Filtering by tag: Agriculture & Food ✕

Large audience seated at tables listening to a presenter with a projected slide in a community hall

2016 Winter Meeting Schedule

The 2016 winter meeting season is right around the corner. Meeting dates and locations are listed in the table below. Please be reminded that all US producers are required to attend for GAP…

Praying mantis perched on a large green leaf

Tobacco Insect Scouting Report, September 18 2015

We observed both a decrease in flea beetle populations and an increase in predators this week at our remaining on farm site. Only two plants had signs of aphids, but neither had large enough…

Fuzzy green leaf with multiple small red mites on its surface

Tobacco Insect Scouting Report, September 11 2015

Several plants at our remaining on-farm site have small populations of aphids this week. While only one plant met the requirements to be considered infested, we saw two plants in the standard field…

Rows of green plant stalks with sparse leaves growing in sandy soil

Tobacco Insect Scouting Report, September 4 2015

This week was busy with the final primings at nearly all of our remaining sites. We will continue reporting our observations at Piedmont 2 until harvesting is complete. Although we didn't see any…

Dark caterpillar on a leaf covered in clusters of white parasitic wasp cocoons

Tobacco Insect Scouting Report, August 21 2015

With harvesting well underway, we are now able to observe how insects distribute themselves on the remaining foliage in the final weeks. Hornworms and budworms have a preference for younger leaves…

Green leaf with brown necrotic spots and scattered small black insects and frass

Tobacco Insect Scouting Report, August 14 2015

We are seeing more flea beetle feeding at sites with the lowest leaves still present on plants and consistently seeing beetles at all sites. The image above shows one example of how flea beetle…

Leaf underside densely covered with small red aphids and white shed skins

Tobacco Insect Scouting Report, July 31 2015

Similar to recent weeks, we are still in a bit of a midsummer lull for pest pressure. However, we still have weeks to go, and a lot can change in that time. Below are a few points of interest from…

Green caterpillar crawling along the edge of a fuzzy leaf

Tobacco Insect Scouting Report, July 10 2015

Budworm populations have surpassed threshold at all IPM sites to date, and all but one field has been treated. It is unlikely that tobacco budworms will require treatment post topping, but we will…

Green leafy brassica with central flower bud and a hand touching a lower leaf

Calcium Deficiency

Over the past week or so we've received a number of phone calls, emails, and text messages asking about irregular/abnormal leaf growth and bud development. It's safe to say that nearly all of these…

Collage: wasp on leaf; small insect with eggs on leaf; cluster of insect eggs; gray frog on leaf

Tobacco Insect Scouting Report, July 3 2015

This week we saw an increase in budworm pressure across nearly all sites. Given that some sites will be topping their plants in the coming two weeks, it is not warranted to make treatments solely for…