The corn earworm (CEW), Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a key pest on hemp in the United States. Caterpillars actively feed on hemp flowers, fruit, and seeds; less commonly on leaves. Although this insect is considered to be of economic…

As a growing industry in the United States, hemp (Cannabis sativa with <0.3% of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) has exponentially increased, not only in its number of licensed acres (approximately 500,000 across 45 states), but also in its capacity to diversify into at…

The fungal disease southern blight affects a wide range of plant species, including hemp. When stems and roots become infected, plants can wilt, decline, and/or die, resulting in yield loss. The southern blight pathogen survives in upper soil layers for…

Description of Problem The current absence of rains has been affecting hemp transplants in Kentucky. In research plot transplants at the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center, more than 100 plants were lost out of nearly 600 hundred transplants.…

Hemp (Cannabis sativa) is grown both outdoors and in greenhouses.  Outdoor-grown hemp is susceptible to infection by leaf spot fungi that affect other crops and nearby plants, especially during periods of extensive rain or high humidity.  There are three primary…

Hemp is often considered a disease-free plant. However, research is being done to determine whether certain pathogens can increase to problematic levels in the field. Should disease become a significant problem in field-planted hemp, the result can be premature leaf…

Powdery mildew can affect numerous plants, including fruit, vegetable, and agronomic crops, as well as woody and herbaceous ornamentals. Kentucky hemp is also susceptible to this disease. Plants infected early in the season can be seriously damaged, while those affected…

Disease presence last year can indicate a risk for the same disease this year. Many pathogens overwinter on infected plant material or as pathogen survival structures. Poor sanitation practices can lead to an increased risk of these diseases in the…

Diseases are a major concern for greenhouse hemp growers, and they can be a factor that limits the profitable production of plants. The warm, humid greenhouse environment provides optimal conditions for reproduction of many pathogens. A good sanitation program can…

While conducting studies in hemp at the University of Kentucky’s Spindletop Farm in Lexington, the twice stabbed sting bug (Cosmopepla lintneriana, formerly C. bimaculata) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) was observed in hemp grown for grain (Figure 1) during the first week of…

The Mud Pots While scouting for caterpillars and budworms in a commercial hemp field in Princeton, KY, we found three pot-shaped mud structures on a hemp petiole (Figure 1). There is a great number of wasp species that build nests…

Problem The outbreaks of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) during mid-July to late-August has affected double-crop soybeans and forages, and lately alfalfa in many areas of Kentucky. Fall armyworm is a polyphagous pest, that feeds in many plant species…

Disease presence last year can indicate a risk for the same disease this year. Many pathogens overwinter on infected plant material or as pathogen survival structures. Poor sanitation practices can lead to an increased risk of these diseases in the…

Problem and Description of Damage The Euroasian hemp borer (EHB), Grapholita delineana, was found in Lexington in mid-October 2020 while scouting hemp pests in Lexington. This is the second EHB sighting in Kentucky conducted by Raul Villanueva; the previous report…

In 2018, there were significant increases in confirmed cases of southern blight in hemp.  The fungal disease affects a wide range of plant species, as well as hemp. When stems and roots become infected, plants can wilt, decline, and/or die,…