Zack Snipes
24.07.2023 - 12:10 / hgic.clemson.edu
Rob Last reports, “After some welcome rain in the area over the weekend, crops are looking good. However, given the humidity and rainfall, we are likely to find disease pressure increasing. Strawberries are all over. The wet, humid conditions have spiked infections of botrytis and water-soaked berries. Blueberries, blackberries, and peaches are all coming to market with good quality and volumes, with few insect or disease pressures being seen currently. Watermelons and cantaloupes are developing well, with some early planted crops coming to harvest. In response to rainfall and increased humidity, keep an eye out for diseases such as bacterial spot in pepper and tomatoes. In addition, some cantaloupe crops are beginning to show Alternaria leaf spot. Make sure fungicide timings are good using a robust program.”
Zack Snipes reports, “We finally got a little bit of rain last week which knocked the dust down some. We could use more, and hopefully, we will get some this week. Incidence of Southern blight increased last week in tomato. Make a note of these fields and avoid planting them in tomato, eggplant, pepper, squash, or melons next season. Overall, the crops look solid. We are in the thick of things when it comes to tomato harvest, and rabbiteye blueberry harvest is starting this week as well. We have really humid and wet conditions coming this week, so don’t forget to use protectant fungicides. I know everyone is busy, but during the busy season is when most of our insect and disease pressure spiral out of control.”
Justin Ballew reports, “We finally got some significant rain in the midlands this past week. I’m up to 1.8 inches at my house, and there is a good chance in the forecast for more. It has been warm, overcast,
Rob Last reports, “Strawberry crops in the area are looking good with good crown development. We are seeing open flowers and some fruit set based on warmer conditions. These crops are cause for some concern as we are likely to see damage from forecast cold snaps. There is evidence of botrytis (gray mold) in crops on cold damaged flowers and fruit. Sanitation can really help to mitigate the spread of the disease. Spider mites remain active and in places are requiring treatment. Remember to avoid pyrethroids for mite control as these can flare mite populations.”
Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a great holiday season and is off to a good start in 2021. We have several virtual grower meetings coming up over the next two months, so keep an eye on the “Upcoming Events” page for info. Also, don’t forget the Southeastern Regional Fruit and Vegetable conference kicks off virtually this week, and it’s not too late to register.
Dr. Matt Cutulle reports, “Burndown herbicide efficacy can be reduced in colder weather, especially systemic products such as glyphosate (Reduced translocation in the cold means herbicide does not move through the plant as much).”
Rob Last reports, “Vegetable crops are growing out of the impacts of frost well. There is active Alternaria in places on brassica crops. Insect activity in vegetable crops in the area remains low. Strawberry crops are moving well, with a few spider mites and aphids being observed. Remember, if mite treatment is needed, use a specific miticide to target the pest to avoid flaring populations. If you need a second pair of eyes to help scout, then please give me a shout.”
Rob Last reports, “Strawberry crops are developing well; however, we are seeing gray mold phomopsis blight in some crops. Sanitation can really help prevent botrytis from spreading as we move forward when allied to fungicide applications. Keep scouting for spider mites as there are active populations in some crops. Now is a great time of year to think about the maintenance of equipment for bed formation, cultivation for spring crops, and most important product application.”
Rob Last reports, “Following a few days of warmer conditions, crops are moving on strongly. Flowering and fruit set is occurring in strawberry crops. At present, spider mites in treated crops are at very low populations, but with warmer weather, populations can increase rapidly. As we are entering flowering and fruit set, sanitation and fungicide applications will be required to keep gray mold managed. Remember to rotate FRAC codes to avoid resistance build-up. Fertigation is being applied, and it will be well worthwhile taking a tissue test from crops. Blueberries in the area are showing bud swell with early varieties showing open flower.”
Zack Snipes reports, “Another rainy, wet, and cold week last week. Some sunshine and warmer temperatures are coming this week. All of our fruit crops have received their chill hours and are just waiting to burst out for spring. I expect to really see fruit crops take off this week. Make sure that you have a fertility plan for the spring crop. Don’t let your crop be without fertility at the critical moments. For more information on fruit fertility, visit https://smallfruits.org/ipm-production-guides/. For smaller farms, Clemson’s Home Garden and Information Center is a wonderful resource as well.”
Zack Snipes reports, “We had some sunshine last week, which really brightened everything up. The last few nights have been cool, with some frost on the ground in the mornings. Things are starting to green up, and fields are drying out enough to plant. We are still direct-seeding crops around the region and will begin transplanting tomatoes in some areas this week. I spent last week checking strawberry fields to make sure things were good to go before they really bust out. I have been helping folks calibrate their drip fertigation systems for the upcoming season. If you think you need a hand with this, please let me know. Dialing in exactly how much fertilizer to use each day or week can really increase yields and lessen the amount of fertilizer that is leached. Leaching fertilizer means your plants aren’t taking it up, thus costing you money.”
Zack Snipes reports, “Everything is progressing nicely in the Lowcountry. We got some much-needed rain last week. Temperatures have been cool, so things are somewhat slow from a developmental standpoint. All the crops look great, especially the tomato crop. We have a really nice fruit set and very little disease. I am expecting to see bacterial spot to show up sometime soon and have been getting a few calls about bacterial wilt taking down plants. I’ve also gotten a few calls about blossom end rot. That is typical on the first fruit set and will usually correct itself provided there is ample calcium in the soil AND the soil moisture is consistent. In our sandy soils, the main cause of blossom end rot is allowing the soil to dry out during the fruiting stage. Folks might want to consider multiple 30 minute to 1-hour irrigation cycles on tomatoes per day.”
Rob Last reports, “Strawberry crops continue to develop well with sustained flowering and fruit set. Early crops are ripening well, with crops coming to market. Just a note of caution, the weather last week can be conducive to gray mold development; fungicide programs will be key. Thrips are active in some crops, so keep scouting. Melon transplants are going in the ground over the last week, with development looking very promising. Peaches in the area are all but finished flowering with a great fruit set. Finally, as we are looking at a cooler week for flowering fruit crops, keep an eye on the forecasted temperatures to determine if any protection will be required. Fruit and closed buds can tolerate cooler temperatures than flowers, but damaged flowers can increase gray mold development.”