The earliest field crop pest of the year is often the alfalfa weevil. While adults do some leaf notching, larvae (Figure 1) attack buds and developing leaves, reducing yield and quality of alfalfa. Last year, high numbers were observed in…
Monthly Archives: February 2020
Recommendations for Starting Disease-Free Vegetable Transplants
Many home gardeners and commercial growers have placed their seed orders or have the seeds saved from last year safely tucked away. In the coming days or weeks, it will be time to start those seeds in transplant trays. However,…
Posted in Vegetables
Blacklegged Ticks Keep on Ticking Regardless of Winter
When people think of ticks, they often think of them as a spring or summertime problem. This is the case for two of our common Kentucky ticks, the lone star tick and the American dog tick. Adults of these species…
Posted in Human Pests
Tree Fruit Fungicide Spray Schedule Worksheets
Two worksheets have been developed to assist commercial tree fruit growers in designing appropriate fungicide spray schedules for their orchards. The worksheets can be used to plan sprays from dormancy through post-harvest. Sample spray guides are also included. Both publications…
Posted in Featured Pubs & Videos
Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab Highlights
The following plant disease highlights have been compiled from samples submitted to the University of Kentucky Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratories from February 1 to February 25, 2020. Diagnostic samples of agronomic crops have included russet mite on hemp. On fruit,…
Posted in Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab
Planning a Vegetable Garden
While still firmly in the midst of a gray and brown winter, one way to look toward spring is to start planning for this year’s vegetable garden. There are many items to consider when planning a garden. Decisions made can…
Posted in Vegetables
Anthracnose of Commercial Turfgrass (PPFS-OR-T-04)
Anthracnose is primarily a disease of intensely managed turfgrass, such as creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass, on golf course putting greens. Outbreaks are generally induced by environmental conditions or cultural practices that result in stress to the turf. The anthracnose…
Posted in Featured Pubs & Videos
A Grower’s Guide to Kentucky Hemp Production Workshops
A Grower’s Guide to Kentucky Hemp Production workshops will be provided in seven locations throughout the Commonwealth (Figure 1). These full day, educational programs include information on various aspects of hemp production in Kentucky. Topics such as regulatory and field…
Posted in Announcements
2020: List of Products for the Management of Insects and Mites in Commercial Hemp
For the 2020 growing season, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) has a list of pesticides registered for commercial hemp in the following link: Pesticide Products Registered for Industrial Hemp in Kentucky. This link should be checked periodically as new…
Posted in Hemp
New Tool for Identifying Pests of Woody Plants
The Department of Entomology has created a new, interactive website to help agents and concerned tree owners identify their insect problems. The “Guide to Insect Pests of Woody Plants” will hopefully be of use to you if you have the…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Leggy Oddities: House Centipedes in the Home
Over the winter, some folks might see a wiggly and weird house guest in their basements or on the ground floors of their home. These are house centipedes, and while native to the Mediterranean, are now found worldwide in various…
Posted in Household Pests
EPA Proposes New Limitations on Uses of Neonicotinoid Insecticides
On February 3, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published their proposed interim decisions on neonicotinoid insecticides in the Congressional Federal Register. This review included the active ingredients imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, acetamiprid, and dinotefuran. Some common trade names that include these…
Posted in Pesticide Topics
Recent Fungicide Changes in ID-36, Vegetable Production Guide for Kentucky
The new version of Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers, 2020-21 (ID-36) is now available as a PDF online and is on its way to county Extension offices Commonwealth-wide. Here is a summary of the major disease management-related changes from…
Posted in Vegetables
An Alfalfa Disease Calendar (PPA-44)
This calendar was created to assist producers and agricultural professionals improve alfalfa production. Knowing when to expect certain diseases can help with timely management. While infectious diseases do not follow a calendar per se, and it is not possible to…
Posted in Featured Pubs & Videos
2020 IPM Training School
The 2020 IPM Training School will be held on March 12 in the conference room of the recently renovated University of Kentucky Research and Education Center, 348 University Drive (new street address), Princeton, KY 42445. Six UK specialists from the…
Posted in Announcements
Kentucky Pest News 