Whitefly Management on Fall Vegetables and Melons 2011
As anticipated, whitefly numbers on fall melons have been very high in the Yuma Valley, and extremely high (> 100 / leaf) in some areas of Dome Valley, Wellton and further east. This high whitefly abundance can be attributed largely to the crop landscape in these areas where melon fields near or adjacent to cotton and alfalfa clearly are the most heavily infested. Last week, high numbers (clouds) of adults were seen in Dome Valley that were reminiscent of the early 1990's. Given that whiteflies were quite damaging last fall in produce and melon crops, PCAs would be wise to pay particular attention to early whitefly control and discuss control strategies with their growers. Remember, the key to effective whitefly management in fall crops is to prevent adult and immature populations from colonizing small plants. Prolonged feeding by adults on melons can rapidly spread virus throughout the field, and on seedling lettuce plants, prolonged adult feeding can result in stunted growth. Furthermore, allowing adults to remain on plants unchecked generally results in the development of large nymph populations which can cause significant growth/yield reductions in all produce and melons crops. Because of these high numbers this year it is strongly recommended that growers apply a soil neonicotinoid on lettuce and cole crops throughout September and early October. Local research has shown that imidacloprid (e.g., Alias-16 oz, or Admire Pro- 7 oz; [0.25 lbs AI/ac]) applied at planting provides less residual control of nymphs today than it did 10 years ago. Although the insecticide still provides short-term control (21-28 days), growers should consider using higher rates of imidacloprid ( e.g., Alias-24 oz, or Admire Pro- 10.4 oz [0.375 lb AI/ac]) to extend residual control. Once plants get larger, products like Movento, Venom, Scorpion, Assail, Knack and Courier can provide effective control of nymphs. For control of adults, combinations of bifenthrin (e.g. Brigade, Sniper, Discipline, etc) or Danitol tank-mixed with Thionex will provide the best residual control. Other options that can be tank-mixed with pyrethroids for knockdown control include Vydate, Orthene, Lannate, Lorsban, Dibrom, Venom, Scorpion, and Assail. For more information on whitefly biology, management and insecticide alternatives please read Insect Management on Desert Vegetables and Melons: Whiteflies and the Whitefly Control Chart for this fall.
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%). Variety: Deluxe (HMX2595) was seeded, then sprinkler-irrigated to germinate seed on March 20, 2024on 84 inches 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. 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.
Spray treatments were done on 05-21-2024, 05-31-2024, 06-07-2024 and 06-14-24. Powdery mildew was first seen on 06-05-24. Please see excel file for additional details.
Disease severity of powdery mildew (caused by Sphaerotheca fuliginea and S. fusca) severity was determined 6-17-2024 by rating 10 plants within each of the four replicate plots per treatment using the following rating system: 0 = no powdery mildew present; 1 = one to two mildew colonies on leaves ;2 = powdery mildew present on one quarter of leaves; 3 = powdery mildew present on half of the leaves; 4 = powdery mildew present on more than half of leaf surface area ; 5 = powdery mildew present on entire leaf. These ratings were transformed to percentage of leaves infected values before being statistically analyzed.
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. Quintec, Merivon, Tesaris, Luna Sensation, and V6M-5-14 V gave the best disease control. Phytotoxicity symptoms were not noted for any treatments in this trial.
Controlling Fusarium Wilt of Lettuce Using Steam Heat – Trial Initiated
Earlier this week, we initiated a trial examining the use of band steam for controlling Fusarium wilt of lettuce. The premise behind this research is to use steam heat to raise soil temperatures to levels sufficient to kill soilborne pathogens. For Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae, the pathogen which causes Fusarium wilt of lettuce, the required temperature for control is generally taken to be > 140°F for 20 minutes. Soil solarization, where clear plastic is placed over the crop bed during the summer, exploits this concept. The technique raises soil surface temperatures to 150-155˚F, effectively killing the pathogen and reducing disease incidence by 45-98% (Matheron and Porchas, 2010).
In our trials, we are using steam heat to raise soil temperatures. Steam is delivered by a 35 BHP steam generator mounted on a custom designed elongated bed shaper (Fig. 1). Preliminary results were encouraging. The device was able to increase the temperature of the top 3” of soil to over 180°F at a travel speed of 0.5 mph as shown in this video of the machine in action (shown below). These temperatures exceed that of those known to control pathogens responsible for causing Fusarium wilt of lettuce (> 140°F for 20 minutes).
Stay tuned for final trial results and reports on the efficacy of using steam heat to control Fusarium wilt of lettuce.
If you are interested in evaluating the technique on your farm, please contact me. We are seeking additional sites with a known history of Fusarium wilt of lettuce disease incidence to test the efficacy and performance of the device.
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.
Acknowledgements
This project is sponsored by USDA-NIFA, the Arizona Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and the Arizona Iceberg Lettuce Research Council. We greatly appreciate their support.
A special thank you is extended to Cory Mellon and Mellon Farms for allowing us to conduct this research on their farm.
Weeds are one of the most visible of all agricultural pests. They can’t move or hide and once established often stick up over the crop. Just one weed in a 10 acre field is annoying to look at. With insects and diseases, the damage is often more visible than the pest. That is not the case with weeds. A moderate weed infestation is approximately 10 weeds per square foot. If a herbicide produces 90% control, that leaves 1 weed per square foot or 43 weeds per acre. Without an untreated check, this can look like the herbicide failed! It is easy to leave an untreated spot in a field and it is well worth doing. Many applicators do so unintentionally because of skips, powerlines and other causes. They help determine crop injury and weed control. Here are some examples of what various levels of control looked like from one of our cole crop trials:
Corn earworm:
CEW moth counts remain low across all locations; average for this time of the season.
Beet armyworm:
Trap counts decreased in all locations, and below average for late-January.
Cabbage looper:
Cabbage looper trap counts remained low in all locations; below average for early February. Diamondback moth:
Adult activity increased slightly in some locations, particularly fields where trap is adjacent to with nearby brassica seed crops. 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 slightly in most locations. Activity a about average for mid-February.
Aphids:
Aphid movement increased in many locations, particularly in Yuma Valley. Trap captures about average for this time of year.
Leafminers:
Adult activity increased in most areas, below average for this time of season.
To contact John Palumbo go to: jpalumbo@ag.Arizona.edu
