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Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
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________________________________________________ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences |
SOUTH FLORIDA
VEGETABLE PEST AND DISEASE
HOTLINE
February 14, 2003
South Florida vegetable growers are enjoying warmer weather, which is boosting the growth and development of most vegetable crops. Temperatures across the area have been couple of degrees above normal with daytime highs in the upper 70s to mid 80s. Nighttime lows have been mostly in the 40s and 50s with a few nights dipping into the upper 30s in some normally cooler areas.
Most locations recorded no or only trace amounts of precipitation for the period and surface water levels are beginning to drop perceptibly in many areas. Growers and scouts report a few foggy mornings over the past few weeks, which is helping to keep some diseases active.
Vegetables coming to market include beans,
cabbage, celery, cilantro, cucumbers, eggplants, endive, escarole, lettuce,
parsley, peppers, radishes, specialty crops, squash, strawberries, sweet
corn, and tomatoes. Potato harvest is getting underway and very
light supplies of potatoes are moving to market. Quality is mostly
good and volume is beginning to pick up.
FAWN Weather
Summary
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| Min | Max | (Inches) | 40°F | 45°F | 50°F | 55°F | 60°F | 65°F | 70°F | 75°F | |
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The short term forecast from the National Weather Service in Miami calls for partly cloudy skies and mild temperatures through Sunday with possible showers on Sunday and an even better possibility of showers on Monday. Skies will clear on Tuesday and will remain mostly clear through Thursday with daytime temperatures in the mid to upper 70s and lows in the mid to upper 50s at night.
For additional information, visit the National Weather Service in Miami website at http://www.srh.noaa.gov.mia
Insects
Insect pressure remains relatively low but growers and scouts are noting some rebound in insect activity as temperatures have moderated over the past two weeks.
Leafminers
Leafminer pressure has increased around Southwest Florida but remains below what might normally be expected for this time of year. Populations have reached threshold levels in a variety of crops including tomato, watermelons and peppers and growers are actively applying sprays targeted at controlling this pest.
Reports from East Coast production areas indicate a similar situation with growers targeting controls as required.
Whiteflies
Reports from Palm Beach indicate that whitefly pressure is variable. In some places growers report moderate pressure on the tomatoes, with even higher numbers in squash and some silverleaf is starting to appear, in other places whiteflies numbers are low to very low.
Around southwest Florida, whiteflies numbers are mostly low except in some older planting where populations have begun to build.
Respondents in Homestead indicate that whiteflies are sporadic and pressure is variable.
Aphids
Reports from Homestead indicate that aphid populations are reaching high levels in a number of crops.
Respondents in Palm Beach report that aphids are now beginning to show up in a wide variety of various aged crops. Some colony formation has been noted in pepper as well as specialty vegetables.
Around southwest Florida, an increase in aphid pressure is being reported across a variety of crops with populations ranging from low to moderate depending on the location.
Worms
Around southwest Florida worm pressure has picked up marginally with an increase in trap counts and some new hatches being reported in recent days. Reports indicate that mostly southern armyworms along with a few fruit worms and beet armyworms are being seen.
A few reports of low levels of pinworm moths appearing in traps have also come in from around southwest Florida in recent days.
In the Palm Beach area, growers and scouts in indicate that worm pressure remains mostly low with some increased pressure being reported in places.
Reports from Homestead indicate that worm pressure is increasing with the heat and the approaching full moon.
Pepper Weevil
Respondents in all areas indicate that pepper weevils pressure remains low with a few hotspots mainly in older plantings.
Thrips
Reports from Homestead indicate that melon thrips are now very active in beans, pepper, eggplant, potato, cucurbit, and occasionally tomato.
Growers and scouts in Palm Beach are reporting low levels of mostly flower thrips in pepper.
Respondents around Immokalee indicate that thrips numbers remain low and there have been no reports of problems.
Mites
Respondents in Palm Beach report that pockets of broadmite activity have begun to resurface in places where they were present in the fall. A few spider mites have also been reported on eggplant.
Around Immokalee, reports indicate that a few broad mites are again being seen on mostly pepper in scattered sites around the area.
Spider mites have been noted building on nightshades in a number of fields around Southwest Florida. They have migrated onto a few melons and tomatoes in a few locations.
Growers and scouts in Homestead report that spider mite pressure is increasing and numbers are reaching seasonal highs in some fields.
Silk Fly
Reports from around Homestead indicate that silk fly pressure is approaching seasonally high levels.
Diseases
Disease activity remains relatively low in most places although some increase has been noted in places.
Bacterial diseases
Around Immokalee, growers and scouts indicate bacterial spot incidence is down and most infections are in check but some new activity has been reported on peppers and tomatoes.
Bacterial leaf spot (Pseudomonas sp) has been reported on cantaloupe in southwest Florida. Incidence and occurrence is localized.
Reports from Homestead indicate warm weather and foggy has resulted in some increased bacteria spot activity on tomatoes.
Scouts in the Homestead area also note some increase incidence of bacterial blight in beans.
Respondents in Palm Beach note that incidence of bacterial spot remains low in most locations.
Foliar diseases
Reports from the east coast indicate that early blight and target spot pressure remains relatively low.
Growers and scouts around Immokalee have noted some increase in early blight and target spot activity in tomato and potatoes, most invading behind wind and/or cold damage and associated with recent foggy mornings.
Alternaria is also present on beans and eggplant around the area.
Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus
Around Southwest Florida, Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl virus incidence continues to increase slowly but remains below the levels, which were seen last year at this time. There are some reports of localized hotspots with some fields averaging 30% infection rates, in these locations some blocks along field margins are approaching 50% infection.
Reports from around Palm Beach indicate that the incidence of Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl is slowly increasing in a number of areas.
Respondents in Homestead continue to report some new TYLCV activity. Incidence remains low with the highest reported infection rates now around 4%.
Dr Jane Polston reports that pepper has found to be a host of TYLCV see article below beginning on page 7.
Reports continue to come in of old tomato fields where whitefly populations and TYLCV have reached high levels acting as a source of inoculum to spread the disease to nearby plantings.
Be a good neighbor - growers are again reminded of the importance of promptly destroying old fields after harvest in order to reduce carryover to the next crop. Remember that a break between crops is an important tool in managing whitefly populations in spring plantings. Whenever possible susceptible crops should be separated as much as a possible by time and distance.
Sclerotina
Around southwest Florida, growers and scouts
have noted the occurrence of white mold in tomato and pepper.
Sclerotina is being reported at low levels
on tomato, pepper and eggplant in Palm Beach production areas.
Respondents in Homestead are reporting new white mold activity on beans, tomato, pepper, and eggplant.
Phytophthora
Around Palm Beach County, scattered cases of Phytophthora capsici continues to be reported on pepper. Slow spread within plantings continues to occur.
Around southwest Florida, Phytophthora capsici continues affect pepper and squash in several sites from Naples to Immokalee.
Powdery Mildew
Respondents around southwest Florida note that powdery mildew remains active on a squash.
Grower and scouts in Palm Beach report the occurrence of powdery mildew on snow peas, strawberries and squash.
Reports from Homestead also indicate widespread occurrence of powdery mildew in squash. Powdery mildew is also present at lower levels in strawberries.
Downy Mildew
A few isolated cases of downy mildew have been diagnosed on squash around Palm Beach in recent days. Dr. Ken Pernezny notes that this is unusual in light of the normally cooler temperatures at this time of year.
Mosaic
Growers and scouts continue to report finding mostly low levels of virus in squash in scattered locations across South Florida. Some locally heavy hotspots with a higher incidence of the disease have been reported.
Reports from Homestead indicate that mosaic is increasing in older picked squash.
Fusarium
Growers and scouts around southwest Florida continue to report the occurrence of fusarium crown rot in tomato in a number of scattered locations.
Reports from Palm Beach also indicate that there has been some increase in the incidence of fusarium crown rot in tomato in recent weeks weeks.
Rhizoctonia
Respondents in Homestead indicate that rhizoctonia is widespread and is currently the primary problem in beans.
Rhizoctonia is also causing scattered problems in beans around southwest Florida.
Anthracnose
Growers and scouts operating in the Palm Beach area are reporting the occurrence of anthracnose on pepper. Incidence and occurrence is mostly low although a few hot spots with higher infection rates have been noted.
Anthracnose has also been reported on strawberries in Palm Beach and Homestead.
Bean Golden Mosaic
Growers ands scouts around Homestead are reporting very low levels of Bean Golden Mosaic Virus. Incidence is being kept low by planting beans with Admire in the furrow.
Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Found to Host Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus
Dr. Jane Polston and her team have found that pepper (Capsicum annuum) can be a host of TYLCV. Infected pepper plants showed no symptoms in leaves or fruit even weeks after infection. Not all pepper cultivars may be susceptible. A cultivar tested several years ago and retested more recently could not be inoculated. This suggests that some pepper cultivars may be immune to TYLCV. A study under way to determine which cultivars commonly grown in Florida might be immune to TYLCV. Results will be made available in late spring.
Transmission tests demonstrate that whiteflies could transmit TYLCV from tomato to pepper. However, transmission from pepper back to tomato was only achieved using whiteflies that were reared on infected pepper plants. Whiteflies reared on tomato plants and placed on infected pepper plants were unable to transmit TYLCV to tomato. It is not clear yet how efficiently the whiteflies can move TYLCV from pepper to tomato. These findings are of particular concern since Florida has experienced an annual increase in whitefly populations in pepper over the last 4 years.
The bottom line for growers is that pepper
fields are a potential source of TYLCV for tomato fields. Whitefly
populations in pepper fields should be managed in order to reduce TYLCV
incidences and yield losses in nearby tomato fields. Dr. Dave Schuster
recommends that movement of whiteflies from pepper fields to tomato fields
be reduced by strict adherence to cultural practices and applications of
insecticides targeting whiteflies.
Cultural Recommendations:
Because foliar applications of a nicotinoid (Actara) are made for pepper weevil control and because soil applications of nicotinoids (Admire and Platinum) are made on tomato for whitefly control, additional foliar and soil applications of nicotinoids should not be made on pepper as part of a resistance management program for the nicotinoid insecticides.
Monitor whitefly populations in pepper and apply insecticides in chemical classes other than the nicotinoids: These include:
The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and the Attorney General announced Monday that the Homeland Security Advisory System level for terrorist attack has been elevated to "orange" or "high risk of terrorist attacks." In light of this announcement, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests that those who manufacture distribute, transport or store pesticides should be especially vigilant regarding physical security of those chemicals.
EPA recommends that you review EPA's Pesticide Consumer Alert entitled: "Pesticide Alert: Pesticide Security and Site Security" published by EPA on September 2001 and available on the EPA Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/citizens/pest_secu_alert.htm.
If you have questions regarding this advisory or EPA's Pesticide Security Alert, please contact EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs at (703) 305-5017.
U.S. Government Nominates Critical Use Exemptions For Methyl Bromide
The U.S. Government has transmitted its formal nomination for "critical use exemptions" from the phase-out of methyl bromide. Methyl bromide is scheduled to be phased-out by developed countries by 2005 in accordance with the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Montreal Protocol contains a provision for countries to request exemptions for uses of methyl bromide for which there are no technical or economically feasible alternatives. It is under this provision that the U.S. and many other countries are submitting their nominations for critical use exemption.
The United States is submitting a two-year exemption request to begin in 2005. This request is based on an extensive and rigorous joint EPA and U.S. Department of Agriculture technical review process involving dozens of specialists with extensive experience in relevant sciences. The U.S. request for 2005 is for 39 percent of our baseline consumption of methyl bromide, which is substantially below the most recent year's consumption. The U.S. request will decline to 37 percent in 2006, reflecting government commitment to ozone layer protection and the likelihood that additional alternatives will be registered and available for use by then. For more information, go to http://www.epa.gov/ozone/mbr/
CCAs Will Serve As Technical Service Providers Under The USDA 2002 Farm Bill
Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs) will be eligible
to serve as Technical Service Providers (TSPs) for conservation farm programs
under a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the American Society
of Agronomy's Certified Crop Adviser Program. TSPs will provide technical
assistance to farmers of private lands in protecting resources through
conservation planning in soil and water, nutrient, pest and crop management.
Any assistance provided by CCAs will meet NRCS standards and specifications.
More information is available at
http://www.agronomy.org/cca/
Opportunity Exhibitors wanted for the National Association of County Agricultural Agents Annual Meeting to be held in Orlando in July 2004. This is a great opportunity to present your products to the more than 2500 County Extension Agents from all over the United States that are expected to attend this meeting.
To reserve a place contact Ed Jennings at 352-793-6376.
Websites
Cool Fossils - What happened during the last 300,000 to 1,000,000 years of SW Florida's Pleistocene Epoch to leave so many mammals -- young and old -- entombed collectively in a modern LaBelle retention pond? See what they are finding on Route 80, just west of Labelle. Go to http://www.paleopress.net/labelle.htm
Florida Commemorative Quarter the Florida Commemorative Quarter is slated for release in 2004. You can cast your vote for the design of your choice at the My Florida website. Votes must be cast before the end of February. Go to http://www2.myflorida.com/apps/sto/quarterdesign/V3coin.asp?region=C
Up Coming Meetings
Palm Beach County
February 20, 2003
Vegetable and Corn Growers Meeting 10 AM 1 PM
Drawbridge Café
Belle Glade, Florida
Contact Laura Powell at 561-996-1655.
March 12, 2003
General Standards/Core Test Review
8 AM - 10 AM
Private Applicator Test Review 1 PM - 3 PM
Testing - Any Category 8 AM
- 4 PM
Belle Glade Extension Office
2976 State Road 15
Belle Glade, Florida
Contact Laura Powell at 561-996-1655.
Southwest Florida
February 18, 2003 Roundup Herbicide and Vegetable Application Updates - 6 PM
UF/IFAS SW Florida Research and Education Center
SR 29 N
Immokalee, Florida
Contact Gene McAvoy at 674-4092
March 13, 2003
Disease Control in Cucurbits and BASF Product Update - 6 PM
UF/IFAS SW Florida Research and Education Center
SR 29 N
Immokalee, Florida
Contact Gene McAvoy at 674-4092
Other Meetings
March 10 13, 2003
Florida Post-Harvest Horticulture Industry Tour
Contact Steve Sargent at 352-392-1928
March 11 13, 2003
2003 Greenhouse Tomato Short Course
Mississippi State University
Crystal Springs, Mississippi
Contact Dr Rick Snyder at 601-892-3731
April 29-30, 2003
FACTs - Florida Agricultural Conference and Trade Show
Lakeland Center, Lakeland, Florida
Quotable Quotes
A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done. -- Fred Allen
I am a Marxist--of the Groucho tendency. --Anonymous
Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them. -- Antoine de Saint
When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers. -- Oscar Wilde
A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon it adds up to real money. -- Senator Everett Dirksen
On the Lighter Side
Billy Bob's Valentine Poem
Collards is green,
my dog's name is Blue
and I'm so lucky
to have a sweet thang like you.
Yore hair is like cornsilk
a-flapping in the breeze.
Softer than Blue's
and without all them fleas.
You move like the bass,
which excite me in May.
You ain't got no scales
but I luv you anyway.
Yo're as satisfy'n as okry
jist a-fry'n in the pan.
Yo're as fragrant as "snuff"
right out of the can.
You have some'a yore teeth,
for which I am proud;
I hold my head high
when we're in a crowd.
On special occasions,
when you shave under yore arms,
well, I'm in hawg heaven,
and awed by yore charms.
Still them fellers at work,
they all want to know,
what I did to deserve
such a purdy, young doe.
Like a good roll of duct tape
yo're there fer yore man,
to patch up life's troubles
and fix what you can.
Yo're as cute as a junebug
a-buzzin' overhead.
You ain't mean like those far ants
I found in my bed.
Cut from the best cloth
like a plaid flannel shirt,
you spark up my life
more than a fresh load of dirt.
When you hold me real tight
like a padded gunrack,
my life is complete;
Ain't nuttin' I lack.
Yore complexion, it's perfection,
like the best vinyl sidin'.
despite all the years,
yore age, it keeps hidin'.
Me 'n' you's like a Moon Pie
with a RC cold drank,
we go together
like a skunk goes with stank.
Some men, they buy chocolate
for Valentine's Day;
They git it at Wal-Mart,
it's romantic that way.
Some men git roses
on that special day
from the cooler at Kroger.
"That's impressive," I say.
Some men buy fine diamonds
from a flea market booth.
"Diamonds are forever,"
they explain, suave and couth.
But for this man, honey,
these won't do.
Cause yor'e too special,
you sweet thang you.
I got you a gift,
without taste nor odor,
more useful than diamonds......
IT'S A NEW TROLL'N MOTOR!
Happy Valentines Day 
Contributors include: Joel Allingham/AgriCare, Inc, Karen Armbrester/SWFREC, Kathy Carbiener /Agricultural Pest Management, Jim Connor/SWFREC, Bruce Corbitt/West Coast Tomato Growers, Fred Heald/Farmers Supply, Sarah Hornsby/AgCropCon, Cecil Howell/H&R Farm, Loren Horsman/Glades Crop Care, Bruce Johnson/General Crop Management, Dr Mary Lamberts/Miami-Dade County Extension, Leon Lucas/Glades Crop Care, Gene McAvoy/Hendry County Extension, Alice McGhee/Thomas Produce, Jimmy Morales/Pro Source One, Tim Nychk/Nychk Bros. Farm, Chuck Obern/C+B Farm, Teresa Olczyk/ Miami-Dade County Extension, Dr Ken Pernezny/EREC, Dr. Pam Roberts/SWFREC, Dr Nancy Roe/Farming Systems Research, Wes Roan/6 L's, Kevin Seitzinger/Gargiulo, Jay Shivler/ F& F Farm, Ken Shuler/Stephens Produce, Ed Skvarch/St Lucie County Extension, John Stanford/LNA Farm, Mike Stanford/MED Farms, Dr. Phil Stansly/SWFREC, Eugene Tolar/Red Star Farms, Dr Charlie Vavrina/SWFREC, Mark Verbeck and Donna Verbeck/GulfCoast Ag.
The SW Florida Pest and Disease Hotline is compiled by Gene McAvoy and is issued on a biweekly basis by the Hendry County Cooperative Extension Office as a service to the vegetable industry.
Gene McAvoy
Extension
Agent II
Vegetable/Ornamental
Horticulture
863-674-4092 phone
Hendry County
Extension Office
863-860-8811 mobile Nextel agnet 28950
PO Box 68
863-674-4097 fax
LaBelle, FL
33975
GMcAvoy@mail.ifas.ufl.edu
The Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences is an Equal Employment Opportunity - Affirmative Action Employer
authorized to provide research, educational information and other services
only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race,
color, sex, age, handicap or national origin.
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK IN AGRICULTURE,
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES, SEA GRANT AND 4-H YOUTH, STATE OF FLORIDA,
IFAS, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND BOARDS
OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COOPERATING