Author Archives: Thomas Kuhar

About Thomas Kuhar

Professor and VCE-Vegetable Entomology Specialist Department of Entomology Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA

Supplemental label for Zeal miticide on cukes and fruiting veggies

Control of two-spotted spider mite can be very difficult once mite outbreaks are flared. Portal, Oberon, Acramite, and Agrimek are all efficacious materials to control mite outbreaks on vegetables. Zeal is also effective, and has just recently gotten a Supplemental Label for additional crops including: cucumbers, fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers, and other small fruit crops. Rotation of miticides is important for resistance management. Zeal is another effective miticide with a novel mode of action to include in this rotation. Click more for the Supplemental Label. Additional information: zealsupplementallabel-cukes-fruitingveggies-pdf

Heavy corn earworm activity in the Northern Neck of Virginia and summary of insecticide work in sweet corn

Based on pheromone moth traps monitored by Rafe Parker from Parker Farms, Oak Grove, Va, corn earworm moth activity has picked up significantly in the Northern Neck Region of Virginia. Counts jumped from less than 10 for past 2 weeks to about 100 moths this week. these moths will be flying to sweet corn, soybeans, cotton, green beans, and tomatoes among other crops. Be on the lookout for the eggs and small larvae of this pest, or begin the preventative spray programs. There are a wide range of effective insecticides for this pest. Sweet corn is probably the most difficult crop to achieve effective control of corn earworm because very few insecticides kill the eggs, eggs develop and hatch quickly in the summer heat, and larvae move down the silks and into ears where they are protected. Click More to view a summary of recent insecticide trials performed on sweet corn in Eastern Virginia.

Additional information: kuharsweetcorn-ipm-handout-2010-doc

Admire Pro label replaces Provado

Bayer CropScience is consolidating the insecticide labels for Provado and Admire-Pro into one. The company is phasing out Provado and will only be offering Admire-Pro in the future. Click more news to find a Provado to Admire-Pro conversion table and the new Admire-Pro label.

Please contact Dr. Matt Mahoney if you have questions.

Matthew J. Mahoney, Ph.D.
Field Development & Market Support
Bayer CropScience
(410) 822-5215 Office
(410) 829-3147 Cell

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Additional information: provado-to-admire-pro-conversion-table-all-crops-pdf

Early corn earworm activity in Virginia subsides

After some higher than usual corn earworm pest activity for the spring in Virginia, moth catch at traps has subsided. Raef Parker in the Northern Neck of Virginia is maintaining a couple corn earworm pheromone traps. A couple weeks ago he was catching several moths per night, but this week, the traps have gone silent, which is a good indication that new eggs of this pest are not being laid. Typically, corn earworm pest activity picks up dramatically in mid-July. So, hopefully, we’re in the clear for a little while anyway.
TK

New 2ee label for use of acephate on field borders for stink bugs

United Phosphorus, Inc (UPI) has issued a FIFRA Section 2(ee)
recommendation with Acephate 97UP for the suppression of brown marmorated
stinkbugs for field borders, fence rows, ditch banks and borrow pits. The
states include Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, West Virginia
and Maryland. Attached is the 2(ee) recommendation below. Should you have
questions please feel free to contact:
Tony Estes
United Phosphorus, Inc.
Cell Phone: 864-202-7526
tony.estes@uniphos.com

Click more for attached file of 2ee label.

Additional information: 2011-06-07-2-ee-acephate-97up—bmsb-field-borders-pdf

Early season corn earworm activity and control options in sweet corn

Over the past couple of weeks many areas of Virginia experienced some unusually high corn earworm moth activity. This early brief peak of moths was not typical, was likely not the result of migratory moths coming up from the southern U.S., but rather was the result of overwintering corn earworm pupae in Virginia and the fact that we had record high densities of this pest last summer. Nonetheless, this early blip in activity has pretty much run its course. However, if sweet corn was at a vulnerable state (tassel or later), there could be much more “worm” pressure on early sweet corn.
Based on 30 years of monitoring, the major flight of corn earworms will likely occur in mid-July in Virginia.
I’ve attachded a summary of our sweetcorn insecticide research data at Virginia Tech. Click “More” to get this report.
Best regards,
Tom Kuhar Additional information: kuharsweetcorn-ipm-handout-2010-doc

Please report any observations of the brown marmorated stink bug

Greetings growers, crop consultants, researchers, and extension personnel in Virginia. Several entomologists in the mid-Atlantic U.S. are now desperately trying to elucidate the biology and ecology of the new invasive brown marmorated stink bug, which has plagued many homeowners and tree fruit producers among others in Virginia. The pest potential of this stink bug to Virginia Agriculture is tremendous. We need your help with spotting various life stages of the bug around your garden, yard, or farm. We want to document what plants the bugs are getting on and when, and are they reproducing. So, I’ve attached a Word file (click More) of the life stages of this bug to help you identify it. I’m asking you to please e-mail me any spottings of the bug on plants that you make. Record the bug’s life stage, your location, host plant, and if any injury was observed. These anecdotal reports will be very valuable to us.

Many thanks,
Tom

Thomas P. Kuhar
Associate Professor
Department of Entomology
Virginia Tech
216 Price Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0319
Office: 540-231-6129
Cell: 757-710-9781
Fax: 540-231-9131
e-mail: tkuhar@vt.edu

Additional information: brown-marmorated-stink-bug-lifestages-docx

New miticide Kanemite labeled for vegetables

Vegetable growers now have another new miticide to combat spider mites and other pest mites. Kanemite, Arysta LifeScience’s premium miticide now has fruiting vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, etc.) and edible podded beans also. Kanemite is labeled on grapes, pome fruit, and strawberries. It controls all life stages of the labeled mites, and it has a short PHI and REI. Kanemite is easy on beneficial species as well. I’ve attached a current specimen label for your update and information. For more information please contact:

Frank Donohue
Northeast Territory Manager
Arysta LifeScience Company
215-370-2540
Frank.donohue@arystalifescience.com
Additional information: kanemite-label-2011-2-pdf