Alton Sparks
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Diamondback moth pest pressure has been relatively light for over a year now. Yes, we have had some short term or isolated damaging populations, but overall not as bad as “normal”. With a reduction in pest pressure and the concurrent reduction in exposure to insecticides the big question is what will resistance look like when…
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I have seen (and received the pictures below) thrips damage in beans in the last week or two. Thrips populations are high in some fields and can make a bean crop look bad. However, history with this problem indicates it is only a real problem when the crop is setting in cool temperatures and simply…
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While diamondback moth has not been particularly bad this year, where populations have popped up, they have been difficult to control. I have been indirectly involved with a problem in North Carolina that has persisted for multiple weeks and has been treated extensively with insecticides that should have provided at least some control. This past…
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The corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea, attacks a wide variety of vegetable crops, but can be devastating in sweet corn production. While the larvae cause relatively minimal damage to an individual ear, often consuming only a few kernels at the tip, this damage (along with frass and larvae) makes the ear unmarketable in most markets, and…
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I am hesitant to post anything on this as it changes constantly. In the latest court case with chlorpyrifos, the prior elimination of the tolerances by the earlier court was struck down. While it is complicated and can change rapidly, the current interpretation is that all tolerances are back in place, making labeled uses of…
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If you are not aware, EPA has been petitioned to revoke all tolerances and cancel all associated registrations for food uses of multiple (pretty much all) organophosphate pesticides. This would include acephate (orthene), diazinon, malathion, naled (dibrom) and others. This would eliminate our last broad spectrum soil insecticide in vegetables (diazinon; I do not consider…
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We have received reports from cowpea and peanut fields of beet armyworm surviving applications of chlorantraniliprole (Coragen, Prevathon, Vantacor, Besiege). While this does not mean we have resistance, it is an indication that we should be cautious with applications of these products and definitely switch chemistry if you suspect a field failure with the first…
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With the help of Ty Torrance, we completed a bioassay on flea beetles on eggplant this week. This pest has become more difficult to control in recent years, with Torac previously identified as our best option for control. This bioassay was conducted to evaluate a few selected products and one experimental product that is hopefully…
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Hopefully everyone knows that chlorpyrifos (Lorsban and several generic products) tolerances on all food crops were lost on February 28, 2022. This makes ANY application on February 28 or later to a food crop illegal (even though the label on the jug has not changed, nor has the label been revoked). What happens if chlorpyrifos…
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While results of any bioassay against diamondback moth primarily applies to the specific population tested, we do try and share results of our bioassays from time to time. Below are the results of two recent bioassays conducted by Thomas Dunn (under the direction of Dr. David Riley). In both bioassays, Proclaim, Radiant, and Torac performed…