kentucky pest news april 26, 2011

8/7/2019 Kentucky Pest News April 26, 2011

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/kentucky-pest-news-april-26-2011 1/11

Online at: www.uky.edu/KPN

Number 1265 April 26, 2011

TOBACCO

-Update on Blue Mold

-Rainy Weather Promotes Diseases in Tobacco

Float Beds

FRUIT CROPS

-Strawberry Gray Mold Fruit Rot Management

-Cedar Rusts Are Abundant This Year

FIELD CROPS

-Armyworms? Yea, Maybe

LAWN & TURF

-Sights to Expect in Wet Landscapes

TOBACCO

Update on Blue Mold By Kenny Seebold

Blue mold status. This year, to date, there are

no indications of active blue mold anywhere inthe country or in areas that have served

traditionally as sources of inoculum for

outbreaks in the U.S. This means there is no

imminent threat to producers in Kentucky at the

moment, but it’s never a bad idea to keep an eye

out for ‘old blue’! We do the best we can to

monitor the blue mold pathogen in the U.S.,

thanks to the network of observers associated

with the North American Plant Disease Forecast

Center at North Carolina State University.

However, the truth is that there are fewer

observers now than in the past and there’salways the chance that blue mold could slip

through. The following are a few tips to

consider in the event that blue mold appears late

in the transplant production cycle:

1. Practice good hygiene and sanitation inthe greenhouse or outdoor beds.

HOUSEHOLD

-Clover Mites

-Expect Springtails after Prolonged Rains

PEST OF HUMANS

-A Great Chance for the Floodwater Mosquito

PESTICIDE NEWS & VIEWS

-Recent Research Raises Concerns on Toxicityof Fungicides to Amphibians

DIAGNOSTIC LAB HIGHLIGHTS

INSECT TRAP COUNTS

2. Manage humidity and leaf wetness.

Take steps to ensure adequate

ventilation so that foliage does not stay

wet for excessively long periods of time;

this means proper use of fans and side-

curtains, or removing / opening covers

on outdoor beds (as weather permits) toallow foliage to dry quickly. Manage

temperatures to minimize humidity and

build-up of condensation.

3. Clip properly, following a timelyschedule. Proper clipping opens up the

plant canopy, permitting better light

penetration and air movement (and thus

faster drying).

4. Use a preventive fungicide program.

For Kentucky producers, this means

applications of Dithane DF (also

Manzate ProStick or Penncozeb 75DF)at 0.5 lb of product per 100 gallons of

finished spray (equivalent to 1 tsp of

product per gallon of water). Apply 3-5

gallons per 1,000 square feet as a fine

spray (to ensure good coverage) on

younger plants, and increase to 6-12

gallons on older plants. Continue

Lexington, KY 40546

http://www.uky.edu/KPN






fungicide applications until plants are

set in the field.

5. Destroy any unused transplants as

quickly as possible to remove potential

sources of blue mold later in the season.6. Destroy transplants if blue mold is

found on seedlings. All plants in thesystem must be destroyed, even those

that don’t show symptoms, because of

the risk of exposure and latent disease.7. Do not set plants that have been exposed

to blue mold. These plants are often

infected systemically and will not thrive

in the field, and those that develop

symptoms in the field will be a source of

inoculum for epidemics of blue mold

later in the season.

8. Grow your own plants, or purchase them

from sources in Kentucky (or statesnorth of Kentucky) – think “Kentucky

Proud” to minimize the threat of

importing blue mold from outside the

Commonwealth.

9. Monitor the weather and status of blue

mold regularly to help guide

management decisions.

Fortunately, there are easy-to-access resources

available to help us track the occurrence and

movement of blue mold (and other diseases) in

the tobacco-producing regions of the U.S., andto assess the level of risk to tobacco around the

country. The status of blue mold in Kentuckyand surrounding states is updated regularly

during the production season and can be found

at the Kentucky Blue Mold Warning System

page,

www.uky.edu/Agriculture/kpn/kyblue/kyblue.ht

m, and in the Kentucky Pest News. Breaking

information will be published on the Kentucky

Blue Mold Warning System web page and

through a mailing list, the KY Blue Mold Alert.

Subscribe to the KY Blue Mold Alert mailinglist by sending a message to:

[email protected]. The message body must

contain, verbatim, the line subscribe ky-bluem-

alert, followed by a blank line. You will receive,by return mail, a message requiring confirmation

of your subscription.

The North American Plant Disease Forecast

Center (NAPDFC), located at North Carolina

State University, is an important source of

information that is relied upon to generate

forecasts posted on the Kentucky Blue MoldWarning System. The NAPDFC documents the

presence of blue mold in locations whereinoculum is produced and poses a threat to

cultivated tobacco in the U.S. These locations

include Cuba, Mexico, and southern Texas.

During the growing season, outbreaks of blue

mold across the country are confirmed by local

coordinators from each of the tobacco-producing

states and forwarded to the NAPDFC. This

information is used to track the spread of blue

mold and is also used, in conjunction with

weather models, to predict the future movement

of the disease. Status and forecast information

are summarized on the NAPDFC Blue Moldpage

(http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/bluemold/ ),

which is updated on Tuesday, Thursday, and

Saturday from March until the end of August.

The Kentucky Blue Mold Warning System has

been successful in the past because of input at

the local level. We depend on growers and

agents to let us know when and where blue mold

occurs in Kentucky to complement the

information provided by the NAPDFC and

provide the most accurate forecast possible.Growers should report outbreaks of blue mold to

their local county extension agent as soon as the

disease is found so that he or she can pass this

information to U.K. extension specialists. Weuse this information to update the Kentucky

Blue Mold Warning System and to develop area-

specific advisories. The faster we learn about

blue mold at the local level, the quicker we can

issue an alert, and the sooner our growers canbegin to protect their crops from the disease.

Let’s hope that blue mold won’t be an issue this

season, but let’s be prepared to work togetherand spread the word if and when it shows up.

http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/kpn/kyblue/kyblue.htm



mailto:[email protected]


http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/bluemold/









Rainy Weather Promotes Diseases in Tobacco

Float BedsBy Kenny Seebold

Precipitation levels are at or above historicalhighs in most parts of Kentucky for the month of

April, while temperatures have been normalduring that span of time. Frequent rains and

extended periods of overcast weather have

contributed to a number of cases of Rhizoctoniadamping-off, and target spot is beginning to pop

up around the state. We have also seen some

suspected cases of collar rot on plants that have

reached clipping size in float beds. Along with

leaf and stem diseases, we have seen an increase

in the number of cases of Pythium root rot. At

this point in the season, growers should take an

aggressive approach to managing tobacco

seedling diseases since forecasted weather formuch of the state will continue to favor

development of several diseases. For

recommended management practices, consult

previous issues of Kentucky Pest News for

articles on managing Pythium root rot (No.

1262; April 5, 2011) and both Rhizoctonia

damping-off and target spot (No. 1263, April 12,

2011). The topic for this week’s report is collar

rot.

BACKGROUND. Collar rot begins to appear in

float beds around 5 weeks after seeding. Restingstructures (sclerotia) of the collar rot pathogen,

normally located outside the float system, come

out of their dormant state and produce cup-

shaped fruiting bodies called apothecia.Apothecia then produce spores (ascospores) that

are dispersed on wind currents. When

ascospores land on susceptible tissue, they

germinate if sufficient moisture is present. Long

periods of leaf wetness (greater than 16 hours)are required for this process. Germinated

ascospores produce hyphae (fungal “threads”)

that penetrate tissue and begin the infectionprocess.

SYMPTOMS. The first symptoms of collar rot

are small, dark green, water-soaked lesions that

appear at the bases of stems; however, these

symptoms are not seen commonly. In mostcases, this disease becomes apparent when

cankers on lower stems result in chlorosis of

older leaves and subsequent wilting of plants or

flagging of leaf tips (Fig. 1). When clusters of

infected transplants collapse, open holes are

formed in the plant canopy (Fig. 2). These

clusters, or “foci”, are usually grapefruit-sized

(4-6” in diameter). Stems of affected seedlings

generally show a wet necrosis that is amber-to-brown in color, beginning at the base of the

plant and extending upward (Fig. 3). Signs of

the causal agent, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, may

be present on symptomatic plants or on debris in

float trays. These signs include a white, cottony

mycelium (fungal mass), present if humidity is

high, and irregularly shaped, black sclerotia

(Fig. 4). Sclerotia resemble seeds or rodent

droppings and are the primary survival structure

of S. sclerotiorum. The sclerotia are the

primary source of inoculum for outbreaks in

subsequent years.

Figure 1. Early symptoms of collar rot include

yellowing of leaf tips and flagging of older leaves.

Figure 2. Collapse of clusters of plants leaves

softball- to grapefruit-sized openings in the plant

canopy.

http://www.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/plantpathology/extension/kpn/previous.html






Plants that are 5-7 weeks old are most

susceptible to collar rot. We often see the first

cases shortly after plants are first clipped

following a period of disease-favorable weather.

Cool temperatures (60 to 75 ºF), high humidity,

and overcast conditions, like those that have

been common in Kentucky for the past week, are

ideal for development of this disease. It’s also

important to note that S. sclerotiorum is an

efficient colonizer of dead plant matter andweakened or injured tissue, and these are usually

the first to be attacked. The fungus will then

move from these areas to nearby healthy plants

as long as cool temperatures and high humidityprevail. This is one of the ways that secondary

spread of the collar rot pathogen takes place,

since S. sclerotiorum does not produce airborne

spores on infected tissue. The other way in

which secondary spread can occur is through

dispersal of infected tissue, which happens when

infected plants are clipped.

MANAGEMENT. There are no fungicides

labeled specifically for control of Sclerotinia

collar rot on tobacco transplants, making this adifficult disease to manage. We do know,however, that using a routine fungicide program

for target spot, based on mancozeb fungicides

and one application of Quadris, will help reduce

overall stress that can contribute to collar rot

later in the season. Sound managementpractices are the most important options that a

grower can use to fight collar rot. Adequate

ventilation and air circulation are primary

concerns, since these limit the duration of leaf

and stem wetness.Growers should manage

temperatures to promote healthy plants andminimize injury. The latter is important because

injured tissues are more susceptible to S.

sclerotiorum. Fertility should be kept at around100 ppm (N); excessive levels of N can lead to a

lush, dense canopy that will take longer to dry

and will be more susceptible to attack by the

collar rot pathogen. Leaf clippings should not

be allowed to build up in transplant trays orremain in contact with seedlings. Mow

seedlings at a low engine speed with a well-

sharpened blade to ensure complete removal

(and capture) of leaf pieces in the least injuriousway possible. Frequent clippings will reduce the

amount of tissue that must be removed by the

mower and will cause less plant injury. These

result in less leaf material left on the surface of

the transplant trays. The collar rot pathogen can

overwinter on clippings and diseased plants, so

these should be discarded a minimum of 100

yards from the transplant facility, or buried, to

reduce the chance of spores making their way

back into nearby float beds. Home gardens

should not be planted near transplant facilities,

and a weed-free zone should be maintainedaround float beds. Over 300 species of plants,

including many weeds, are hosts to S.

sclerotiorum, making many weeds potential

hosts for this pathogen.

Figure 3. Stems infected by S. sclerotiorum typically

are water-soaked and exhibit a dark-brown

necrosis.

Figure 4. Signs of the collar rot pathogen include

dense, white fungal growth and black, irregular

sclerotia ranging from the size of a mustard seed to

a raisin.



Cedar Ruts Are Abundant This YearBy John Hartman

With prolonged rains in recent weeks, cedar

trees (mostly Juniperus virginianae) were seen

to be decorated with rust fungi in many locations

statewide. Cedar-apple rust (Gymnosporangium

juniperi-virginianae) was most visible while

displaying large galls decorated with masses of

bright orange gelatinous spore horns (Figure 7).

Cedar-hawthorn rust (Gymnosporangium

globosum) with smaller galls and orange spore

horns could be found on many cedars. Less

conspicuous, but omni-present, cedar-quince

rust (Gymnosporangium clavipes) also decorated

leaves and swollen twigs of cedar trees with

smaller orange spore masses (Figure 8). Recall

that the summer of 2009 wet weather favored

infection of cedar trees from nearby apples,

crabapples, and hawthorns. With a 2-year life

cycle, the proliferation of spore-producing rust

galls now, in 2011, was expected.

Symptoms of these cedar rust diseases will begin

to appear on leaves, twigs and fruit of their

alternate hosts, apple, flowering crabapple, and

hawthorn in the coming weeks.

FIELD CROPS

Armyworms? Yea, MaybeBy Doug Johnson and Patty Lucas

Last week we reported a significant rise in

armyworm (AW) moth counts and a warning

that they were following the trend set in 2006

and 2008. These years proved to be problematic

for armyworm damage especially on hay. This

week the story is not so clear.

Unfortunately, our armyworm traps at the

Princeton site, just the ONE we needed to see,

were damaged by thunderstorm winds. Traps at

Figure 6. Strawberry flowers are

sites for gray mold fruit rot

infection.Figure 7. Cedar apple rust gall with

orange-colored spore horns. During wet

weather, spore horns become more moist

and slimy-appearing (P. Bachi photo).

Figure 8. Cedar-quince rust on a branch of eastern

red cedar. This fungus does not produce orange

spore horns like cedar apple and cedar hawthorn

rust.



the Lexington location were not damaged, andno other traps at the Princeton location were

damaged. We know that 90 AW moths were

captured in two of the seven nights. But captures

for as many as five nights may have been lost.So there is just no way to know if the population

is increasing or decreasing. We will simply haveto wait another week to see what is happening.

The trap capture in Lexington did decrease. That

may be some sort of indicator, but notnecessarily a strong one. It certainly is

unnerving that this trapping date occurs at the

same corresponding date as the peak flight dates

of the 2006 & 2008 outbreak years. It will still

pay to keep your eyes open for this pest.

Fortunately we have some time on our side.

Since the moth is not the damaging stage, we

really only need to know when the caterpillarswill appear. Our first real jump in moth numbers

was on April 8th. Using our degree-day model as

an estimator, caterpillars from those moths

should begin to appear about April 30th.

However, there may be a small number of

caterpillars out before this date as AW moths

have been flying since late March, but in very

small numbers. Just remember there is always

some risk of AW, the question is whether or not

there is an elevated risk this year.

It is probably a littleearly, but it never hurts

to check for the larvae.

Caterpillars are likely

quite small but may

reach about 1.5” long

when fully grown.

Caterpillars are greenish

brown with a narrow stripe down the middle of

the back and two orange stripes long each side.

The head (very diagnostic) is brown and

honeycombed with dark lines. AW is likely the

only caterpillar to appear in large numbers in ourgrass pasture / hay fields and small grains this

time of year. For a quick check, look at lodgedgrain along field edges. Additionally, they prefer

low light conditions so check at soil level and in

the morning and late afternoon.

Remember your fields are likely to be infested at

some minimal level. That is no surprise. It is the

number of caterpillars present that is important.In small grains the threshold is 16 caterpillars

from ½” to ¾” long per four square feet. Larger

caterpillars have already done what damage they

will do and are about ready to pupate and changeto moths. In corn thresholds are 2 or more

caterpillars per plant on 25-30% of the plants or

1 caterpillar per plant on 70% of the plants.

Thresholds for grass hay are not well

established. Watch for very large numbers of

caterpillars and obvious damage to grass stands.

If controls are needed, insecticides registered for

use against armyworms may be found in Ent-16,

17 or 47; Insecticide Recommendations for Corn

or Small Grains or Alfalfa and Pastures & Hay),available at:

http://pest.ca.uky.edu/EXT/Recs/welcomerecs.html

Or from your local County Extension Office.

LAWN & TURF

Sights to Expect in Wet LandscapesBy Lee Townsend

Crane flies are

gangly-legged

delicate flies in a

variety of sizesthat are common

in the spring.

They resemble

mosquitoes but

do not feed at all.Crane flies can be seen resting on surfaces or

flying slowly across a lawn.

The gray larvae or immature stages resemblecutworms but there is no distinct head and no

legs at all. Several pairs of fleshy lobes can be

seen at the end of the abdomen. They develop in

wet, shaded areas where they feed on decaying

organic matter such as accumulations of wetleaves or heavy thatch. The larvae are most

commonly seen during spring and fall rainy

Figure 9. Armyworm

caterpillar. Note

especially the mottled

brown head capsule.

Figure 10. Crane fly resting on

brick.








periods when they are driven out of low area byexcessive rain and can be caught on surfaces

such as sidewalks and driveways.

Neither crane flylarvae nor adults

are harmful.However, large

numbers of

larvae in an areaare indicative of

chronic wet areas or a build-up of organic matter

that may lead to other problems.

Fungus

gnat larvae

are found in

the same

type of situations.

These

legless

larvae have

distinct,

shiny black

heads and white to clear bodies. Groups of them

may form into a column and crawl across the

ground like a snake.

Also, crayfish mounds may begin to appear in

areas where they usually are not seen because of the high water table. They dig tunnels from 1 to

5 feet deep or to the water table so that they canstay moist. These omnivorous scavengers create

"chimneys" made of mud balls that are

excavated and rise above the tunnel. Because

crayfishes breathe with gills, they must always

maintain some degree of contact with water.There are no pesticides registered for crayfish

control.

HOUSEHOLD

Clover MitesBy Lee Townsend

Clover mites

are accidentalinvaders of

homes and

buildings thatcan be

temporary but

annoying

nuisances

during the

spring. The

tiny (1/30 inch

long), reddish brown creatures with very longfront legs appear only as moving dark spots to

the naked eye. Sheer numbers, plus the resulting

red-brown stain left behind when crushed, make

them unwelcome visitors. Clover mites are not

blood feeders and will not harm people or pets,nor will they infest household products.

Fig. Clover mite with distinctive long front legs

Clover mites feed on many plants, including

clover and grasses. They are especially abundant

in highly-fertilized turf. These active crawlers

can be found on decks, patios and outdoorfurniture. They will crawl up outdoor walls and

enter structures around doors or windows.

A soapy rag or wet sponge can be used to clean

clover mites off of indoor surfaces. Wipe them

up carefully to avoid crushing the mites and

causing stains. The crevice tool of a vacuum

cleaner may also be used to remove them. Rely

on non-chemical control indoors. Do not apply

insecticides to kitchen counters or other interior

surfaces for these accidental invaders.

Clover mites are always present in lawns but

thrive during wet, cool springs. There is an

increased potential for them to invade structures

when grass extends to the foundation. Keeping

turf along foundations trimmed closely may help

to slow their movement. A plant bed or open

area will provide a barrier that will stop many

Figure 11. Crane fly larva.

Figure 12. Fungus gnat larvae.

Figure 13. Clover mite with

distinctive long front legs.



mites and provide a long term solution topersistent problems. Avoid over-fertilizing

lawns. This creates situations that are ideal for

mites to increase to tremendous numbers.

Expect Springtails after Prolonged RainsBy Lee Townsend

Springtails,

small,

wingless

insects that

hop, are

among the

most

numerousof soil

arthropods.

They can

be very

abundant in

humid or moist areas in landscapes or around

foundations where they feed on fungi and

bacteria that grow on decaying plant material.

Springtails can enter homes from around the

foundation, entry doors, or openings to

basements or crawlspaces.

Springtails can temporarily invade homes or

buildings but soon die in dry air. However,under humid conditions they can survive indoors

for some time. While harmless, they are a

nuisance and a persistent infestation may follow

flooding or problems with moisture leaks or

condensation. Infestations in limited areas canbe killed by misting with a weak concentration

of dishwashing soap in water; this kills the

insects by direct contact and does not leave a

residue. This should end temporary problems but

is not sufficient for persistent infestations.Prolonged presence of springtails often means

excess humidity or moisture; increasing air

circulation with fans, or using a dehumidifier or

air conditioner may correct this. In thesesituations, an insecticide treatment can knock

down springtail numbers quickly. It can be

applied to cracks and crevices or spot treatments

to infested areas where springtails occur in the

house. Read and follow all label directions to

assure that the pest and location of application

are on the label. Keep children and pets off

sprayed areas until dry. Insecticide treatments

are a temporary measure; exclusion andreduction of humidity are keys to ending

persistent problems.

Outside the home, remove excessive mulch,

moist leaves, prune shrubbery and ground cover,

and eliminate low, moist areas around the house

foundation to permit proper air circulation.

Remove wet, moldy wood or other moldy items.

Barrier insecticide treatments are usually applied

to the walls and soil immediately surrounding

the house. The area treated should be about 3

feet up the wall and 6 feet out from it, depending

on the product label. Treatments should

concentrate on steps and damp areas. It may alsobe necessary to treat mulched areas.

Applications should be made in the afternoon or

early evening because springtails will be most

active then. Because of the moist conditions and

high organic matter in areas of treatment, it is

usually necessary to apply treatments at regular

intervals to maintain control.

PEST OF HUMANS

A Great Chance for the Floodwater MosquitoBy Lee Townsend

Floodwater

mosquitoesare patient.

Their

hardy eggs

are laid in

low-lyingareas to

await water

that

collectsafter spring

rains. Hungry adults emerge about 2 weeks after

heavy rains and large numbers may move as

much as 10 miles from their breeding site to

Figure 14. Springtails -highly magnified.

Extended tail visible on springtail left of

center in the picture.

Figure 15. Typical floodwater mosquito

breeding site.



feed. The nuisance value of these insects is very

high. Fortunately, except for dog heartworm,

they are not significant disease vectors.

Here is a quick look at two important species inKentucky. The inland floodwater mosquito

( Aedes vexans) can breed in most any groundpool following flooding of the eggs. It is a

significant and chronic pest in western

Kentucky. There are several generations eachyear. Adults rest on vegetation and shaded grass

during the day and become vicious biters at dusk

and after dark. They can live for several weeks.

The flood water mosquito (Orchlerotatus

trivittatus) is a persistent, aggressive mosquito

that gives a very painful and irritating bite. The

larvae can be found in most any collection of

freshwater from open pools to temporary rainpools. They appear first in late spring and

continue to breed during the summer. Adults

bite mainly in evening, resting in shaded grasses

and other vegetation during the day. They are

not considered to be important disease vectors.

Personal protection against mosquitoes includes:

• Avoid places and times when

mosquitoes bite as much as possible.

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants

made of tightly woven materials to keep

mosquitoes away from the skin. Wearlight-colored clothing, that will tend to

attract fewer mosquitoes.

• Use an insect repellent – common

choices include products containing

DEET or picaridin.

PESTICIDE NEWS & VIEWS

Recent Research Raises Concerns on Toxicity

of Fungicides to AmphibiansBy Paul Vincelli, Don Hershman, John Hartman

and Kenny Seebold

Several fungicides that are widely used in

commercial agriculture are also potent toxins of

some of the organisms in aquatic ecosystems.

Two groups of fungicides deserve mention inthis regard:

1. Strobilurin fungicides. While these

have many positive features, several

representatives of this fungicide familyare well-known to be highly toxic to

certain aquatic organisms, such as waterflea (a representative of primary

consumers in aquatic ecosystems) and

rainbow trout.

2. Chlorothalonil. This is one of the mostwidely used fungicides in North

America, and it plays an important role

in crop disease management.

Unfortunately, this fungicide is also

well-known to be highly toxic to water

flea and rainbow trout.

Recent research raises additional concerns aboutboth classes of fungicides, presenting evidence

of significant toxicity to amphibians.

Strobilurin fungicidesA study published last year in the journal

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (Vol.

29, No. 11, pp. 2477–2480, 2010) reported that

direct applications of the maximum labeled rate

of Headline® (the most widely used strobilurin

fungicide in corn) caused 100% mortality to

tadpoles and 65% mortality to juvenile frogs.

(Direct application to the animals wasapparently intended to simulate exposure in

habitats within treated fields or immediately

bordering treated fields, where overspray and

drift might occur.) Stratego® was also highly

toxic to tadpoles, causing about 40% mortality,

but it caused very little mortality to juveniles.

Quilt® showed no evidence of mortality to

either tadpoles or juveniles.

Chlorothalonil An upcoming report in the journal

Environmental Health Perspectives (doi:10.1289/ehp.1002956) raises concerns about

chlorothalonil (an active ingredient in many

fungicidal products). Mortality of tadpoles of

several frog species was very high at

concentrations that were well below what would

be found in overspray. Indeed, chlorothalonil

was so toxic to tadpoles in this research that it

raises questions about the ecological impact of



chlorothalonil beyond areas that are directly

oversprayed.

ConclusionWe are not environmental toxicologists, so there

may be flaws in these studies that we haven’t

perceived. However, it is significant that bothstudies were published in refereed journals.

Publication is such a journal means the work

was reviewed by scientific experts. Theseexperts remain anonymous to the authors, and

therefore the reviewers are free to share any

criticism they might have with the journal’s

editors. While this peer-review process isn’t

foolproof, it assures that most of what ispublished in a refereed journal is highly

credible. Thus, these studies suggest that some

of our most useful fungicides also may pose

risks to amphibian populations in and aroundfarmlands, landscapes, and other treated areas.

These studies serve as another reminder that the

widespread use of fungicides has costs beyond

the price of the product or costs of application.

In some crop production systems, there is a

heavy reliance on fungicides for control of

destructive diseases. In others, fungicides are

sometimes used as growth regulators, whether or

not disease threatens. Will these trends

eventually lead U.S. agriculture towards a

prescriptive approach (where farmers won’thave the freedom to apply the labeled fungicide

of their choice), or possibly to the loss of

registration for very valuable fungicides?

DIAGNOSTIC LAB HIGHLIGHTSBy Julie Beale and Paul Bachi

Fruit and vegetable samples are beginning toarrive in the PDDL and have included black root

rot complex (primarily Rhizoctonia sp.) on

strawberry; leaf curl on peach; Botrytis neck and

bulb rot on onion; scurf on sweetpotato;

potassium deficiency and heat injury on broccoli

transplants; and injuries from ethylene exposure,

high temperatures, high soluble salts and thrips

on tomato transplants.

On ornamentals, we have seen injury from high

soluble salts and over-watering on perennials in

greenhouse production. From landscapes, we

have seen black root rot on holly; white pine

decline; Stigmina needle blight on spruce; and

winter drying/injury on arborvitae, holly,nandina and rhododendron.

INSECT TRAP COUNTS

April 15-22

*Princeton trap count for armyworms was lost

this week due to the trap being damaged by

storms on April 19th.

Graphs of insect trap counts for the 2011 season areavailable on the IPM web site at -http://www.uky.edu/Ag/IPM/ipm.htm.

View trap counts for Fulton County, Kentucky at -http://ces.ca.uky.edu/fulton/InsectTraps

Note: Trade names are used to simplify the

information presented in this newsletter. No

endorsement by the Cooperative Extension Service is

intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products

that are not named.

Location Princeton,

KY

Lexington,

KY

Black cutworm 15 0

Armyworm * 392

Corn earworm 1 0

European corn

borer

0 0

Southwestern

corn borer

0 0

Fall armyworm 0 0

kentucky pest news april 26, 2011

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