We wish to extend a hand of welcome to Dr. Emily Pfeufer, Assistant Extension Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Kentucky. Emily completed her Ph.D. in Plant Pathology at The Pennsylvania State University, and she joined the UK…
Monthly Archives: April 2015
Eastern Tent Caterpillars Leaving Trees
Dispersing eastern tent caterpillars (ETC) can pose several problems as they leave their “home” trees (commonly, wild cherry) over the next 10 days, or so. The greatest potential harm is associated with pregnant mares on pasture. Ingestion of these hairy…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Woolly Aphids
Elm, silver maple, apple hawthorn, and serviceberry often have colonies of woolly aphids living on the undersides of their leaves (Figure 1) in spring. Initially, they are clearly aphids but they take on a fluffy appearance later in their development…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Spring Fertilization Can Favor Lawn Diseases
In spring, an emerald-green expanse of cool-season turfgrass is a welcome reminder that winter is behind us. For many, that lush, green growth has an aesthetic appeal. For these reasons, it is tempting to promote such growth in lawns with…
Posted in Lawn & Turf
The Label is the Law: Pesticide Label Reminders
For my first KPN post, here is a brief refresher on reading agricultural product labels as the season gets into full swing. Before deciding to use a pesticide, the applicator should check three specific points from the label. The pesticide…
Posted in Pesticide Topics, Tobacco
Ways to Protect Pollinators from Pesticides
1. Avoid applying pesticides to blooming plants, or when conditions favor drift into areas with plants in bloom. 2. If you must spray plants in bloom, select a pesticide that is less toxic to bees (e.g. Bt, insecticidal soap, summer…
Posted in Pesticide Topics
Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab Highlights
The following plant disease highlights from the UK Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratories represent recent sample submissions from field crops, fruit, vegetables, and ornamentals. Recent agronomic samples have included target spot, bacterial blackleg, and heat injury on tobacco transplants. On fruit…
Posted in Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab
2015 Insect Trap Counts
Weekly trap counts for major insect pests are provided by the Kentucky IPM Program. Traps are located at the UK Research and Education Center in western Kentucky and the UK Spindletop Farm in Lexington. Below are trap counts for the…
Posted in Insect Trap Counts
Armyworm and Black Cutworm Flights Continue
Capture of armyworm (AW) and black cutworm (BCW) moths continue at a considerable, if slightly lower, number compared to last week. The AW trap captured 449 moths while the BCW trap captured 22 moths. This weekly catch includes at least…
Posted in Grains
2015 Fungicide Efficacy for Control of Wheat Diseases
The North Central Regional Committee on Management of Small Grain Diseases (NCERA-184) has developed the following information on fungicide efficacy for control of certain foliar diseases of wheat for use by the grain production industry in the U.S. Efficacy ratings…
Posted in Grains
Beetles and Bugs on Vegetables
Hopefully, the wet weather we have been experiencing will abate soon and allow vegetable growers to work their soil and move transplants to fields. Early-season insect problems on vegetables are very different than those later in the summer. Early season…
Posted in Vegetables
Winter Injury Visible on Landscape Plants
With the arrival of spring’s warmer weather, many landscape plants in Kentucky are showing the effects of a winter that broke records. The winter of 2014-15 approached all-time historical lows in many parts of the Commonwealth. Now landscapers and homeowners…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
May Beetles Are Emerging—Some Species Feed, Others Don’t
May beetles are a group of brown to black beetles that can emerge suddenly from lawns and grassy fields in early spring, especially following rain. Depending on the species, larvae (white grubs) will have fed on grass roots for several…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
BROOD XXIII of the Periodical Cicada—Silent So Far
As of April 19, there have been no reports of emergence of Brood XXIII, the lower Mississippi Valley brood. You can check for sightings and updates, or report activity at The Periodical Cicada Mapping Project Web site. Previous Brood XXIII…
Posted in Forest Trees, Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Floodwater Mosquitoes
A wet spring has left water standing in low areas across the state. This sets the stage for problems with floodwater mosquitoes over the next few weeks. That potential is greatest in the dark blue and dark green areas on…
Posted in Human Pests
Kentucky Pest News 