Category Archives: Other

New Crop Disease Management Resources

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Though it has been around for several years, the Crop Protection Network (CPN) has recently added several publications on disease management in corn, soybean, and small grains that are relevant to growers, crop consultants, and extension personnel in Virginia and the surrounding region. These can be accessed at the CPN website cropprotectionnetwork.org. As stated on the website:

“The Crop Protection Network (CPN) is a multi-state and international partnership of university and provincial Extension specialists, and public and private professionals that provides unbiased, research-based information. Our goal is to communicate relevant information to farmers and agricultural personnel to help with decisions related to protecting field crops.”

Extension specialists throughout the country (including myself) contribute to the publications and other resources posted on the website. An example of a recent publication on optimizing fungicide use for control of Fusarium head blight can be downloaded below. The CPN library includes over 30 publications on crop management, and additional publications are in development.

CPN-3001-Optimizing Fungicide Use for FHB

Wheat Disease Identification Guide

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Copies of a Wheat Disease Identification Guide from Kansas State are now available and can be requested from Dr. Hillary Mehl at the Tidewater AREC (hlmehl@vt.edu). A PDF version of the guide can be downloaded here. Though not specific to Virginia, many of the diseases included in the guide occur in our region and detailed descriptions of symptoms and management recommendations are included. As always, if confirmation of a disease is needed for wheat or other agronomic crops, plant samples can be submitted to the Virginia Tech Tidewater AREC (6321 Holland Rd. Suffolk, VA 23437). When submitting samples, be sure to fill out the Plant Disease Diagnostic Form with as much information as possible as this will assist us with an accurate diagnosis. The form can be downloaded here: Plant Disease Diagnostic Form

Wheat Disease Update – April 11, 2017

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Though it is still a little early to be making scab fungicide applications, it is time to start thinking about if and when to apply a fungicide to the wheat crop. Wheat in parts of Virginia is starting to head, but much of the crop is still at or close to flag leaf emergence. Stripe rust was observed this week in Warsaw, VA and has been confirmed on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and in southeastern Delaware. Stripe rust is likely widespread in the state, and susceptible varieties such as Shirley should be scouted for this disease. Stripe rust can spread very rapidly and a preventative fungicide may be needed to protect the wheat crop. More information on stripe rust and other wheat diseases can be found in a previous post. Wheat that is beginning to head this week will start flowering in a week or two. Currently, Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) risk is low in most parts of the state with a few moderate to high risk areas along the Eastern Shore. As the wheat crop starts to flower, it is important to monitor the FHB risk and apply fungicides as needed. Updates on FHB risk and management recommendations will be provided here and from the FHB Alert system throughout the period of flowering for the Virginia wheat crop. You can sign up for FHB text message and/or email alerts here. Also be sure to check the FHB Risk Tool (http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/) as the wheat crop starts to flower. If FHB risk is moderate to high, an application of a fungicide (e.g. Prosaro, Caramba) may be needed to protect the crop from scab and DON contamination. An update fungicide efficacy table for wheat can be downloaded here:

NCERA 184 Wheat fungicide table 2017_Final

EPA decision on chlorpyrifos

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The head of the EPA, Scott Pruitt, signed an order last night denying the petition to ban chlorpyrifos (Lorsban). This decision will allow peanut growers in our area the continued use of this insecticide for the foreseeable future, perhaps until 2022 when the EPA is required to reevaluate safety of this product. The environmental group that filed the 2007 petition to ban chlorpyrifos has announced its plans to appeal the decision.  More information can be found here – https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-administrator-pruitt-denies-petition-ban-widely-used-pesticide-0

New Mid-Atlantic Soybean Disease Scouting Guide Available

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A Mid-Atlantic Soybean Disease Scouting Guide was recently developed by Extension Plant Pathologists from Virginia Tech and the University of Delaware in cooperation with the state Soybean Boards and the Soybean Checkoff. An online version of the guide can be found here:

Mid-Atlantic Soybean Disease Scouting Guide

Hard copies of the guide are available at the Virginia Tech Tidewater AREC, and requests for guides can be sent to Dr. Hillary Mehl (hlmehl@vt.edu). These will also be available at grower meetings and field days in 2017.

IMPORTANT—New Name and Transitioning to an Updated Delivery System

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After 12+ years, the Virginia Ag Pest Advisory has been ‘modernized’. As of this week, it will be transitioned to a new format, powered by WordPress and MailChimp software. We are also adding new authors to cover crop updates so are changing our name to the Virginia Ag Pest and Crop Advisory.

As with the old system, you will still receive weekly emails containing important advisories on your mobile or desktop device, and as before, you can scroll the titles and select only those that are important to you. Normal advisories will be delivered each Friday at 1 am and available for reading first thing on Friday mornings. And as before, there is an ‘Urgent’ option that will be used to provide any advisories that need immediate attention.

In addition, all advisories will be posted to the new Blog site: http://blogs.ext.vt.edu/ag-pest-advisory. You may want to ‘bookmark’ this url. If you are not currently on the old Virginia Ag Pest Advisory email recipient list and want to be added, the Blog site provides an easy way for you to do that.

We hope you will be pleased with our new advisory system.

Thanks,
Ames Herbert

Virginia Tech Tidewater AREC June 5 Tour Brochure and Other Information

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Attached is a trifold brochure containing details about the “Early Summer Row Crops Tour” to be held at the Virginia Tech Tidewater AREC Hare Road Research Farm on the morning of Thursday, June 5, 2014. Registration begins at 8:30 am and the tour starts promptly at 9:00 am. We are offering recertification for Private, Commercial 1A, 1C, 10, and Registered Technician pesticide applicators, and also are offering Certified Crop Advisor CEU credits. Additional information: brochure-2014-pdf

Reminder: June 5 Field Tour Invitation

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This is a reminder that the Virginia Tech Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center (TAREC) will hold an early-summer row crops tour during the morning of Thursday, June 5, 2014. The tour will be held at the TAREC Research Farm (1045 Hare Road, Suffolk, VA). On-site registration will begin at 8:30 am and the tour will begin promptly at 9:00 am. There is no pre-registration, and there are no fees associated with this event. Lunch will be provided courtesy of Berry Lewis with Bayer CropScience. Specialists will display field research in progress and will present information for the 2014 crop season. The speakers will include faculty from TAREC (Drs. Balota, Frame, Herbert, Holshouser, and Mehl) and their graduate students. Topics will include thrips management in cotton and peanut; peanut plant population and maturity research; disease management in row crops and wheat; potassium for full-season and double-crop soybean; and preplant and in-furrow application of fertilizers in cotton. Robert Christian of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will conclude the tour with a pesticide safety review. We have been approved to offer Certified Crop Adviser Continuing Education credits, and Private Pesticide Applicator recertification credits. We are also applying to offer Commercial Pesticide Applicator/Registered Technician recertification credits. More information is available through local Virginia Cooperative Extension offices or by contacting the TAREC main office at 757-657-6450. If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact TAREC at 757-657-6450 (TDD number is 800-828-1120) during business hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.

Save the date–Virginia Tech Tidewater AREC’s “Early Summer Row Crops Tour” scheduled for June 5, 2014

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Please mark your calendars for the Virginia Tech Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center’s annual “Early Summer Row Crops Tour” on the morning of Thursday, June 5, 2014, with in-field presentations by Drs. Balota, Frame, Herbert, Holshouser, and Mehl. More details will be provided in the near future.