Insects show great promise AS sustainable food sources for fish, poultry, and swine. Some species can efficiently convert organic waste to nutritional supplements while significantly reducing its mass and making it unsuitable as a breeding site for pests. However, insects…
Yearly Archives: 2018
Black Rot of Crucifers (PPFS-VG-01)
Black rot is a common and destructive disease that affects plants in the crucifer family (cole crops) at any growth stage. Black rot has also been referred to as bacterial blight, black stem, black vein, stem rot, or stump rot.…
Posted in Featured Pubs & Videos
Blacklegged Tick Adults Active during Winter
Adult blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) search for blood meals during the winter months (November through March). These cold-hardy ticks can be active whenever the temperature is above freezing. The female has long mouthparts and a distinctive orange-red body with a…
Posted in Human Pests
Sucking and Biting Lice
Lice are small, wingless, flat-bodied insects with legs modified for grasping hair shafts. They are generally host-specific. For example, cattle lice will not survive for long on swine. They are obligate parasites because they must have blood meals to develop…
Posted in Livestock Pests
Management of Soybean Cyst Nematode Starts with Soil Sampling this Fall or Spring
The soybean cyst nematode (SCN) (Figure 1) causes greater annual yield losses in Kentucky than any other pathogen of soybean. The last time a formal survey was conducted by the University of Kentucky in 2006 and 2007, approximately 76% of…
Posted in Grains
Managing Diseases with Sanitation Practices
When diseases occur in commercial or residential plantings, it is often presumed that fungicides are the most important and effective disease management tools available. However, a good sanitation program can help reduce the need for chemical controls and can improve…
Posted in Featured Pubs & Videos
Biological Pest Management in Kentucky High Tunnel / Greenhouse Tomato Production Systems
Kentucky producers of tomatoes in high tunnel or greenhouse production systems manage several key arthropod pests to maximize their yields and profits. An environmentally and economically sound management system for these pests is based on the following components: Sanitation and…
Posted in Greenhouses/High Tunnels, Vegetables
Causes for Green Stem Syndrome in Soybeans are Still a Conundrum
Description of green stem syndrome in soybeans Green Stem Syndrome (GSS) is a condition where the stems of soybean plants remain green when the rest of the plant is senescing (normally stems, pods and seeds are brown and ready for…
Posted in Grains
Pesticide Use Best Management Practices for Homeowners
Pesticides for purchase at local stores or online to anyone are referred to as ‘General Use’ pesticides by the EPA. You do not need a license or certification to purchase and use these on your own property. Although these are…
Posted in Pesticide Topics
USDA Releases the Update to the National Road Map for Integrated Pest Management
Last month, the USDA released the first update of the National Road Map for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) since 2013. This is the second update since its inception in 2003. The National Road Map helps to prioritize IPM research, technology…
Posted in Announcements
Soybean Stem Borer Infestations are Being Noticed by Kentucky Growers: Yield might Be Reduced
Occurrences in commercial soybean fields in 2017 and 2018 In 2017, there were several reports of Dectes presence in commercial fields in Webster, Henderson, and McLean counties in Kentucky. Soybean plants infested with Dectes larva or tunneling caused by this…
Posted in Grains
Phomopsis Seed Decay and Purple Seed Stain Prevalent in Harvested Soybeans
Although soybean yields have been pretty good this year, the seed quality of harvested soybeans has not been great in some areas of the state. Seed diseases have been prevalent in areas that have received a lot of rain since…
Posted in Grains
Peach Leaf Curl
Peach leaf curl results in disfigured leaves during spring and summer; twigs and fruit may also become infected. Successful management of peach leaf curl begins in autumn even though symptoms are not seen until leaves emerge. Peach Leaf Curl Facts…
Posted in Fruit
Twig Blights of Juniper (PPFS-OR-W-11)
Twig and branch dieback is a common sight in many juniper plantings in Kentucky. While other factors can cause these general symptoms, two fungal diseases are frequently responsible for the dieback. These fungi (Phomopsis juniperovora and Kabatina juniperi) attack several…
Posted in Featured Pubs & Videos
Green June Beetle–“The Other” White Grubs
Most fall problems with white grubs are due to root-feeding by Japanese beetles and/or masked chafer grubs. Severe damage results in irregular patches of rootless dead grass that can be pulled up like pieces of loose rug. In contrast, activity…
Posted in Lawn & Turf
Kentucky Pest News 