage from leaf miner. We haven’t seen much in our scouting that isn’t a remnant of the early outbreaks.
Squash bugs	Summer and Winter Squash	We’re seeing a plethora of adults and eggs with summer and winter squash. Most of the egg laying is being seen in summer squash. Nymphs are yet to be seen in any significant numbers.
Squash vine borer	Winter squash	Vine borers are showing signs of picking up and
Swede Midge	Brassicas	Swede midge damage, though spotty on the farms we’ve been monitoring, where we are seeing it has been intense. If you have a history of swede midge be on the look out.
Tarnished plant bug	Flowers	TPB is becoming a real problem in some crops. They are especially showing high pressure in flower crops.

 

 

Hi all,

With the hottest days of the summer upon us and the plethora of maturing crops within the landscape, we are well positioned to identify the dominant trends for the rest of the season. You may often hear growers say that it is a “bad year” for a particular pest. These periodic outbreaks are typically the result of many factors that may be years in the making, or at the very least, a year in the making.  This makes it difficult to predict an outbreak and sometimes hard to explain, even in hindsight. Some of the emerging “bad year” pests for 2022, include:, Japanese Beetle, Colorado Potato Beetle, Swede Midge, and onion thrips. Though the recent onion thrips outbreak around the state and region can be attributed to the hot/dry conditions that many growers are experiencing.

In honor of this unpredictability, we’d like to discuss a couple pests and diseases that have acted a bit unpredictable this season.

We’ve mentioned Basil Downy Mildew several times in the last few weeks, as the arrival of the disease within the region was quite a bit earlier this season and we were worried that it would cause early losses. However, despite its early arrival, BDM outbreaks have yet to be reported within Vermont. The limited spread of BDM is likely due to the hot and dry conditions over the past few weeks or perhaps a lack of reporting. That said, it is still important to stay vigilant and report any potential outbreaks.

Several growers have reached out to our team to inquire about the current status of Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) within Vermont. Our current SWD monitoring program within Chittenden County has been quiet, as we have seen very limited numbers of SWD within our traps. These numbers echo what several other extension professionals are seeing within other parts of New England. With blueberry season taking off, we expect to see increasing SWD trap counts over the next couple of weeks. We will keep you posted on our traps. For growers interested in trapping on their own farms, recent research from Jaime Piñero at UMass has shown that a simple diluted concord grape juice + salt mixture works better than many commercial traps. His research on comparisons of the traps can be found here.  The basic bait cocktail is: 1 part concord grape juice + 3 parts water + 2% salt by weight.

Leek moth pressure has been very low in onion plantings on all of the farms that we have been monitoring this season. In reality, we have seen leek moth pressure fall, in onions, each year in Chittenden County since we began monitoring them in 2016. Despite trap counts being relatively stable over those years, we’ve documented less and less damage each year. This is a bit of a different story for leeks, as we have seen significant damage in leeks, especially late in the season, since the moth’s arrival in 2014. Currently, we are seeing the end of the second flight of adult leek moths in Burlington, as many of the populations have begun their transition to the larval stage. If your onions are currently under some type of exclusion netting, you’re probably safe to begin removing those over the next week.

 

As always you can find more details on other pests and diseases at our pest and scouting website.

 

Pest	Crop	Observations
Colorado Potato Beetle	Potatoes	We are beginning to see the emergence of yet another generation of CPB adults.
Imported cabbage worms Diamondback moth	Brassica crops (Kale, Broccoli, Cabbage, etc.)	Cabbage worm damage is really picking up. We are seeing quite a bit of damage in broccoli and kale.
Leek moth	Garlic	The second flight of leek moth is coming to an end, as we are seeing fewer and fewer adult moths in our traps.
Mexican bean beetle	beans	Larvae and damage is really picking up on some farms, while others are not having a problem at all
Japanese Beetle	Potatoes, Beans, Basil, etc.	There has been a marked increase in Japanese beetle populations in various crops. This seems to be a bad year for the beetle.
Potato Leafhoppers	Beans and Potatoes	Hopper burn is being found in beans, eggplants, and potatoes. Some of the pressure is increasing and showing significant damage.
Striped Cucumber Beetle	Squash/Cucumber	SCB is being found in high numbers, but the growth of the populations seem to be slower this year, when compared to years past.  We are not seeing significant impacts on squash plants at the moment
Spinach/Beet leaf miner	Spinach, Swiss Chard, Beets	The second flight of miners is well underway and we are seeing increased damage in beet greens and chard.
Squash bugs	Summer and Winter Squash	We’re beginning to see nymphs and increasing damage in summer and winter squash.
Squash vine borer	Winter squash	Moths are being found in traps from around the region. We have seen many moths in traps and flying around summer squash plantings.
Swede Midge	Brassicas	We are seeing a lot of early season damage in brassicas and that is translating into high levels of damage on farms with a history of damage.
Tarnished plant bug	Strawberries	We are seeing a high incidence of tarnished plant bugs  in the region, especially in strawberries. Cat-facing and other types of strawberry deformation from the “sting” of the bug has been seen.