The beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, (BAW) is a major pest of leafy vegetables grown in the desert southwest. Typically, BAW populations begin infesting newly planted fields soon after plants emerge in early September and can remain heavy through early November under favorable weather conditions. Fortunately for local PCAs, several insecticide alternatives are available that provide excellent residual activity on this pest. Furthermore, many of the products have different modes of action (MOA) that can be alternated throughout the growing season. Thus the rapid development of resistance by BAW to any of these insecticide compounds should not readily occur. However, if an insecticide compound, or products with the same MOA, are used repeatedly for BAW control in the same field, the risk of resistance increases significantly. This is particularly important with the Diamide group of insecticides (IRAC group 28) because these products can be applied as both foliar sprays and soil injections, and because there are currently six Diamide products labeled in leafy vegetables with the same MOA (Coragen, Durivo, Voliam Xpress, Voliam Flexi, Synapse and Vetica). Applying these Diamide products to the soil at planting, and applying them as foliar sprays in the same field, can expose multiple generations of BAW to the same MOA. That’s not a good way to use these products if you want them to remain effective for more than a couple of years. Since the Diamides, as well as the other products currently available (Radiant, Proclaim, Intrepid, Avaunt), are critical to effective management of BAW and other Leps in leafy vegetables, PCAs should consciously avoid the overuse of any of these compounds. The most effective way to delay the onset of resistance by BAW in leafy vegetables is to consider the recommendations provided in the guidelines recently prepared entitled Insecticide Resistance Management Guidelines for Beet Armyworm in Lettuce.
2023-2024 Powdery Mildew of Lettuce Fungicide Trial
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 17, 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
Max Temp (°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
Powdery mildew (caused by Golovinomyces cichoracearum) efficacy trial treatments were made on February 15,2024, February 23, 2024, March 4, 2024, and March 12, 2024and .Disease was first seen on February 26,2024. Disease rating was done on March 15, 2024. Disease severity was determined by rating 10 plants within each of the four replicate plots per treatment using the following rating system: 0 = no powdery mildew present; 0.5 = one to a few very small powdery mildew colonies on bottom leaves; 1 = powdery mildew present on bottom leaves of plant; 2 = powdery mildew present on bottom leaves and lower wrapper leaves; 3 = powdery mildew present on bottom leaves and all wrapper leaves; 4 = powdery mildew present on bottom leaves, wrapper leaves, and cap leaf; 5 = powdery mildew present on entire plant. These ratings were transformed to percentage of leaves infected values before being statistically analyzed. Yield loss due to rejected lettuce heads would likely begin to occur on plants with a powdery mildew rating above 2.0 (percentage of leaves infected value of 40).
The data in the table illustrate the degree of disease control obtained by application of the various treatments in this trial. Most treatments significantly reduced the final severity of powdery mildew compared to nontreated plants. The most effective fungicides were Rhyme, Merivon, Quintec, Cevya, Luna Sensation, Luna Experience, and Elisys.
Band-Steam Applicator for Controlling Soilborne Pathogens and Weeds in Lettuce
Steam sterilization of soils is commonly used in plant nurseries and greenhouses for effective control of soilborne pathogens and weed seeds. The technique, however, is highly energy intensive as the entire soil profile is heated. This is too costly and slow to be practical for field scale vegetable production. To reduce energy consumption and cost, use of band-steaming, where steam is applied only in the area where it is needed – in the plant root zone, is proposed. In this method, narrow strips of soil centered on the seed line are treated with steam rather than the whole bed.
Over the course of the last year, we developed a prototype band-steam and co-product applicator that is designed to raise soil temperatures in a band 2” deep by 4” wide to levels sufficient to control soilborne pathogens (140 °F for > 20 minutes) and weed seed (150 °F for > 20 minutes). The device is principally comprised of a 35 BHP steam generator and a co-product applicator mounted on top of a bed shaper (Fig.1). The apparatus applies steam via shank injection and from cone shaped ports on top of the bed shaper. An exothermic compound can be co-applied via shank injection and/or a banding spray nozzle. The rationale behind co-applying an exothermic compound with steam is that exothermic compounds react and release heat when combined with water, thereby reducing energy requirements and increasing travel speed.
Preliminary testing of the device this spring in Yuma, AZ were very promising. Trial results showed that application of steam alone effectively raised soil temperature in the center of the seed line to levels required for effective pest control (140 °F for more than 20 minutes). Use of the exothermic compound increased soil temperature by about 10 °F. A video of the device in action can be found at the link provided below.
We are currently evaluating the device in field trials with lettuce in Salinas, CA. Target pests in these experiments conducted in collaboration with Steve Fennimore, UC Davis, are soil pathogens which cause Sclerotinia lettuce drop and in-row weeds. Future articles will report the findings of this research.
This fall, we will be replicating these tests in Yuma, AZ and also investigating the effectiveness of band-steam for controlling Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae which causes Fusarium wilt of lettuce. Heat has been shown to effectively kill Fusarium oxysporum spores and control Fusarium wilt disease. As an example, soil solarization, where clear plastic is placed over crop beds during the summer, raises soil temperatures to 150-155˚F at the soil surface, effectively killing the pathogen and reducing disease incidence by 45-98% (Matheron and Porchas, 2010).
These projects are sponsored by USDA-NIFA, the Arizona Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and the Arizona Iceberg Lettuce Research Council. We greatly appreciate their support.
If you are interested in seeing the machine operate or would like more information, please feel free to contact me.
See the band-steam and co-product applicator in action!
References:
Matheron, M. E., & Porchas, M. 2010. Evaluation of soil solarization and flooding as management tools for Fusarium wilt of lettuce. Plant Dis. 94:1323-1328.
Sprangletop has become increasingly widespread in Arizona mostly because of its growth habits and tolerance to many commonly used herbicides. It is in the Leptochloa genus which is derived from the Greek words leptos (thin) and chloa (grass). There are more than 150 species of sprangletop worldwide but only three in Arizona and two in Yuma County. The two that are the most common in the low desert are Mexican Sprangletop, which is Leptochloa uninervia and Red Sprangletop, Leptochloa filiformis. A third species, Bearded Sprangletop, Leptochloa fascicularis, is more common at higher elevations of 1500 feet or higher. It is not uncommon to find both Red and Mexican Sprangletop in the same field and it is not hard to distinguish them when they are side by side. Red Sprangletop has a light green leaf blade which is similar in width to watergrass and barnyardgrass. It has very fine hairs and very small and fine branches and spiklets. It also has a long membranous ligule. The name Red refers to the leaf sheath, which is characteristically red, rather than the seed head. Mexican Sprangletop has a thinner leaf blade which is darker green or grayish in color and similar in appearance to common bermudagrass. The seed head is distinctly coarser than that of Red Sprangletop. Side by side, leaf color and size of the seed make it easy to distinguish these two. Both of these grasses are classified as summer annuals, but they grow more like perennials in the low desert. Sprangletop does very well in the hottest part of the summer and typically germinates from seed during the hottest period between July and September. Once established, however, it often survives through the cold winter months. It grows into clumps that often appear to be dead during the winter. New shoots commonly grow from these established crowns the next season. When this occurs, preemergent herbicides such as Trifluralin or Prowl are ineffective. Some Sprangletop plants stay green and grow through the winter. Many of the postemergence, grass specific herbicides that control many grasses are ineffective on Sprangletop. This also has contributed to the spread of these weeds. Sethoxydim (Poast) and Fluazifop (Fusilade) do not control either Red or Mexican sprangletop. Only Clethodim (Select Max, Select, Arrow and others) is the only one of these grass herbicides that is effective and only at the highest labeled rates. Two applications are often necessary to achieve season long control.
Corn earworm:
CEW moth counts increased in most locations over the past 2 weeks; about average for this time of the season.
Beet armyworm:
Trap counts remain low in all locations, and below average for late-January.
Cabbage looper:
Cabbage looper trap counts increased in all locations, but still below average for mid-March.
Diamondback moth:
Adult activity decreased across all locations in the past two weeks. Overall, activity is below average for this time of year.
Whitefly:
Adult movement remained low in all locations consistent with previous seasons.
Thrips:
Thrips adult movement beginning to increase in all locations recently particularly in the Yuma Valley. Activity is well below average for mid-March.
Aphids:
Aphid movement low in most locations but increased slightly in Gila and Dome Valleys. Trap captures well below average for this time of the season.
Leafminers:
Adult activity increased in many areas, about average for this time of season.