“WHAT’S HAPPENING?”

The University of Tennessee/Agricultural Extension Service

Entomology & Plant Pathology - EPP #60

 

September 22, 2006

 

NPMA’s DR. KATHY HEINSOHN TO SPEAK ON BED BUGS AT THE TENNESSEE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY MEETING OCT 12TH

by Karen M. Vail

 

 

What a great opportunity to see and hear bed bug information from an unbiased, knowledgeable source!!  The Tennessee Entomological Society (TES) Meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. on October 12th.  Following opening comments and a welcome from the Commissioner’s office, the keynote address on the national resurgence of bed bugs will be given by Dr. Kathy Heinsohn, staff entomologist, National Pest Management Association. The title of her presentation is “Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite! Biology, Behavior and Control of Cimex lectularius.”  The Student Paper Competition will follow the keynote address.  We will try to schedule as many regular talks Thursday afternoon after the student competition to reduce the meeting time Friday.

 

Claudia Kathleen (“Kathy”) Heinsohn is a native of S.C., where she grew-up on a barrier island off the coast of Charleston.  She completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s work in Zoology at Clemson University in S.C. with a year long stint as a Fulbright scholar in Germany in between; she received her Ph.D. in Urban Entomology at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.  Her doctoral dissertation, which she completed under Dr. Gary Bennett in 1998, involved research on the effects of Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) on the mating and reproductive behavior of the German cockroach.  After graduating, she worked as a regional entomologist for Western Pest Services in the mid-Atlantic for 7 ½ years, where, she consulted with large and small client accounts in commercial, residential and termite arenas on various pest issues.  She also helped to develop training and educational programs for Western’s pest control technicians.  In January 2006, she joined the N.P.M.A. (National Pest Management Association) as their staff entomologist in the technical division.  Kathy is a B.C.E. (Board Certified Entomologist), a member of E.S.A. (Entomological Society of America), and an active member of the pest control fraternity, Pi Chi Omega.

 

The meeting continues Friday morning with an ‘Insect Festival’ from 9:00 a.m. until 11:30 am. Volunteers with TES will introduce about 300 children from Crieve Hall Elementary and David Lipscomb to the field of entomology. We will have stations with various entomological themes to present to the children. If you have ideas for the Insect Festival or would like to participate, please contact David Cook at (615)-862-5995 for more information.  Please feel free to come early and assist with the educational activities.

 

The meeting will resume about 1 pm Friday with the TES Annual Business Meeting followed by more contributed papers, if necessary.  You won’t want to miss the annual business meeting  -  that’s when we announce the student award winners and distribute the checks!

 

You are invited to attend a few talks or the entire 33rd Annual Meeting of the Tennessee Entomological Society being held October 12- 13, 2006 at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The meeting will be held in the TWRA Region II Office Building Conference Room.  A block of rooms has been reserved for TES participants at the Drury Inn & Suites Nashville Airport. Reservations can be made on-line at http://reservations.druryhotels.com/GroupReservationConfirmation.aspx?GroupNo=537040   or by calling 800-325-0720.   The rate is $78.00 + tax per night and includes continental breakfast. The cutoff date for reservations is September 30th. Please remember to mention that you are attending the TES meeting and see the web site for travel directions.

 

Meeting registration will be from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 12.  The registration fee for regular members is $20 and for students is $1 (which includes membership dues). Single day attendance fee is $10. Membership dues for regular members are $5 and dues for sustaining/corporate members are $25.

 

Pesticide applicator certification points will be assigned to the meeting.  Once we are informed of the point assignment it will be posted to the web site.

 

Please remember to check the TES web page http://eppserver.ag.utk.edu/tennentsociety/default.html for upcoming meeting information and other TES news updates.

 

 

REDUCE PESTICIDE USE WITH GREENSCAPING

by Darrell Hensley

 

The Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Pesticide Programs has released a new publication, titled “GreenScaping: The Easy Way to a Greener, Healthier Yard.”   This brochure was developed for homeowners and is a joint effort of the EPA Office of Solid Waste, Office of Water and Office of Pesticide Programs. To view the brochure on line, visit http://epa.gov/oppfead1/Publications/catalog/greenscaping.pdf
and find out how to plant right for the site, conserve water, reduce yard waste, and use pesticides wisely. Please share this brochure with others and consider adding this brochure to your county website so that your visitors can access the brochure directly.

EPA's GreenScapes Alliance program provides cost-effective and environmentally friendly solutions for landscaping. The Alliance is a growing group of organizations, large and small, that implements and promotes sustainable landscape design, construction, and maintenance. For general information about GreenScapes, visit the web site at www.epa.gov/greenscapes and review their introductory brochure at: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/green/pubs/brochure.pdf.

To order free copies of the GreenScaping brochure (EPA530-K-06-002), orders (between 5 and 100 copies), contact the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/pub-n, by email at ncepimal@one.net, byphone 1-800-490-9198 or (513) 489-8190 or by mail U.S. EPA/NSCEP P.
O. Box 42419 Cincinnati, Ohio 45242-0419. For large orders (100 or more), please contact Kathy Seikel at Seikel.Kathy@epa.gov with your contact information and the number of copies you would like sent to you.

For more information about GreenScaping and our GreenScapes Alliance, please their website at: http://www.epa.gov/greenscapes/


ARS WEEDSITE SOFTWARE HELPS WITH SITE-SPECIFIC WEED MANAGEMENT

by Darrell Hensley

 

A new technology from Agricultural Research Service helps farmers locate  and eliminate weed patches. Scientists in the ARS Water Management  Research Unit at Fort Collins, Colo., have developed two methods to assist  farmers in site-specific weed management (SSWM), selecting the best  management strategies for targeting weed patches in their fields. Before  investing in new technology, growers need assurance that the benefits will  exceed the costs without compromising weed control. Computer programs like  the ARS WeedSite can help farmers predict the results of specific SSWM  methods and select the best options. WeedSite is a software program that  evaluates the effects of SSWM on irrigated corn cropping systems. It can 

be downloaded for free at http://arsagsoftware.ars.usda.gov/.   Growers  draw weed maps of their fields, which the program uses to calculate the  effects of various SSWM practices. By mounting a digital still camera and  a Global Positioning System unit on a tractor, a grower can take  photographs and match them with GPS coordinates. The software identifies  weeds within the photographs, then constructs a weed map with links to the  photos. This enables the grower to easily view the weeds at specific  locations in the field. With a field weed map, a farmer can select  appropriate herbicides, detect new invasions and monitor changes in existing weed patches.
SOURCE: ARS news release.


DEVICE FOR SOYBEAN RUST FIELD DETECTION
by Darrell Hensley

EnviroLogix (Portland, ME) has introduced its much-anticipated field test for Asian soybean rust.  EnviroLogix Inc. just released QuickStix, a new detection kit for detection of Asian soybean rust.  This is the first and only commercial kit available in a lateral flow strip format to detect infections in plant tissue. It has been field tested in South Africa, Brazil and Argentina on soybean leaves infected with Asian Soybean Rust, the QuickStix Kit is proven to provide a qualitative (presence/absence) answer in the field. The method is fast, accurate, and simple enough for anyone to use, and all the necessary materials are included. The test screens for the presence of soybean rust caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi. The strip test can detect the presence of the pathogen at the very early stages of infection, from chlorotic lesions (before formation of a pustule) to immature pustules (not releasing spores). During this period it is critical, but often difficult, to differentiate soybean rust symptoms from other diseases caused by bacterial, viral or fungal infections and/or insect damage. In addition, the test can also be used to detect and/or verify advanced rust symptoms and spores, and does not cross react with several other rust infections caused by the genera Uromyces and Puccinia, complementing visual inspections. Although infection levels in the field vary widely depending on environmental conditions, during controlled inoculation studies this kit detected the presence of soybean rust infection even before the appearance of visual symptoms.



EnviroLogix began a development program over two years ago to produce kits in two different formats. The first released format was an ELISA plate format for laboratory testing that was introduced in 2005, and after extensive testing and expert input, the QuickStix lateral flow version is now available. The QuickStix Kit for Soybean Rust (Cat. No. AS 107) is available directly from EnviroLogix at around $4 per strip. Each kit contains strips and disposables for 25 or 50 tests. Detailed information on the EnviroLogix kits is available at www.envirologix.com (click on Catalog, then Plant Pathogens for more details about the soybean rust kit). EnviroLogix develops, manufactures and markets immunoassay diagnostic test kits designed to detect genetically modified organisms (GMOs), mycotoxins in grains, pathogens in plants, algal toxins in water, and pesticide residues in water, soil and food.



For more information contact:
Dean Layton, Vice President
Marketing and Sales
EnviroLogix Inc.
500 Riverside Industrial Parkway, Portland, ME 04103
Tel: +1-207-797-0300 Fax: +1-207-797-7533
Toll Free: 1-866-408-4597
Email: info@envirologix.com

 

                                               

SEPTEMBER ORNAMENTAL PEST UPDATE

by Frank A. Hale

 

While a change in seasons is definitely here, there is still some insect activity occurring.  Lace bugs such as hawthorn lace bug on pyracantha, cotoneaster, and hawthorn are still active.  Control nymphs and adults now to reduce the number of adults that will overwinter.  The adult female moves up into the plant in May to lay her eggs on the foliage. 

 

Azalea lace bugs insert their eggs into the underside of the leaves in the fall.  These eggs will not hatch until April.  Controlling the azalea lace bugs now will reduce the number of overwintering eggs.  Homeowners can use the Bayer Advanced Rose & Flower Insect Killer (cyfluthrin plus imidacloprid) as a foliar spray for lace bugs.  Other products that can be applied to the foliage for lace bug control in the landscape include Orthene, Tempo, Tempo SC Ultra, Merit, and Dimethoate (azaleas and other listed plants but not any of the hawthorn lace bug host plants).   In the late winter (March), a soil drench of a systemic insecticide such as Merit or Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insect Control can be applied for longer lasting control.

Tuliptree scale and magnolia scale crawlers should be emerging soon.  They only have one generation per year so control of the crawlers in the fall is the best approach.  Wait until all of the crawlers have emerged (end of September) to treat with all-season horticultural oil, insecticidal soap, carbaryl, Orthene, Merit, or dinotefuran (Safari).   If needed, apply an oil application in late February-March when the tree is still dormant as a clean up application.   

 

If you have not treated young ash trees for banded ash clearwing borers, apply a protective bark spray now with permethrin (Astro and other brands) or bifenthrin (Onyx).  This is the most damaging ash pests currently in Tennessee, especially in urban plantings.

 

 

CUCURBIT DOWNY MILDEW APPEARS

by Steve Bost

 

Cucurbit downy mildew has become more severe in the eastern United States the last couple of years, and has become a rather dreaded disease. It was found last Friday for the first time this year in Tennessee. Two cases, both north of Nashville, were estimated to have been present for about two weeks. One was a light case in pumpkins in Robertson County; the other was a severe case in pumpkins and gourds in Sumner County.

 

What to do: Cucurbit crop growers in north-central Tennessee should make adjustments in their spray program, now. There may well be much more downy mildew in the state, and all cucurbit growers should be on the lookout for it. It is not a very noticeable disease until it becomes severe. On pumpkin and squash leaves, look for tiny, yellow leafspots that turn necrotic. Blighting follows, with leaves turning necrotic.

 

Hopefully, everyone is on a program that includes a basic fungicide such as chlorothalonil applied every 7 to 10 days, for general disease control. In areas in which downy mildew has been found, add a more specialized fungicide, such as Tanos or Previcur Flex to the chlorothalonil. You will also need to add a powdery mildew material, such as Nova, Procure, or sulfur. All fungicides other than chlorothalonil or maneb need to be alternated, to avoid resistance problems.

 

 

PUMPKIN FRUIT ROTS

by Steve Bost

 

Rotting of pumpkins is a frequent complaint. Growers, re-sellers, and customers alike suffer when pumpkins become messy. Growers may be able to overcome yield losses in the field, but post-harvest rots hurt the reputation.

 

Most efforts to control post-harvest rots of pumpkins, gourds, and winter squash should have already taken place. Most of the rots that appear in storage actually began in the field, during the production of the fruit. However, there are some steps you can take to lessen the development of rots after harvest.

 

Pre-harvest control measures. Rots develop when disease-causing organisms, mostly fungi, enter the fruit surface. The best defense against this invasion is fruit rind tissue with strong cell walls. To obtain such "tough" fruit, the plant must be kept healthy during the growing season. Healthy leaves provide carbohydrates to the fruit, which strengthens the cell walls. Provide adequate calcium, avoid excessive nitrogen, and irrigate during dry periods. Follow a recommended spray

program to control diseases and insects. Controlling foliar diseases helps maintain healthy leaves and reduces the populations of organisms that can infect the fruit. Crop rotation is important in reducing the populations of fruit-rotting organisms such as anthracnose and bacterial spot. Two years in a non-cucurbit crop should be allowed between pumpkin crops.

 

Post-harvest control measures. Damaged pumpkin skin allows easier entrance of the fruit-rotting pathogens. Handle fruit carefully to avoid injuries. It is helpful to wash the fruit after harvest and allow to dry. Some growers dip or spray the pumpkins in a 10 percent bleach solution. This practice can reduce infections in storage, but will not stop the development of infections that occurred in the field. Holding the pumpkins at 80-85 degrees F and 80-85% relative humidity for 7 to 10 days allows scratched areas to cure. After the curing period, the temperature and humidity must be lowered to the levels recommended for storage (50-55 degrees F and 50-70% relative humidity), to reduce the disease potential.

 

Store pumpkins in a dry, shaded area, out of contact with the soil (straw or hay works well). Avoid piling pumpkins, as this practice decreases air circulation around them. Check stored fruits regularly for rots, and discard affected ones. Storage life of pumpkins is typically two to three months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OTHER UT NEWSLETTERS WITH PEST MANAGEMENT INFORMATION

 

Fruit Pest News

http://web.utk.edu/~extepp/fpn/fpn.htm

 

Tennessee Crop and Pest Management Newsletter

http://www.utextension.utk.edu/fieldCrops/cotton/cotton_insects/ipmnewsletters.htm

 

This and other "What's Happening" issues can be found at http://web.utk.edu/~extepp/whatshap.htm

 

 

Precautionary Statement

To protect people and the environment, pesticides should be used safely. This is everyone’s responsibility, especially the user.  Read and follow label directions carefully before you buy, mix, apply, store or dispose of a pesticide.  According to laws regulating pesticides, they must be used only as directed by the label.

 

Disclaimer

This publication contains pesticide recommendations that are subject to change at any time.  The recommendations in this publication are provided only as a guide.  It is always the pesticide applicator's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current label directions for the specific pesticide being used.  The label always takes precedence over the recommendations found in this publication.

 

Use of trade or brand names in this publication is for clarity and information; it does not imply approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may be of similar, suitable composition, nor does it guarantee or warrant the standard of the product.  The author(s), the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and University of Tennessee Extension assume no liability resulting from the use of these recommendations.

 

Visit the UT Extension Web site at http://www.utextension.utk.edu

 

Programs in agriculture and natural resources, 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences, and resource development.  University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture and county governments cooperating.  UT Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.