Current Situation “I haven’t seen a slug outbreak like this in 40 years of growing soybeans” was a comment of a soybean farmer in Logan County last Friday (June 9, 2017). He will replant 300 to 600 acres of soybeans.…
Monthly Archives: June 2017
Replanted and Double Crop Soybeans Can Be Affected by Mollusk Outbreaks in Kentucky in 2017
Posted in Grains
Vegetable Diseases to Scout for: Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) has caused more problems than usual this year, particularly in high tunnel tomato. This disease can affect tomato, pepper, potato, eggplant, lettuce, beans, and cucumber along with more than 170 other plant species. TSWV may…
Posted in Vegetables
Spotted Wing Drosophila Activity Intensifying
Samples this past week indicate that spotted wing drosophila (SWD) activity is increasing across the state with numbers of these captured insects considerably higher at some locations. While the threshold to begin management is ‘one captured fly,’ continued trapping provides…
Posted in Fruit
New County Reports of Emerald Ash Borer
Since its discovery in 2009, emerald ash borer (EAB) has continued to invade Kentucky (Figure 1); Cumberland, Green, Taylor, and Wayne counties have been added to the list of counties this year. Designation as “infested” does not mean the insect…
Posted in Forest Trees, Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Japanese Beetles Abundant in Some Areas
Japanese beetles are emerging, and there are early indications that populations are well above normal in some areas. Upcoming rain will soften the soil and spur more emergence. When practical, hand removal is an effective way to control this insect…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs, Landscapes
Time to Check for Bagworms
Small bagworms are feeding now. It takes careful inspection to detect small larvae wrapped in silk bags with pieces of leaf attached (Figure 1). Check small trees and shrubs that have a history of problems to see if the insects…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Leaf Skeletonizers on Oaks
Leaf skeletonizers are pale yellow-green caterpillars that create veiny skeletons as they feed on upper leaf surfaces (Figure 1). There are several leaf skeletonizer species that feed on different tree species, but their activity is rarely noticed. Usually, weather or…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Remember West Nile Virus?
Mosquito trapping and testing is underway in many states, including Kentucky, as part of overall public health programs. The relatively mild winter of 2016-2017 favored greater survival of species, such as the house mosquito complex, that overwinter as adults. In…
Posted in Human Pests
Featured Publication
Relative Effectiveness of Various Chemicals for Disease Control of Ornamental Plantings (PPFS-GEN-13) The Southern Nursery Integrated Pest Management (SNIPM) working group is comprised of Extension professionals from several southern states, including Kentucky. The SNIPM group collaborates on multi-state nursery crop…
Posted in Featured Pubs & Videos
2017 Insect Trap Counts
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 current…
Posted in Insect Trap Counts
Update on Southern Rust of Corn
Southern rust of corn (caused by the fungus, Puccinia polysora) caused yield losses on several acres of corn in Kentucky during 2016, which raised awareness of this disease going into the 2017 growing season. The southern rust pathogen does not…
Posted in Grains
Vegetable Diseases to Scout for: Bacterial Spot of Pepper
Kentucky vegetable growers should be on the lookout for bacterial spot of pepper this week. As the most common disease of pepper in Kentucky, homeowners or growers not actively using preventative practices will likely experience at least some bacterial spot.…
Posted in Vegetables
Increasing Spotted Wing Drosophila
Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) activity is increasing based on positive samples from several western, southern, and central Kentucky counties. We are still collecting negative samples from some counties, including farms in the same counties where other farms have been positive…
Posted in Fruit
Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab Highlights
The following plant disease highlights from the University of Kentucky Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratories represent recent sample submissions from field crops, fruit, vegetables, and ornamentals. Recent diagnostic samples of agronomic crops have included magnesium and zinc deficiency symptoms on corn;…
Posted in Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab
Watch for Spider Mites on Vegetables
As we move into the summer, keep in mind that hot and dry conditions can lead to some specific pest problems. Two-spotted spider mite (Figure 1) is a common pest of many vegetable crops during prolonged hot and dry periods.…
Posted in Vegetables
Kentucky Pest News 