Please click “More” to view the position announcement (pdf file). Additional information: tidewater-director-position-va-pdf
25th Annual Eastern Shore Ag Conference and Trade Show
Please find attached the program for the 25th Annual Eastern Shore Ag Conference & Trade Show on January 7 and 8, 2014. The event will be held at the Eastern Shore Community College Workforce Development Center, 29300 Lankford Highway, Melfa, VA 23410. This event is free and open to the public with no registration required. Feel free to pass on to any email lists, stakeholders, etc. that may be interested. Continuing education credits for Certified Crop Advisers will be offered. Any further program changes, weather advisories, and so forth will be posted on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EasternShore.Soils
Thank you,
Mark
Additional information: agconfprogram2014-3january2014-pdf
Workshop entitled “Getting Started in Vegetable Production” – January 27, 2014 Hershey, PA
On Monday January 27, 2014 a workshop “Getting Started in Vegetable Production” will be held prior to the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention at the Hershey Lodge, Hershey, Pa. The convention runs from January 28-30, 2014. This workshop is intended for beginning vegetable growers or those thinking about getting into the production of vegetables. The workshop will cover important topics that growers need to think about when contemplating entering into growing vegetables. The speakers at the workshop have years of experience working with vegetable growers and will provide a wealth of information that will prove useful to beginning and new growers. The cost of the workshop is $35.00 and will be separate from the registration for the convention. For more information on registration contact Bill Troxell, Executive Secretary, Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association at “William Troxell” or phone: 717-694-3596.
Ames Herbert’s “2013 Insect Pest Management in Virginia Cotton, Peanut, Soybean, and Sorghum” now available online
ATTENTION VIRGINIA VEGETABLE GROWERS
Attention Virginia Vegetable Growers:
The Virginia Tech vegetable entomology program, in collaboration with the horticulture sustainable agriculture program, is conducting a survey of vegetable growers to gain valuable insight on current practices and issues as well as better tailor future research needs.
We would greatly appreciate your time and cooperation in taking the online survey accessible through the following link: https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1384452235649. Copy and paste the link into your browser’s URL address bar if the link will not redirect you.
Should you encounter any issue with the survey or wish to receive a copy of the survey for completion, please contact me at: hdoughty@vt.edu
Thank you. Your participation is greatly appreciated.
Mid-Atlantic Crop Management School Registration is OPEN!
Certified Crop Advisers (CCA), Nutrient Management Planners, and any others too! Join us in Ocean City, MD for the Mid-Atlantic Crop Management School from November 19-21, 2013. This two and a half day school will cover sessions that offer CCA Continuing Education Credits and nutrient management credits. Sessions include: Crop Management, Nutrient Management, Vegetable Production, Pest Management, and Soil & Water Management. Please see the following link for more information and to register: http://app.certain.com/profile/form/index.cfm?PKformID=0x15600158aa5
Virginia Soybean Rust Update: September 26, 2013
This week Asian soybean rust was confirmed in Isle of Wight County. Please see the attached update for details. Additional information: virginia-soybean-rust-update-9-26-13-pdf
Soybean Rust Update: September 19, 2013
Since the announcement that Asian soybean rust (SBR) was found in the sentinel plots at the Tidewater AREC, we have been receiving lots of inquires about what the risk is to the soybean crop and whether or not it is prudent to spray. Attached I have provided a somewhat lengthy description of the status of SBR in Virginia and the factors growers should consider before deciding whether or not to spray. Please contact me if you have any additional questions or concerns regarding the status of soybean rust in Virginia (Hillary Mehl, Extension Plant Pathologist: hlmehl@vt.edu). Additional information: virginia-soybean-rust-update-9-19-13-pdf
Soybean Rust found in Suffolk, VA
On September 17, 2013 soybean (SBR) rust was observed and confirmed on soybean leaves (10/34 leaflets, 2% leaf coverage) collected from one of the Tidewater AREC sentinel plots on September 5. Suffolk is the only county in Virginia thus far with confirmed soybean rust, but we will now intensify our scouting efforts throughout the soybean-growing regions of the state.
So far in 2013, SBR has been confirmed on soybeans in 185 counties/parishes in 10 states in the U.S. (AL, GA, FL, MS, LA, SC, AR, NC, TN, and VA) including two counties in North Carolina and one county in SE Virginia.
Soybean sentinel plots and commercial fields are monitored annually for early detection of SBR and tracking of disease spread. Data are used to make recommendations for timely applications of fungicide sprays for control of SBR. Since August, soybean leaflets from sentinel plots at the Virginia Tech Tidewater AREC in Suffolk, VA have been evaluated on a weekly basis, and as in prior years, the first report of SBR in Virginia was from one of these sentinel plots. Other diseases in soybeans at this time include Cercospora blight, brown spot, frogeye leaf spot, and anthracnose.
Risk of yield loss in soybean is minimal if SBR is detected following the R6 development stage. However, growers with soybeans that have not yet reached the R6 stage should consider spraying fungicides for control of SBR (triazole or pre-mix fungicide). This is particularly relevant for late-maturing/double-cropped soybean.
Updates will be emailed weekly as we track the progress of SBR spread and disease development throughout Virginia.
NOTE: I would like to introduce myself as the new Extension Plant Pathologist (replacement for Dr. Pat Phipps) at the Virginia Tech Tidewater AREC in Suffolk, VA. My focus is plant disease management in field crops for the state of Virginia. My contact information is the following: Hillary L. Mehl, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology; Virginia Tech Tidewater AREC, 6321 Holland Road, Suffolk, VA 23437; Telephone: (757) 657-6450, ext. 423; Cell: (530) 906-0807; email: hlmehl@vt.edu
Black light tables for the week ending Sep. 19, 2013
Corn earworm moth and brown marmorated stink bug numbers were generally low this week in local black light traps. Please click “More” to see the detailed report. Thanks to the participating Virginia Cooperative Extension Agents, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University faculty and staff, Farmers who hosted the traps, and others involved in this season’s black light trap monitoring efforts. Additional information: bltsep19-pdf