The UA Vegetable IPM Team has conducted annual surveys though interactive workshops since 2005 that document insect pest activity and insecticide usage in cantaloupes, mixed melons and watermelons. Overall, the information provided by PCAs and growers during these workshops can be very useful to the melon industry for a number of reasons. First, the data is be extremely helpful in supporting the industries efforts in addressing state and federal regulatory issues by providing "real world" information on insect pest status and insecticides usage that otherwise would not be available. This type of information is invaluable for supporting product re-registrations, as well as demonstrating the importance of a particular pest or insecticides necessary for supporting Sec 18 and SLN requests. Secondly, from an academic perspective, the results of these surveys often provide us with a historic record of insect occurrences that allows us to identify trends in pest activity and insecticide use, and can be useful for prioritizing our research and extension activities. Finally, for PCAs, it can translate their efforts into economic terms for their clientele and confirms their value to the melon industry by showing the importance of key insect pests and their cost-effective management under desert growing conditions. For example, results from these surveys over the past 6 years show that: 1) costs associated with spray applications and management fees have increased steadily ; 2) two-spotted spider mites are clearly a major pest of desert watermelons, but seldom attain pest status or require control in cantaloupes; and 3) the older, broadly toxic insecticides are slowly being replaced with the newer, softer reduced-risk chemistries. The information generated from the surveys is not surprising to Grower's and PCAs as they already know this. However, these surveys document important pest information that can be useful to those less involved with the day-to-day activities of IPM in desert melons. To view a complete summary of the Lettuce Insect Losses and Insecticide Usage surveys in Arizona Spring Melons from 2005-2010, go to this link.

This study was conducted at the Yuma Valley Agricultural Center. The soil was a silty clay loam (7-56-37 sand-silt-clay, pH 7.2, O.M. 0.7%). Spinach ‘Revere’ was seeded, then sprinkler-irrigated to germinate seed Jan 18, 2024 on beds with 84 in. between bed centers and containing 30 lines of seed per bed.  All irrigation water was supplied by sprinkler irrigation.  Treatments were replicated four times in a randomized complete block design.  Replicate plots consisted of 15 ft lengths of bed separated by 3 ft lengths of nontreated bed.  Treatments were applied with a CO₂backpack sprayer that delivered 50 gal/acre at 40 psi to flat-fan nozzles. 
 

Month	Max	Min	Average	Rainfall
January	68	42	54	1.14 in
February	73	47	59	0.50 in
March	77	50	63	0.31 in

 
Downy mildew (caused by Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae) was first observed in plots on Feb 19  and final reading was taken on February 26, 2024. Spray date for each treatments are listed in excel file with the results.   Disease severity was recorded by determining the percentage of infected leaves present within three 1-ft² areas within each of the four replicate plots per treatment.  The number of spinach leaves in a 1-ft² area of bed was approximately 144. 

The data (found in the accompanying Excel file) illustrate the degree of disease reduction obtained by applications of the various tested fungicides. Products that  provided effective control against the disease include Orondis ultra, Thrive 4 M, Fungout, Cevya, Eject and Zampro. No phytotoxicity was observed in any of the treatments in this trial.

Options for delivering pesticides in melons post emergence are generally limited to spraying due to their viney growth habit. Injecting soil applied pesticides sufficiently close to the root zone for effective uptake with knife injectors in not possible without clogging equipment or causing crop injury. Several years ago, we investigated the use of an alternative device for delivering liquid chemicals post emergence called a point injection system. Point injection systems were developed in the late 1980’s as a method for applying ag chemicals post emergence with minimal root damage and soil disturbance.  These systems utilize hollow, pointed tips attached to a rotatable wheel to inject liquid products into the root zone at precise intervals and depths (Fig. 1).  Point injection technology has been used primarily as a fertilizer applicator in wheat and corn, however the system also has potential to improve the efficacy and usefulness of soil applied pesticides since it can be used to apply product to mature plants without damaging plant roots or causing crop injury.

In the fall of 2014, in cooperation with Mark White, Bayer CropScience, we tested a point injection system with Sivanto in cantaloupe. Traditionally, the product is soil applied at planting. The objective of the project was to determine if the technology can be used to apply Sivanto after plants have emerged to extend the window when the pesticide can be soil applied. Treatments included applications of 1) Sivanto at planting, 2) Scorpion 35SL at planting, 3) Sivanto post-emergence, 4) Scorpion 35SL post-emergence and 5) a combination of Scorpion 35SL at planting plus Sivanto post-emergence (Table 1). The target pest in these trials was whitefly. Results of the trials in Table 1 showed that use of point injection significantly reduced adult whitefly populations by about 2/3rds 6 (DAT) (45 DAP) as compared to other treatments. At the end of the trial, 24 DAT (63 DAP) cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) was about 25% lower. This was a 1-year trial and so conclusions should be considered preliminary, but the results do show good promise for late season soil application of Sivanto.

Over the years, we have conducted trials with point injection systems applying fungicides in cotton (Siemens, 2016, unpublished data) and fertilizers in broccoli, iceberg lettuce and romaine lettuce with improved pesticide efficacy, nutrient use efficiency and higher crop yields as compared to conventional application methods (Siemens and Gayler, 2016). Point injection systems are commercially available from several manufacturers. The Ag Mechanization Extension Program at the Yuma Ag Center has a commercial 4-row unit that is available for field demos. If anyone is interested, please contact me.

References
Siemens, M.C. & Gayler. R.R. (2016). Alternative systems for cultivating and side dressing specialty crops for improved nitrogen use efficiency. ASABE paper No. 162456725, pp. 9. St. Joseph, Mich.: ASABE.

You can link article to here - https://arizona.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/alternative-systems-for-cultivating-and-side-dressing-specialty-c

Puncturevine is a weed that even the most avid environmentalist has a difficult time liking. Fortunately, it is not a native plant and there are products available to control it. It was brought to California from Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean region and has spread across the county. It can be a serious problem in orchards, turf and on ditch banks. It is a summer annual and will die from frost, but the seed heads are most troublesome when they have matured. Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris) is in the caltrop family and has several common names including goatheads, Mexican sandbur, caltrop and many other names that cannot be printed here. It is appropriately named because of the hard spike like seed pods that can puncture tires injure animal feet and mouths. It commonly has four spikes that are arranged so that when three of the spikes are on the ground, the fourth will point upward. It can grow in dry areas but thrives in wet summers. The seed heads that you see now will germinate in the pod next spring. One plant can form a dense mat running 20 feet or more and produce up to 5000 seeds. Seeds can survive around 5 years. The most common way that it is controlled in residential areas is by pulling and hoeing. In large landscaped parks, schoolyards etc. herbicides can be useful. Triluralin and Balan applied in the spring prior to emergence will provide partial but not complete control. After it is established the systemic growth regulators like 2,4-D, dicamba and others will work but they will injure other broadleaf plants if they come in contact. Biological control of puncturevine is possible but it might take up to two years to work. There are two weevils: A seed weevil (Miclarinus lareynil) and a stem weevil (Micarlinus lypriformis) that are specific to puncturevine. The seed weevil deposits its eggs in the immature seed head and feed on and destroy the seed before they pupate. The stem weevil lays its eggs in the stems, branches and root crown. They were imported in the mid 1970’s and released in both Arizona and California. Surveys conducted in California indicated that puncturevine decreased by as much as 80% in the years after release. It appeared to be effective in Arizona as well but puncturevine started to build up about 10 years ago and has continued.  They both over winter as adults in plant material. Field borders and ditch banks are kept more weed free now than they were in the 60’s and 70’s and overwintering spots have declined. Part of the reason for the increase of puncturevine could be the reduction in overwintering sites. Weevils can be purchased but will be difficult to establish and maintain.

Results of pheromone and sticky trap catches can be viewed here.
 
Corn earworm:            
CEW moth increased the Dome Valley area last week, but areawide below average for early October.
 
Beet armyworm:         
Trap counts highest in Tacan, Wellton and Dome, but below average for early fall.
 
Cabbage looper:          
Cabbage looper numbers remained low consistent with late-September.
 
Diamondback moth:   
DBM moths beginning to appear in traps in Wellton/Dome Valley, trending on average for early fall..
 
Whitefly:                      
Adult movement down in the past week, above average for late-September. 
 
Thrips:                         
Thrips adult activity beginning to increase, and trending about average to previous years.
 
Aphids:                        
First winged adults captured for the season, consistent with heavy winds from W-NW last week. Can anticipate aphid flights to increase in the coming weeks.
 
Leafminers:                   
Adult activity tending downward in most locations, average for late-September.