Review of Pest Pressure on Fall Produce and Melon Crops – 2018
Seems like every year around this time I make the comment that insect pressure this season was more unusual than normal. Well, this year it’s true. A quick look at both recent and historic data on pest abundance recorded from our University of Arizona research plots and areawide and pheromone/sticky traps suggests that insect pressure this fall was historically low for most key pests. For the supporting data see Pest Abundance on Desert Produce and Melon Cops in Fall 2018.
Whitefly/CYSDV: Areawide, whiteflies in fall melons were again historically light and were very similar to last season. Accordingly, CYSDV incidence at harvest in cantaloupe fields was as low as we’ve seen it since the virus first showed up in 2007. The virus incidence at harvest in over 30 commercial plantings was very low in most fields, with just a couple of hot spots were observed in Texas Hill and Tacna. For the most part, whiteflies were similarly light in produce crops with an occasional flare-up in some isolated areas. Data from our untreated broccoli/cauliflower plots at the Yuma Ag Center (YAC) show that colonization by whitefly nymphs was the lightest we’ve seen in 10 years.
Beet armyworm, cabbage looper, and corn earworm: Very light worm year in Yuma. Population abundance on untreated lettuce at the YAC this fall was the lightest we’ve seen since 1996. Similarly, numerous reports from PCAs suggest that fewer sprays were applied this fall, and in some recent fields spray intervals have been stretched to almost 30 days. This lower activity is likely due to the cool nighttime temps in Oct and Nov., and activity appeared to slow down dramatically in October, following the back-back tropical storms we experienced. Although corn earworm trap catches in October were the highest, we’ve seen recently, larval abundance in head lettuce at YAC and in commercial fields was light.
Diamondback moth (DBM): DBM was not a problem again for local desert growers in 2018; about what we normally expect for the fall. We received no calls from PCAs reporting difficulty in controlling populations. Areawide pheromone trapping showed that DBM trap captures began in early September and trended very similarly to 2017 numbers. At YAC, the larval populations were the lightest we’ve seen since 2001, even though moth numbers were similar to 2017. Caution: DBM is usually a spring pest in the desert, so keep your eyes open for larvae and damage on those Feb-Apr cole crops and late seed crops.
Thrips: Similarly, the western flower thrips pressure was light this fall; significantly lighter than the previous two falls. These lower population levels were likely a result of rains from tropical storm in early October. Bean thrips abundance was also lighter in 2018 relative to the previous two seasons. Scarring damage was negligible in untreated lettuce plots. Flea beetles: Beetle activity at YAC was considerably lower than what we “normally” experience in the fall. However, we’ve had reports of sustained flea beetle movement onto commercial lettuce (with significant feeding damage) from alfalfa and other sources within the last several weeks.
Bagrada bug: Adults and their feeding was again almost non-existent. For a fourth consecutive year, bagrada adults were so light in my research plots that we were not able to conduct any efficacy trials. A few sightings in late-September and early October from PCAs of adult presence in transplanted crops, but the populations disappeared following a single pyrethroid chemigation. So, it was truly an unusually low insect year. Can’t wait to see what next year brings us. Have a Merry Christmas!
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%). Lettuce was seeded, then sprinkler-irrigated to germinate seed on Nov 28, 2023 on double rows 12 in. apart on beds with 42 in. between bed centers. All other water was supplied by furrow irrigation or rainfall. Treatments were replicated five times in a randomized complete block design. Each replicate plot consisted of 25 ft of bed, which contained two 25 ft rows of lettuce. Plants were thinned Jan 4, 2024 at the 3-4 leaf stage to a 12-inch spacing. Treatment beds were separated by single nontreated beds. Treatments were applied with a tractor-mounted boom sprayer that delivered 50 gal/acre at 100 psi to flat-fan nozzles spaced 12 in apart.
Month
MaxTemp(°F)
Min Temp (°F)
Average Temp (°F)
Rainfall
November
80
51
65
0.08 in
December
71
44
57
0.82 in
January
68
42
54
1.14 in
February
73
47
59
0.50 in
Downy mildew (caused by Bremia lactucae) rating was done on variety Eblin, Bobcat, and 180 (partially funded by AILRC grant). Disease was first seen on 1-30-24. Please see attached excel file for chemicals application date. Disease rating was done on February 29, 2024. Disease severity was determined by rating 10 plants within each of the five replicate plots per treatment using the following rating system: 0 = no downy mildew present; 0.5 = one to a few very small downy mildew colonies on bottom leaves; 1 = downy mildew present on bottom leaves of plant; 2 = downy mildew present on bottom leaves and lower wrapper leaves; 3 = downy mildew present on bottom leaves and all wrapper leaves; 4 = downy mildew present on bottom leaves, wrapper leaves, and cap leaf; 5 = downy mildew present on entire plant.
The data in the table illustrate the degree of disease control obtained by application of the various treatments in this trial. Most of the treatments exhibited activity against the disease to some extent. Latitude, Amara, Eject, Previcure flex exhibited good control in the variety Eblin (highly susceptible variety). Whereas Cevya, Stargus, Latitude, Amara, Revus, Thrive 4 M, Actigard, Instigo+Carbose+intereact showed activity against the pathogen in variety Bobcat. Please see excel file for the full list of chemicals and their efficacy. The lettuce variety 180 was resistant to the disease and no downy mildew was observed on the particular variety. No phytotoxicity was observed in this field.
Controlling Disease and Weeds with Band-Steam – Yuma Trials Show Good Promise
In previous articles (Vol. 11 (13), Vol. 11 (20), Vol. 11(24)), I’ve discussed using band-steam to control plant diseases and weeds. Band-steaming is where steam is used to heat narrow strips of soil to temperature levels sufficient to kill soilborne pathogens and weed seed (>140 °F for > 20 minutes). The concept is showing good promise. This past season, three trials were conducted examining the efficacy of using steam for disease and weed control in Yuma, AZ. In the studies, steam was applied in a 4-inch-wide by 2-inch-deep band of soil centered on the seedline using a prototype band-steam applicator (Fig.1). The band-steam applicator is principally comprised of a 35 BHP steam generator mounted on top of an elongated bed shaper. The apparatus applies steam via shank injection and from cone shaped ports on top of the bed shaper.
Trial results were very encouraging as the prototype applicator was able to raise soil temperatures to target levels (140°F for >20 minutes) at viable travels speeds of 0.75 mph. Steam provided better than 80% weed control and significantly lowered hand weeding time by more than 2 hours per acre (Table 1). Results also showed that Fusarium colony forming units (CFU) were reduced from 2,600 in the control to 155 in the 0.75 mph and 53 in the 0.5 mph treatments, respectively (a more than 15-fold reduction). A significant difference in Fusarium wilt of lettuce disease incidence was not found, however disease infection at the field site was low (< 2%) and differences were not expected. At 0.5 mph, fuel costs were calculated to be $238/acre which was considered reasonable and consistent with the values reported by Fennimore et al. (2014).
An unexpected finding was that plants in steam treated plots appeared to be healthier and more vigorous than untreated plots (Fig. 2). This trial is still in progress and it will be interesting to see if this improved early growth translates into increases in crop yield.
In summary, early trial results are showing good promise for use of band-steam as a non-herbicidal method of pest control. We plan on conducting further trials in this multi-year study. If you are interested in evaluating the device on your farm and being part of the study please contact me. We are particularly interested in fields with a known history of Fusarium wilt of lettuce and/or Sclerotinia lettuce drop that will be planted to iceberg or romaine lettuce.
As always, if you are interested in seeing the machine operate or would like more information, please feel free to contact me.
Acknowledgements
This work is supported by Crop Protection and Pest Management grant no. 2017-70006-27273/project accession no. 1014065 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the Arizona Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and the Arizona Iceberg Lettuce Research Council. We greatly appreciate their support. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A special thank you is extended to Mellon Farms for allowing us to conduct this research on their farm.
References
Fennimore, S.A., Martin, F.N., Miller, T.C., Broome, J.C., Dorn, N. and Greene, I. 2014. Evaluation of a mobile steam applicator for soil disinfestation in California strawberry. HortScience 49(12):1542-1549.
Click link below or picture to see the band-steam and co-product applicator in action!
Carryover of Vegetable Herbicides to Wheat Grown in Rotation
Almost all the herbicides used on lettuce, cole crops and melons have restrictions on how soon wheat can be planted in rotation after they have been used. Experience has demonstrated, however, that safe intervals can vary considerably based upon many factors and are almost always much longer than they need to be. The most important factors are rate applied, irrigation practices and tillage. For example, when Kerb used to be banded at 2 to 4 lbs. per acre after planting and incorporated with furrow irrigation, it was common to see treated strips across wheat fields which followed. This is uncommon now that lower rates are Chemigated. We still see some Balan injury at ends of fields or in overlaps especially when sudan is planted. Wheat it not very sensitive to Prefar and carryover injury is uncommon.
To contact John Palumbo go to: jpalumbo@ag.Arizona.edu
