Browse Plant Pests and Diseases Stories - Page 6

219 results found for Plant Pests and Diseases
Peanuts growing at the Lang Farm on the UGA Tifton campus in 2017. CAES News
Peanut Rotations
Farmers may have more success growing peanuts if they don’t continuously plant in the same field, according to Scott Tubbs, University of Georgia Tifton campus’s research cropping system agronomist for peanuts.
Cotton roots infected with root-knot nematodes swell in response to the infection. These knots serve as feeding sites where nematodes (microscopic worms) grow, produce more eggs and stunt the plant's growth. CAES News
Nematodes
Mother Nature’s freezing January temperatures reduced nematode buildup in southern Georgia fields. But warmer temperatures this spring could spark nematode activity, according to University of Georgia Cooperative Extension plant pathologist Bob Kemerait.
Damage done on Southern pea by cowpea curculio. CAES News
Cowpea Curculio
Once a top agricultural commodity in Georgia, the Southern pea’s presence in the state is now minimal. Growers are reluctant to plant the crop due to a tiny weevil, the cowpea curculio.
Cucurbit leaf crumple virus, a disease carried by whiteflies, infects vegetable plants like squash (pictured). CAES News
Whitefly management
Summer may have ended, but Georgia’s silverleaf whitefly infestation has not.
Since about half of Georgia's peanuts are produced on dry land, or land without access to irrigation, growers rely on rain to produce a good crop. CAES News
Burrower Bug
Through part of a $12.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension peanut entomologist Mark Abney is studying the biology of the burrower bug and developing an effective management program.
An Asian longhorned beetle chews through wood. CAES News
Invasive Species
Over the next 10 years, the number of cargo containers operating out of the Port of Savannah, Georgia, is expected to double. While additional cargo means increased revenue for the state, Chuck Bargeron, associate director of the University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, is concerned it could also lead to the establishment of more invasive species.
A yellow squash matures on the vine of a squash plant growing in Butts County, Georgia. CAES News
Squash Struggles
Pests and diseases make summer squash one of the most challenging vegetables to grow in Georgia home gardens, according to University of Georgia plant pathologist Elizabeth Little, who studies plant diseases and control methods at the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
University of Georgia graduate student Zach Matteen conducted trials on 11 varieties of winter squash at UGA's Durham Horticulture Farm in Watkinsville, Georgia, on land used to grow organic crops. Matteen tested winter squash varieties 'Waltham' butternut, 'Zeppelin' delicata, 'Metro PMR' butternut, Seminole pumpkin, Choctaw sweet potato, 'Thai Kang Kob' tropical pumpkin, 'Thelma Sanders' sweet potato and a fifth-generation cross of 'Waltham' butternut and Seminole pumpkin. He found that the two sweet potato squashes and Seminole, tropical and tan cheese pumpkins held up best against squash pests and diseases. CAES News
Winter Squash
By determining the varieties best suited for the area, University of Georgia graduate student Zach Matteen is on a mission to convince more backyard gardeners and farmers to grow winter squash. He has found that Seminole, tropical and tan cheese pumpkins, as well as Choctaw and 'Thelma Sanders' sweet potato squashes, hold up best against squash pests and diseases.
Kudzu bugs overwintering in bark. CAES News
Kudzu Bug Decline
Once a devastating presence in Georgia’s soybean fields and a major nuisance to homeowners, the kudzu bug population has diminished over the past three years.
To avoid thrips damage on peanuts (pictured above), consider the several thrips management options available to peanut growers. CAES News
Monitor Thrips Activity
With thrips activity at a high level, peanut farmers are advised to closely monitor their peanut seedlings as planting season gets underway, according to University of Georgia Cooperative Extension peanut entomologist Mark Abney.