Insect pests
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Written By: Ash Sial, University of Georgia Blueberry Entomologist The spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is an invasive and economically important pest of many soft-skinned fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, and other. Since its first detection in California in 2008, SWD spread rapidly across the United States. It…
Posted in: Blueberry, Chemical control, Commercial, Cultural control, Insect pests, Monitoring, Organic -
Written By: Jonathan Oliver, Fruit Pathologist Organic food sales topped $50 billion in the United States in 2018. Statistics from the Organic Trade Association tell part of the story of this growing market: Fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops combined to make up 36.3% of total organic sales up 5.6% from the previous year. Naturally,…
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Written by: Emily Cabrera, UGA IPM Communications CoordinatorExpert Source: Ash Sial, Blueberry Entomologist & UGA IPM Coordinator The University of Georgia has just been awarded a $5.4 million grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) to develop long-term sustainable methods for controlling…
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Written By: Emily Cabrera, UGA IPM Communications CoordinatorExpert Source: Dan Suiter, Entomologist, Structural Pest Management Coordinator As the weather cools across the state, several fall insects will begin to take center stage around Georgia homes. Be on the lookout for these nuisance pests and make preparations to deter them from entering your home for the…
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Written By: Ash Sial, Blueberry Entomologist; James Jacobs, Pierce County CEC; and Zack Williams, Bacon County ANR agent Over the past few years whiteflies have emerged as a major threat to several crops in Georgia and other states in the southeastern United States. In blueberries, whitefly populations typically increase after the end of harvest and…
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Written by: Lisa Baxter, Extension Forage Agronomist Since it was first discovered in South Georgia in the summer of 2010, the bermudagrass stem maggot (BSM; Atherigona reversura Villenueve) has severely damaged bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) pastures and hayfields throughout the Southeast US. The damage begins when the BSM larva bores into the pseudostem (stem-like structure made…
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Witten By: Emily Cabrera, UGA IPM Communications CoordinatorExpert Sources: Alton Sparks, Extension Vegetable Entomologist, Bhabesh Dutta, Extension Vegetable Disease Specialist Vegetable growers are cautioned to be on the lookout now as silverleaf whitefly populations are already exploding in the Tifton-Colquitt area. “This is typically where we see this pest most years because so much of…
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Written by: Emily Cabrera, UGA IPM Communications CoordinatorExpert Source: Phillip Roberts, Extension Cotton Entomologist As the summer months continue to deliver hot, dry conditions throughout most of the state, growers need to be on the lookout for silverleaf whitefly in cotton and vegetables, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist warns. “We are most likely going…
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Written by: Ashfaq Sial, Associate Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Georgia Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) control programs should consist of three major components: 1) monitoring and identification, 2) preventative pest management tactics (including exclusion, sanitation, frequent harvest intervals, pruning, mulching, and resistant varieties), and 3) curative pest management tactics such as the judicious use…
Posted in: Blueberry, Chemical control, Cultural control, Exclusion, Insect pests, Monitoring, Organic, Prevention