Vegetable IPM Reports

10/14/24

 

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

 

This is the last report for 2024! The trap counts are for the last two weeks (9/30-10/11). Please take note of the upcoming Climate Resilience Workshops this month. A 2024 season summary is included after this week’s trapping report.

 

Introducing the new Hillsborough County Field Specialist!

Liza DeGenring (Liza.DeGenring@unh.edu) has joined UNH Extension’s Food & Agriculture Team and Hillsborough County as the new Field Specialist. Liza is a UNH alum, receiving her master’s and PhD degrees in Agricultural Science with a focus on plant pathology. Liza’s work has focused on evaluating alternative tools for plant disease management across a broad range of crop systems including tree fruit, vegetables, row crops, and greenhouse ornamentals. Liza will be working with Amber and Linda on the IPM Monitoring Program moving forward. We are lucky to have her on our Extension team!

 

 Upcoming events:

-Climate Resilience Workshops (register here)! October 18 and 23, 2024. In partnership with the NH County Conservation District and NH NRCS, UNH Extension is hosting two upcoming events showcasing NH farms that are implementing projects to address climate resilience issues of water availability and soil health. The events will focus on tours of the farms and their projects, including Q&As with topic experts and information about financial and technical resources available to farms through the presenting partners. These events are free and open to the public.

• October 18, 2024 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. at Clyde Farm, Farmington, NH – Farm Ponds and Water Sources: drought resistance, farm ponds, wells, and irrigation.
• October 23, 2024 from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Wild Fern Farm, Kingston, NH – Soil Heath Practices: the science of soil health, mulching, reduced tillage, and working in small areas.

-New England Fruit and Vegetable Conference (register here!) December 17-19, 2024. The NEVF Conference includes more than 25 educational sessions over three days, covering major vegetable, berry and tree fruit crops as well as various special topics. A Farmer to Farmer meeting after each morning and afternoon session will bring speakers and farmers together for informal, in-depth discussion on certain issues. This conference is put together with close collaboration between growers and Extension from across the region. There is also an extensive Trade Show with over 120 exhibitors.

 

Funding opportunities for farmers through SARE

Farm Grant calls are out and due November 12^th, 2024.  For more information, see the Northeast SARE Farmer Grant Program page. Many Q&A sessions are available on October 8, 16, 22, 30. from 12 to 1 EST. You can register to attend here.

 

Please sign up for our text service! Text UNHIPM to 866-645-7010 to subscribe.

 

For any plant disease diagnostics, contact the UNH Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab to submit a sample.

 

 

Vegetable IPM Report, 9/30-10/11/24

 

Corn earworm decreased again compared to the last week of September (52) with numbers falling to 9 and then 0. Fall armyworm also decreased down to 48 (from 65 the week prior) and then to 20.

 

Table 1. Sweet corn pest weekly summary. CEW is in top two panels and FAW is below.

 

Squash vine borer numbers were zero, 9/30/24-10/4/24 and traps were removed.   

 

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers decreased and then increased again but with much lower numbers found in the control traps compared to previous weeks and months.

 

Table 3. Male SWD trap captures.

 

Brown marmorated stink bug adult counts almost doubled the first week of October and then dropped again the following week, with very few nymph catches (Table 4). Anna Wallingford recorded a podcast on BMSB that can be found here. You can also read through the transcript rather than listen if that is preferred. In NH, BMSB is more of a nuisance pest but can cause damage to agricultural crops, along with many of our native stink bugs, which we have seen in high numbers this season.

 

Table 4. BMSB trap captures.

 

 

 

 

*2024 Season Pest Trends*

 

European corn borer numbers in 2024 were lower than in 2023, by almost half. The wet fall and mild winter may have contributed to lower overwintering survival. In addition to lower pressure this year, we did not see a 2^nd generation in 2024 which is uncommon. The only location where we caught ECB consistently was in Sullivan County. I also observed ECB in sunflower and hemp crops.

 

 

2024 European corn borer. The left axis and columns (orange) represent the total numbers of ECB caught each week, and the right axis and line (blue) represent the average caught per week.

 

We saw a high spike in corn earworm numbers in late July 2024 (800 moths) due to many storms bringing moths up from the southern US. We were still capturing over 100 moths weekly in early September and saw another small spike in populations in September, like the small spike in late June when we began trapping. In 2023, CEW moth captures started increasing in August and we did not see a CEW peak until mid-September (600 moths), whereas we observed CEW increasing a month earlier in 2024.

 

 

 

2024 Corn earworm. The left axis and columns (orange) represent the total numbers of CEW caught each week, and the right axis and line (blue) represent the average caught per week. Of note: The average is higher at the beginning of the season because we had less traps deployed in the field.

 

Fall armyworm moths are not known to overwinter in New Hampshire, but we observed mature larvae feeding in June 2024. Field corn growers also reported seeing FAW caterpillars earlier than expected this year. We did not have traps out when Linda observed the caterpillars in mid-June, so it could have been from a flight that came in spring 2024 on storms, carrying both FAW and CEW. We will be deploying FAW and CEW traps sooner in 2024. Most of the feeding damage observed in sweet corn this year was from FAW larvae. FAW remained relatively high all season, with two peaks, one in late July, like with CEW, because of storms bringing moths north, and again in early September. FAW pressure was significantly higher in 2024 than in 2023, where total captures never surpassed 40 moths/week. FAW numbers also started increasing a month earlier in 2024 compared to 2023.

 

 

2024 Fall armyworm. The left axis and columns (orange) represent the total numbers of FAW caught each week, and the right axis and line (blue) represent the average caught per week.

 

Western bean cutworm is a newer pest to New England, moving east from the US corn belt. We observed one spike at the end of July and then the numbers dropped substantially. In 2023, we caught WBC around the same time of year, but we saw a slow decrease in adult moth captures compared to the drastic drop observed in 2024.

 

 

2024 Western bean cutworm. The left axis and columns (orange) represent the total numbers of WBC caught each week, and the right axis and line (blue) represent the average caught per week.

 

Squash vine borer numbers were high for a long period in 2024, and we observed a 2^nd generation for the first time since 2013. First generation larvae bore into cucurbit stems and the 2^nd generation bore into the fruit.

 

 

 

2024 Squash vine borer. The left axis and columns (orange) represent the total numbers SVB caught each week, and the right axis and line (blue) represent the average caught per week.

 

Brown marmorated stink bug numbers have increased over the past few weeks, which is expected at this time of year, though the total numbers are much higher than in 2023.

 

 

2024 Brown marmorated stink bug. The left axis and columns (orange) represent the total numbers BMSB caught each week (adults and nymphs combined), and the right axis and line (blue) represent the average caught per week.

 

Spotted wing drosophila were captured earlier than expected in 2024, which affected cherries and some strawberries. We usually expect SWD to arrive by early July (like in 2023), but we began catching SWD in mid-June this year. SWD numbers were higher in August 2023 compared to 2024.

 

 

2024 Spotted wing drosophila. This graph represents total SWD over time by crop. Dark blue = cherry, orange = strawberry, green = raspberry, blue = blueberry, purple = control (unmanaged/unsprayed habitats near small fruit).

 

Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! Our annual surveys will be distributed in the coming weeks.

 

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

 

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

 

 

 

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9/30/24

 

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

I hope the harvest is going well for everyone! Our trapping season is wrapping up this week. This will be the last standard Vegetable IPM Report. The next and final report will include seasonal trends and patterns as a summary of the 2024 season. Take note of the upcoming Climate Resilience Workshops in October (listed under Upcoming Events below).

Fall armyworm and corn earworm numbers have decreased again compared to last week, and some locations have been removed since traps have been pulled and the corn season is ending. The results of our trapping efforts for sweet corn pests are recorded by town in Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town.

Table 1. Sweet corn pest weekly summary, 9/23/2024-9/27/2024.

 

Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported in New Hampshire on cucumber and recently on pumpkin in New Jersey (see this alert from UMass). Please see our most recent blog post here. More information on CDM can be found in the NE Vegetable Management Guide. UMass also has more information on managing cucurbit downy mildew in a recent issue of their Veg Notes, which you can find here.

Squash vine borer numbers are the same as last week, almost zero, but the locations of captures have changed, and some traps have been removed. We are at the end of the 2nd generation (Table 2). We have not seen a second generation in New Hampshire since 2013. SVB’s 2nd generation affects winter squash and other late varieties. The larvae from the 2nd generation can bore into squash fruit, leaving them unmarketable and this can also lead to secondary rot. They can also survive in plant residue and become a bigger issue in the future, so sanitation is a key management tool to reduce next year’s population.  

Table 2. Squash vine borer weekly summary, 9/23/2024-9/27/2024.

 Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers have decreased this week. We trap for SWD in Goffstown, Concord, Litchfield and Hollis, NH. Trap captures by crops can be found in Table 3 below. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

Table 3. Male SWD trap captures, 9/23/24-9/27/24.

 Brown marmorated stink bug adult counts have decreased quite a bit from last week, with a small uptick in nymph catches (Table 4). Anna Wallingford recorded a podcast on BMSB that can be found here. You can also read through the transcript rather than listen if that is preferred. In NH, BMSB is more of a nuisance pest but can cause damage to agricultural crops, along with many of our native stink bugs, which we have seen in high numbers this season.

Table 4. BMSB trap captures, 9/23/24-9/27/24.

 Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! Our annual surveys will be distributed in the coming weeks.

For any plant disease diagnostics, contact the UNH Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab to submit a sample.

Upcoming events:

-Climate Resilience Workshops (register here)! October 18 and 23, 2024. In partnership with the NH County Conservation District and NH NRCS, UNH Extension is hosting two upcoming events showcasing NH farms that are implementing projects to address the climate resilience issues of water availability and soil health. The events will focus on tours of the farms and their projects, including Q&As with topic experts and information about financial and technical resources available to farms through the presenting partners. These events are free and open to the public.

·         October 18, 2024 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. at Clyde Farm, Farmington, NH – Farm Ponds and Water Sources: drought resistance, farm ponds, wells, and irrigation.

·         October 23, 2024 from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Wild Fern Farm, Kingston, NH – Soil Heath Practices: the science of soil health, mulching, reduced tillage, and working in small areas.

Funding opportunities for farmers through SARE

Farm Grant calls are out and due November 12th, 2024.  For more information, see the Northeast SARE Farmer Grant Program page. Many Q&A sessions are available on October 8, 16, 22, 30. from 12 to 1 EST. You can register to attend here.

Please sign up for our text service! Text UNHIPM to 866-645-7010 to subscribe.

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

 

 

 

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9/23/24

 

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

I hope the harvest is going well for everyone! Our trapping season is wrapping up this month, and there will likely only be 1 or 2 more reports for 2024. 

Fall armyworm and corn earworm numbers have decreased by almost half compared to last week, and some locations have been removed since traps have been pulled and the corn season is ending.

The results of our trapping efforts for sweet corn pests are recorded by town in Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town.

Table 1. Sweet corn pest weekly summary, 9/16/2024-9/20/2024.

 

Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported in New Hampshire on cucumber and recently on pumpkin in New Jersey (see this alert from UMass). Please see our most recent blog post here. More information on CDM can be found in the NE Vegetable Management Guide. UMass also has more information on managing cucurbit downy mildew in a recent issue of their Veg Notes, which you can find here.

Squash vine borer numbers continue to trend down and are almost zero, likely from the end of the 2nd generation (Table 2). We have not seen a second generation in New Hampshire since 2013. SVB’s 2nd generation affects winter squash and other late varieties. The larvae from the 2nd generation can bore into squash fruit, leaving them unmarketable and this can also lead to secondary rot. They can also survive in plant residue and become a bigger issue in the future.

Table 2. Squash vine borer weekly summary, 9/16/2024-9/20/2024.

 Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers have increased in control and blueberry traps. We trap for SWD in Goffstown, Concord, Litchfield and Hollis, NH. Trap captures by crops can be found in Table 3 below. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

Table 3. Male SWD trap captures, 9/16/24-9/20/24.

 Brown marmorated stink bug adult counts are similar to last week (Table 4), though adults have increased and nymphs have decreased. Traps in Antrim and Concord have been removed. Anna Wallingford recorded a podcast on BMSB that can be found here. You can also read through the transcript rather than listen if that is preferred. In NH, BMSB is more of a nuisance pest but can cause damage to agricultural crops, along with many of our native stink bugs, which we have seen in high numbers this season.

Table 4. BMSB trap captures, 9/16/24-9/20/24.

 Check back each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. The final vegetable report for the season will include pest trends and seasonal patterns for 2024. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

For any plant disease diagnostics, contact the UNH Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab to submit a sample.

Funding opportunities for farmers through SARE

Farm Grant calls are out and due November 12th, 2024.  For more information, see the Northeast SARE Farmer Grant Program page. Many Q&A sessions are available on October 8, 16, 22, 30. from 12 to 1 EST. You can register to attend here.

Please sign up for our text service! Text UNHIPM to 866-645-7010 to subscribe.

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

 

 

 

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9/16/24

 

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

I hope the harvest is going well for everyone! Our trapping season is wrapping up this month and there will likely only be 1 or 2 more Veg IPM Reports this year.

European corn borer (ECB) numbers are zero and traps have been removed for the season.

Fall armyworm numbers have decreased, and some locations have been removed since traps have been pulled and the corn season is ending. Most of the feeding damage we have observed this season is from FAW caterpillars. Larval feeding damage is characterized by large, ragged holes in leaves, and sawdust-like excrement. With silking corn, the trap threshold is 3+ moths per week. Adults lay eggs on corn foliage.

Corn earworm captures have also decreased, with locations being removed due to corn season ending and traps removed. If you have silking corn, be sure to scout for CEW and prepare for management. Our trap threshold/spray schedule table is below and can be found in the fact sheet linked below as well, along with those for ECB and FAW. Thresholds apply only to corn in the fresh silk stage. If the maximum daily temperature is less than 80°F, you can lengthen the spray interval by one day.

Corn earworm spray thresholds for pheromone traps.

 Linda observed 6% fall armyworm feeding in Hudson this past week and aphids in Mason, NH. Field scouting should begin once moths are captured at your farm or in your area. Information on scouting for sweet corn pests and spray thresholds can be found here. The results of our trapping efforts for sweet corn pests are recorded by town in Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town.

Table 1. Sweet corn pest weekly summary, 9/9/2024-9/13/2024.

 

Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported in New Hampshire on cucumber and recently on pumpkin in New Jersey (see this alert from UMass). Please see our most recent blog post here. More information on CDM can be found in the NE Vegetable Management Guide. UMass also has more information on managing cucurbit downy mildew in a recent issue of their Veg Notes, which you can find here.

Squash vine borer numbers continue to trend down, likely from the end of the 2nd generation (Table 2). We have not seen a second generation in New Hampshire since 2013. SVB’s 2nd generation affects winter squash and other late varieties. The larvae from the 2nd generation can bore into squash fruit, leaving them unmarketable and this can also lead to secondary rot. It may be useful to move pheromone traps to winter squash plantings. Treatment with insecticides (targeted at fruit for 2nd gen.) is warranted if trap counts rise above 5 moths/week. They can also survive in plant residue and become a bigger issue in the future.

Table 2. Squash vine borer weekly summary, 9/9/2024-9/13/2024.

 

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers have decreased in crops but increased in control traps. We trap for SWD in Goffstown, Concord, Litchfield and Hollis, NH. Trap captures by crops can be found in Table 3 below. If you have susceptible ripening fruit, I recommend monitoring and managing for SWD, especially with raspberries this time of year. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

Table 3. Male SWD trap captures, 9/9/24-9/13/24.

 

Brown marmorated stink bug adult counts are similar to last week (Table 4). Anna Wallingford recorded a podcast on BMSB that can be found here. You can also read through the transcript rather than listen if that is preferred. In NH, BMSB is more of a nuisance pest but can cause damage to agricultural crops, along with many of our native stink bugs, which we have seen in high numbers this season.

Table 4. BMSB trap captures, 9/9/24-9/13/24.

 

 Check back each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

For any plant disease diagnostics, contact the UNH Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab to submit a sample.

 Misc. issues:

-Black cutworms have been found in a couple of locations. The larvae feed at night and hide in the soil during the day. Larger larvae can cut or girdle the stems of vegetable crops. Weedy and no-till fields are more susceptible to cutworm damage. Spot treatments on field edges or heavily infested areas may be helpful and will be most effective if applied at night while caterpillars are exposed. Fall plowing and conserving beneficial insects (like ground beetles) can be helpful for management as well. 

-Stink bug damage on tomatoes. Stink bugs can feed on tomatoes with their piercing-sucking mouthparts. The damage looks like pinpricks surrounded by a light discolored area. These feeding wounds can make fruit pithy or corky under the surface. Stink bugs can introduce yeasts when feeding, which can lead to fruit decay and encourage other pathogens to develop. Border treatments are usually effective for management. More information can be found in the NE Veg Mgmt Guide.

-Corn leaf aphids have been observed on and off this season, with the most recent observations last week. They first colonize whorl leaves and immature tassels. Corn leaf aphids can build to severe levels that interfere with pollen shed, stunt plants, and infest layers of the husk. The presence of aphids and honeydew on corn husks reduces their marketability. Varieties with purple or green tassels seem less susceptible to aphid build-up than those with yellow tassels. Ample rainfall or irrigation during the silk stage can reduce or eliminate aphid damage. Sweet corn plantings that are seeded before June 10th are generally not bothered by corn leaf aphids. Monitor for aphids while scouting whorl or pre-tassel stage corn for ECB or FAW in July and August (NE Veg Mgmt Guide).

Funding opportunities for farmers through SARE

Farm Grant calls are out and due November 12th, 2024.  For more information, see the Northeast SARE Farmer Grant Program page. Many Q&A sessions are available on October 8, 16, 22, 30. from 12 to 1 EST. You can register to attend here.

Please sign up for our text service! Text UNHIPM to 866-645-7010 to subscribe.

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

 

 

 

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9/9/24

 

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks!

 

I hope the harvest is going well for everyone!

 

European corn borer (ECB) numbers are almost zero and most of the traps are being pulled, though we caught 1 ECB in Sullivan County this week. We have also seen ECB infesting young sunflower stalks and hemp this year, so be aware that they can also be problematic for other crops too.

 

Fall armyworm numbers have more than doubled with certain locations seeing high numbers of moths. Most of the feeding damage we have observed this season is from FAW caterpillars. Larval feeding damage is characterized by large, ragged holes in leaves, and sawdust-like excrement. With silking corn, the trap threshold is 3+ moths per week. Adults lay eggs on corn foliage.

 

Corn earworm captures have doubled compared to last week. If you have silking corn, be sure to scout for CEW and prepare for management. Our trap threshold/spray schedule table is below and can be found in the fact sheet linked below as well, along with those for ECB and FAW. Thresholds apply only to corn in the fresh silk stage. If the maximum daily temperature is less than 80°F, you can lengthen the spray interval by one day.

 

Corn earworm spray thresholds for pheromone traps.

Western bean cutworm numbers were zero and traps have been pulled.

 

Field scouting should begin once moths are captured at your farm or in your area. Information on scouting for sweet corn pests and spray thresholds can be found here. The results of our trapping efforts for sweet corn pests are recorded by town in Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town.

 

Table 1. Sweet corn pest weekly summary, 9/3/2024-9/9/2024.

Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported in New Hampshire on cucumber and recently on pumpkin in New Jersey (see this alert from UMass). Please see our most recent blog post here. More information on CDM can be found in the NE Vegetable Management Guide. UMass also has more information on managing cucurbit downy mildew in a recent issue of their Veg Notes, which you can find here.

 

Squash vine borer numbers are trending down, either from control measures or the end of the 2^nd generation (Table 2). We have not seen a second generation in New Hampshire since 2013. SVB’s 2^nd generation affects winter squash and other late varieties. The larvae from the 2nd generation can bore into squash fruit, leaving them unmarketable and this can also lead to secondary rot. It may be useful to move pheromone traps to winter squash plantings. Treatment with insecticides (targeted at fruit for 2^nd gen.) is warranted if trap counts rise above 5 moths/week. They can also survive in plant residue and become a bigger issue in the future.

 

Table 2. Squash vine borer weekly summary, 9/3/2024-9/9/2024.

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers have decreased a little but remain similar to last week. We trap for SWD in Goffstown, Concord, Litchfield and Hollis, NH. Trap captures by crops can be found in Table 3 below. If you have susceptible ripening fruit, I recommend monitoring and managing for SWD, especially with raspberries this time of year. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

 

Table 3. Male SWD trap captures, 9/3/24-9/6/24.

Brown marmorated stink bug adult counts have almost tripled from last week (Table 4). Anna Wallingford recorded a podcast on BMSB that can be found here. You can also read through the transcript rather than listen if that is preferred. In NH, BMSB is more of a nuisance pest but can cause damage to agricultural crops, along with many of our native stink bugs, which we have seen in high numbers this season.

 

Table 4. BMSB trap captures, 9/3/24-9/6/24.

Check back each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

 

For any plant disease diagnostics, contact the UNH Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab to submit a sample.

 

 Misc. issues:

 -Late blight has been confirmed in Maine and Vermont. Protectant fungicides are a key tool for management. However, many strains of late blight are resistant to mefenoxam (Ridomil). Avoid overhead irrigation and immediately plow under old tomato fields after harvest. It is also helpful to eliminate cull piles and volunteer plants of both tomato and potato. See NE Veg Mgmt Guide for more information.

-Black cutworms have been found in a couple of locations. The larvae feed at night and hide in the soil during the day. Larger larvae can cut or girdle the stems of vegetable crops. Weedy and no-till fields are more susceptible to cutworm damage. Spot treatments on field edges or heavily infested areas may be helpful and will be most effective if applied at night while caterpillars are exposed. Fall plowing and conserving beneficial insects (like ground beetles) can be helpful for management as well.

-Bacterial wilt is transmitted by cucumber beetles. This disease causes foliage to turn a dull green and wilt during the day, recovering at night. As the disease progresses, leaves eventually turn yellow and brown at the margins and die back. Cucumber and muskmelons are more susceptible, along with younger plants. If you suspect bacterial wilt, you can cut the stem and if it oozes, it is probably bacterial wilt. You can also touch the cut ends of the stem together and if spider-web like threads appear between, that is another bacterial wilt indication. Crop rotation and row covers are effective strategies to control cucumber beetles. Timely and effective early chemical control is recommended in highly susceptible young plants when there is 1 beetle for every 2 plants. More information on products and cucumber beetle management can be found in the NE Veg Mgmt Guide.

 

Funding opportunities for farmers through SARE

Farm Grant calls are out and due November 12^th, 2024. For more information, see the Northeast SARE Farmer Grant Program page. Many Q&A sessions are available on October 8, 16, 22, 30. from 12 to 1 EST. You can register to attend here.

 

Please sign up for our text service! Text UNHIPM to 866-645-7010 to subscribe.

 

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

 

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

 

 

 

 

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9/3/24

 

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

I hope the harvest is going well for everyone and you had a nice Labor Day weekend. Our IPM scout, Linda, has been busy scouting for multiple pests all over the state, so be sure to scroll through to see trap captures in southern NH.

European corn borer (ECB) numbers are again very low, though we are catching some moths in Sullivan (5) and Carroll (1) counties. Most ECB should be controlled with sprays for other sweet corn caterpillar pests. Click HERE for more information on ECB management. We have also seen ECB infesting young sunflower stalks and hemp this year, so be aware that they can also be problematic for other crops too.

Fall armyworm numbers have almost doubled again, and most of the feeding damage we are seeing is from FAW caterpillars. Larval feeding damage is characterized by large, ragged holes in leaves, and sawdust-like excrement. With silking corn, the trap threshold is 3+ moths per week. Adults lay eggs in whorl corn.

Corn earworm captures remain similar to last week, though more spread out across locations. Many of you are likely on a spray schedule. If you have silking corn, be sure to scout for CEW and prepare for management. Our trap threshold/spray schedule table is below and can be found in the fact sheet linked below as well, along with those for ECB and FAW. Thresholds apply only to corn in the fresh silk stage. If the maximum daily temperature is less than 80°F, lengthen the spray interval by one day.

Corn earworm spray thresholds for pheromone traps.

 

Western bean cutworm numbers are almost zero, with only one month found in New Boston, NH. See our pest alert from 2022 about western bean cutworm. WBC is native to the US corn belt and has been slowly moving east over the last decade.

Linda observed 0-12% damage from fall armyworms in her field scouting last week. Field scouting should begin once moths are captured at your farm or in your area. Information on scouting for sweet corn pests and spray thresholds can be found here. The results of our trapping efforts for sweet corn pests are recorded by town in Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town.

Table 1. Sweet corn pest weekly summary, 8/26/2024-8/30/2024.

 

Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported in New Hampshire on cucumber and recently on pumpkin in New Jersey (see this alert from UMass). Please see our most recent blog post here. More information on CDM can be found in the NE Vegetable Management Guide. UMass also has more information on managing cucurbit downy mildew in a recent issue of their Veg Notes, which you can find here.

Squash vine borer numbers are still climbing indicating the 2nd generation (Table 2). SVB’s 2nd generation affects winter squash and other late varieties. Larvae from the 2nd generation can bore into squash fruit, leaving them unmarketable and this can also lead to secondary rots. It may be useful to move pheromone traps to winter squash plantings. Treatment with insecticides (targeted at fruit for 2nd gen.) is warranted if trap counts rise above 5 moths/week. They can also survive in plant residue and become a bigger issue in the future. If chemical controls are needed, try to spray at dusk and direct applications to the base of the plants. This may help reduce harm to European honeybees, but our native bees will still be at risk because they often reside in squash flowers at night.

Table 2. Squash vine borer weekly summary, 8/26/2024-8/30/2024.

 

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers have increased again in control traps but decreased in blueberry traps. We trap for SWD in Goffstown, Concord, Litchfield and Hollis, NH. Trap captures by crops can be found in Table 3 below. If you have susceptible ripening fruit, I recommend monitoring and managing for SWD, especially with blueberries. The hot and humid weather is ideal for SWD development. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

Table 3. Male SWD trap captures, 8/26/24-8/30/24.

 

We have a new blog post about blueberry gall midges that you may find interesting. Monique Raymond, a Research Technician at the UNH Insect Collections detected 2 previously unreported species of blueberry gall midges in New Hampshire. For more information and pictures of damage, see her blog post here: Novel Detection of Blueberry Gall Midge in New Hampshire.

Brown marmorated stink bug counts remain similar to last week (Table 4). Anna Wallingford recorded a podcast on BMSB that can be found here. You can also read through the transcript rather than listen if that is preferred. In NH, BMSB is more of a nuisance pest but can cause damage to agricultural crops, along with many of our native stink bugs, which we have seen in high numbers this season.  

Table 4. BMSB trap captures, 8/26/24-8/30/24.

 

 Check back each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

For any plant disease diagnostics, contact the UNH Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab to submit a sample.

 Misc. issues:

 -Late blight has been confirmed in Maine and Vermont. Protectant fungicides are a key tool for management. However, many strains of late blight are resistant to mefenoxam (Ridomil). Avoid overhead irrigation and immediately plow under old tomato fields after harvest. It is also helpful to eliminate cull piles and volunteer plants of both tomato and potato. See NE Veg Mgmt Guide for more information.

-You may be seeing building populations of cabbage aphid. Cabbage aphid tends to be a bigger problem in late season brassicas since populations build throughout the summer. They are easier to identify from other aphids and have a gray, dusty appearance due to a waxy coating on their bodies. Usually, you can find cabbage aphids on the underside of leaves in clusters. You should rogue heavily infested plants and apply insecticide treatment early to prevent severe infestations. More information can be found in the NE Veg Mgmt Guide.

Funding opportunities for farmers through SARE

Farm Grant calls are out and due November 12th, 2024.  For more information, see the Northeast SARE Farmer Grant Program page. Many Q&A sessions are available on October 8, 16, 22, 30. from 12 to 1 EST. You can register to attend here.

Please sign up for our text service! Text UNHIPM to 866-645-7010 to subscribe.

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

 

 

 

Back to Top

---

8/26/24

 

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

Our IPM scout, Linda, has been busy scouting for multiple pests all over the state, so be sure to scroll through to see trap captures in southern NH.

European corn borer (ECB) numbers are again very low, though we are catching some moths in Sullivan (3) and Hillsborough (4) counties. UMass has reported an uptick in ECB numbers over the past couple of weeks, indicating the start of a second flight in Massachusetts, though we have not seen this yet in NH. With whorl stage corn, larval feeding damage is characterized by tiny “shot holes” in the leaves. Eventually the larvae will bore into the developing tassel and stalks. Click HERE for more information on ECB management. We have also seen ECB infesting young sunflower stalks and hemp this year, so be aware that they can also be problematic for other crops too.

Fall armyworm numbers have decreased by almost half, but most of the feeding damage we are seeing is from FAW caterpillars. With silking corn, the trap threshold is 3+ moths per week. Be on the lookout for larval feeding damage. Larval feeding damage is characterized by large, ragged holes in leaves, and sawdust-like excrement.

Corn earworm captures have also decreased compared to last week. Many of you are likely on a spray schedule. If you have silking corn, be sure to scout for CEW and prepare for management. Our trap threshold/spray schedule table is below and can be found in the fact sheet linked below as well, along with those for ECB and FAW. Thresholds apply only to corn in the fresh silk stage. If the maximum daily temperature is less than 80°F, lengthen the spray interval by one day. Corn earworm is also known as tomato fruitworm and UMass has reported seeing damage to tomatoes.

Corn earworm spray thresholds for pheromone traps.

 

Western bean cutworm numbers are almost zero, with only one month found in Hudson, NH. See our pest alert from 2022 about western bean cutworm. WBC is native to the US corn belt and has been slowly moving east over the last decade.

Linda observed 1-15% damage from fall armyworms in her field scouting last week. Field scouting should begin once moths are captured at your farm or in your area. Information on scouting for sweet corn pests and spray thresholds can be found here. UMass suggests, “If CEW trap counts are too low to warrant a spray (below 1.4 moths/week, averaged between 2 traps), scout whorl corn for ECB and FAW and spray if 12-15% of plants are infested. A good time to apply a pesticide is when tassels have just fully emerged, to catch the caterpillars before they migrate down from the whorl and tassels into the ears”. The results of our trapping efforts for sweet corn pests are recorded by town in Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town.

Table 1. Sweet corn pest weekly summary, 8/19/2024-8/25/2024.

 

Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported in New Hampshire on cucumber and recently on pumpkin in New Jersey (see this alert from UMass). Please see our most recent blog post here. More information on CDM can be found in the NE Vegetable Management Guide. UMass also has more information on managing cucurbit downy mildew in a recent issue of their Veg Notes, which you can find here.

Squash vine borer numbers are climbing indicating the 2nd generation (Table 2). SVB’s 2nd generation affects winter squash and other late varieties. Larvae from the 2nd generation can bore into squash fruit, leaving them unmarketable and this can also lead to secondary rots. It may be useful to move pheromone traps to winter squash plantings. Treatment with insecticides (targeted at fruit for 2nd gen.) is warranted if trap counts rise above 5 moths/week. They can also survive in plant residue and become a bigger issue in the future. If chemical controls are needed, try to spray at dusk and direct applications to the base of the plants. This may help reduce harm to European honeybees, but our native bees will still be at risk because they often reside in squash flowers at night.

Table 2. Squash vine borer weekly summary, 8/19/2024-8/25/2024.

 

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers are down a little from last week but have increased in blueberries. We trap for SWD in Goffstown, Concord, Litchfield and Hollis, NH. Trap captures by crops can be found in Table 3 below. If you have susceptible ripening fruit, I recommend monitoring and managing for SWD, especially with blueberries. The hot and humid weather is ideal for SWD development. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

Table 3. Male SWD trap captures, 8/19/24-8/23/24.

 

We have a new blog post about blueberry gall midges that you may find interesting. Monique Raymond, a Research Technician at the UNH Insect Collections detected 2 previously unreported species of blueberry gall midges in New Hampshire. For more information and pictures of damage, see her blog post here: Novel Detection of Blueberry Gall Midge in New Hampshire.

Brown marmorated stink bug captures have increased this past week for both adults and nymphs (Table 4). Anna Wallingford did a great podcast on BMSB that can be found here. You can also read through the transcript rather than listen if that is preferred. In NH, BMSB is more of a nuisance pest but can cause damage to agricultural crops, along with many of our native stink bugs, which we have seen in high numbers this season.  

Table 4. BMSB trap captures, 8/19/24-8/23/24.

 

 Check back each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

For any plant disease diagnostics, contact the UNH Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab to submit a sample.

 Misc. issues:

 -Late blight has been confirmed in Maine and Vermont. Protectant fungicides are a key tool for management; however, many strains of late blight are resistant to mefenoxam (Ridomil). Avoid overhead irrigation and immediately plow under old tomato fields after harvest. It is also helpful to eliminate cull piles and volunteer plants of both tomato and potato. See NE Veg Mgmt Guide for more information.

-Green stink bugs on pole beans. Stink bugs use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on tender stems and developing beans. This can cause distortion and spots on the beans. Management includes: sanitation (cleaning up plant debris at the end of the season), tillage to disrupt overwintering sites, row cover, conserving beneficials, avoiding thick organic mulch, and insecticides.

-Earwigs/slugs on celery. Earwigs and slug damage can look very similar—jagged holes in leaves, chunks out of stems and fruit. Earwigs can be both pests and beneficial predators. For slugs, look for silvery slime trails on leaves or turn over soil clods or debris to find slugs during daylight hours. Grow plants away from moist, shaded habitats, use clean cultivation, control weeds, hand-pick/crush slugs, or scatter baits on the ground near infested plants (see NE Veg Mgmt Guide for more information on slug control).

Funding opportunities for farmers through SARE

Farm Grant calls are out and due November 12th, 2024.  For more information, see the Northeast SARE Farmer Grant Program page. Many Q&A sessions are available on October 8, 16, 22, 30. from 12 to 1 EST. You can register to attend here.

Please sign up for our text service! Text UNHIPM to 866-645-7010 to subscribe.

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

 

 

 

Back to Top

---

8/19/24

 

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

Our IPM scout, Linda, has been busy scouting for multiple pests all over the state, so be sure to scroll through to see trap captures in southern NH.

Some of you may have experienced hail damage this week. A few recommendations for dealing with hail on vegetables can be found in this resource from Cornell University. I also sent an email on Friday, August 16th with more information.

European corn borer (ECB) numbers are again very low, though we are catching some moths in Sullivan (8) and Hillsborough (1) counties. UMass has reported an uptick in ECB numbers over the past couple of weeks, indicating the start of a second flight in Massachusetts, though we have not seen this yet in NH. With whorl stage corn, larval feeding damage is characterized by tiny “shot holes” in the leaves. Eventually the larvae will bore into the developing tassel and stalks. Click HERE for more information on ECB management. We have also seen ECB infesting young sunflower stalks and hemp this year, so be aware that they can also be problematic for other crops too.

Fall armyworm numbers have only decreased a little compared to last week, and we observed significant numbers of caterpillars feeding in southern NH a couple of weeks ago. With silking corn, the trap threshold is 3+ moths per week. Be on the lookout for larval feeding damage. Larval feeding damage is characterized by large, ragged holes in leaves, and sawdust-like excrement. For northern NH, with moth numbers increasing, scout for larval feeding this week or next. We have also observed some common armyworm catches too.

Corn earworm captures have decreased by about half compared to last week. Many of you are likely on a spray schedule. If you have silking corn, be sure to scout for CEW and prepare for management. Our trap threshold/spray schedule table is below and can be found in the fact sheet linked below as well, along with those for ECB and FAW. Thresholds apply only to corn in the fresh silk stage. If the maximum daily temperature is less than 80°F, lengthen the spray interval by one day. Corn earworm is also known as tomato fruitworm and UMass has reported seeing damage to tomatoes.

Corn earworm spray thresholds for pheromone traps.

 

 

Western bean cutworm numbers are very low (8). See our pest alert from 2022 about western bean cutworm. WBC is native to the US corn belt and has been slowly moving east over the last decade.

Field scouting should begin once moths are captured at your farm or in your area. Information on scouting for sweet corn pests and spray thresholds can be found here. UMass suggests, “If CEW trap counts are too low to warrant a spray (below 1.4 moths/week, averaged between 2 traps), scout whorl corn for ECB and FAW and spray if 12-15% of plants are infested. A good time to apply a pesticide is when tassels have just fully emerged, to catch the caterpillars before they migrate down from the whorl and tassels into the ears”. The results of our trapping efforts for sweet corn pests are recorded by town in Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town.

Table 1. Sweet corn pest weekly summary, 8/12/2024-8/18/2024.

 

Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported in New Hampshire. Please see our most recent blog post here. More information on CDM can be found in the NE Vegetable Management Guide. UMass also has more information on managing cucurbit downy mildew in a recent issue of their Veg Notes, which you can find here.

Squash vine borer numbers remain on lower side like last week (Table 2). SVB can have a second generation around this time that would affect winter squash and other late varieties. Larvae from the 2nd generation can bore into squash fruit, leaving them unmarketable and this can also lead to secondary rots. It may be useful to move pheromone traps to winter squash plantings. Treatment with insecticides is warranted if trap counts rise above 5 moths/week. They can also survive in plant residue and become a bigger issue in the future. If chemical controls are needed, try to spray at dusk and direct applications to the base of the plants. This may help reduce harm to European honeybees, but our native bees will still be at risk because they often reside in squash flowers at night.

Table 2. Squash vine borer weekly summary, 8/12/2024-8/18/2024.

 

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers are up a little from last week. We trap for SWD in Goffstown, Concord, Litchfield and Hollis, NH. Trap captures by crops can be found in Table 3 below. If you have susceptible ripening fruit, I recommend monitoring and managing for SWD, especially with blueberries. The hot and humid weather is ideal for SWD development. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

Table 3. Male SWD trap captures, 8/12/24-8/16/24.

 

We have a new blog post about blueberry gall midges that you may find interesting. Monique Raymond, a Research Technician at the UNH Insect Collections detected 2 previously unreported species of blueberry gall midges in New Hampshire. For more information and pictures of damage, see her blog post here: Novel Detection of Blueberry Gall Midge in New Hampshire.

Check back each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

For any plant disease diagnostics, contact the UNH Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab to submit a sample.

 Misc. issues:

 -Anthracnose on tomato. The Plant Diagnostic Lab confirmed anthracnose (Colletotrichum species) on tomato. For more information on management, see the New England Vegetable Management Guide.

Upcoming Events (THIS WEEK!):

·         TOMORROW! The Climate Adapted Farm: Making the effects of extreme weather less severe

Join NH Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (NHVGBA) & UNH Extension for this climate-resilience focused series. Attend one or more events to learn how your farm can adapt to better withstand the challenges of climate change, and how together we are working towards farmer-driven actionable solutions. This is a four-part series, join us for one or the full slate! 

o   August 20, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Resilience Against Extreme Weather at Wilson Farm, Litchfield, NH. What's your plan B when disaster strikes? Explore concrete actions to prepare your farm for floods, droughts, or extreme heat and get introduced to emergency management planning. 

·         Organic No-till Vegetable Production and Protected Agriculture

August 21, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm at Uphill Farm, Whitefield, NH

This evening discussion will be on organic no-till vegetable production. We will discuss vegetable production in northern New Hampshire, establishing and managing no-till systems, and explore pest exclusion systems for leek moth and swede midge. Uphill Farm will also highlight its efforts to transition towards precision irrigation with assistance from the Coös County Conservation District Climate Resiliency Grant.

Please sign up for our text service! Text UNHIPM to 866-645-7010 to subscribe.

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

 

 

 

Back to Top

---

8/12/24

 

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

 

Our IPM scout, Linda, has been busy scouting for multiple pests all over the state, so be sure to scroll through to see trap captures in southern NH. Sweet corn caterpillar pests (except for ECB) have really escalated. Southern New Hampshire remains quite dry, with some drought stress observed in corn, while other parts of the state have seen excessive moisture and some flooding.

 

European corn borer (ECB) numbers are again very low, though we are catching some moths (5) in Hillsborough County. UMass has reported an uptick in ECB numbers, perhaps indicating the start of a second flight in Massachusetts. This indicates New Hampshire will not be too far behind. With whorl stage corn, larval feeding damage is characterized by tiny “shot holes” in the leaves. Eventually the larvae will bore into the developing tassel and stalks. Click HERE for more information on ECB management. We have also seen ECB infesting young sunflower stalks this year, so be aware that they can also be problematic in sunflower if you grow it.

 

Fall armyworm numbers are similar to last week and remain high, though not as high as CEW (below), and we observed significant numbers of caterpillars feeding in southern NH. With silking corn, the trap threshold is 3+ moths per week. Be on the lookout for larval feeding damage. Larval feeding damage is characterized by large, ragged holes in leaves, and sawdust-like excrement. For northern NH, with moth numbers increasing, scout for larval feeding this week or next. We have also observed some common armyworm catches too.

 

Corn earworm captures have slightly decreased but remain high compared to last week. Many of you are likely on a spray schedule. If you have silking corn, be sure to scout for CEW and prepare for management. Our trap threshold/spray schedule table is below and can be found in the fact sheet linked below as well, along with those for ECB and FAW. Corn earworm is also known as tomato fruitworm and UMass has reported seeing damage to tomatoes. We are on a 3-day spray schedule for many locations in southern NH. For those of you further north, be aware of the increased moths potentially moving your way.

 

Corn earworm spray thresholds for pheromone traps

 

 

Western bean cutworm numbers have decreased compared to the big jump we saw at the end of July. See our pest alert from 2022 about western bean cutworm. WBC is native to the US corn belt and has been slowly moving east over the last decade.

 

Our scout observed 0-40% percent corn pest larvae last week week in Hillsborough County, which increased quite a bit from the previous week, and was mostly due to fall armyworm (33% in some locations). Field scouting should begin once moths are captured at your farm or in your area. Information on scouting for sweet corn pests and spray thresholds can be found here. UMass suggests, “If CEW trap counts are too low to warrant a spray (below 1.4 moths/week, averaged between 2 traps), scout whorl corn for ECB and FAW and spray if 12-15% of plants are infested. A good time to apply a pesticide is when tassels have just fully emerged, to catch the caterpillars before they migrate down from the whorl and tassels into the ears”. The results of our trapping efforts for sweet corn pests are recorded by town in Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town.

 

Table 1. Sweet corn pest weekly summary, 8/5/2024-8/12/2024.

 

Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported in New Hampshire. Please see our most recent blog post here. Symptoms of downy mildew include small angular yellow lesions on leaves that stay within the veins. Growers may want to include targeted fungicides in their weekly cucurbit spray programs. Cucumbers and cantaloupes are most susceptible, but it may be worthwhile to apply a protectant and target sprays to all cucurbit crops. More information on CDM can be found in the NE Vegetable Management Guide. UMass also has more information on managing cucurbit downy mildew in a recent issue of their Veg Notes, which you can find here.

 

Squash vine borer numbers remain similar to the previous week, indicating the end of the 1^st generation adults (Table 2). Damage from larvae may be apparent in fields now. SVB may have a second generation in mid-late August that would affect winter squash and other late varieties. They can also survive in plant residue and become a bigger issue in the future. If chemical controls are needed, try to spray at dusk and direct applications to the base of the plants. This may help reduce harm to European honeybees, but our native bees will still be at risk because they often reside in squash flowers at night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 2. Squash vine borer weekly summary, 8/5/2024-8/11/2024.

 

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers are down a little from last week. We trap for SWD in Goffstown, Concord, Litchfield and Hollis, NH. Trap captures by crop can be found in Table 3 below. If you have susceptible ripening fruit, I recommend monitoring and managing for SWD, especially as blueberries continue to ripen. The hot and humid weather is ideal for SWD development. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

 

Table 3. Male SWD trap captures, 8/5/24-8/9/24.

 

Check back in each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

 

For any plant disease diagnostics, contact the UNH Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab to submit a sample.

 

Other information of note:

-Late blight has been confirmed in Aroostook County, Maine.

 

Upcoming Events:

• The Climate Adapted Farm: Making the effects of extreme weather less severe

Join NH Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (NHVGBA) & UNH Extension for this climate-resilience focused series. Attend one or more events to learn how your farm can adapt to better withstand the challenges of climate change, and how together we are working towards farmer-driven actionable solutions. This is a four-part series, join us for one or the full slate! 

 

• • August 20, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Resilience Against Extreme Weather at Wilson Farm, Litchfield, NH. What's your plan B when disaster strikes? Explore concrete actions to prepare your farm for floods, droughts, or extreme heat and get introduced to emergency management planning. 

 

• Organic No-till Vegetable Production and Protected Agriculture

August 21, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm at Uphill Farm, Whitefield, NH

This evening discussion will be on organic no-till vegetable production. We will discuss vegetable production in northern New Hampshire, establishing and managing no-till systems, and explore pest exclusion systems for leek moth and swede midge. Uphill Farm will also highlight its efforts to transition towards precision irrigation with assistance from the Coös County Conservation District Climate Resiliency Grant.

 

Please sign up for our text service! Text UNHIPM to 866-645-7010 to subscribe.

 

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

 

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

 

 

 

Back to Top

---

8/4/24

 

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

 

Our IPM scout, Linda, has been busy scouting for multiple pests all over the state, so be sure to scroll through to see trap captures in southern NH. Sweet corn caterpillar pests (except for ECB) have really escalated. Southern New Hampshire remains quite dry, with some drought stress observed in corn, while other parts of the state have seen excessive moisture and some flooding.

 

European corn borer (ECB) numbers are again very low, though we are catching some moths in Sullivan (7), Merrimack (1), and Hillsborough (3) counties. UMass has reported an uptick in ECB numbers, perhaps indicating the start of a second flight in Massachusetts. This indicates New Hampshire will not be too far behind. With whorl stage corn, larval feeding damage is characterized by tiny “shot holes” in the leaves. Eventually the larvae will bore into the developing tassel and stalks. Click HERE for more information on ECB management. We have also seen ECB infesting young sunflower stalks this year, so be aware that they can also be problematic in sunflower if you grow it.

 

Fall armyworm numbers have increased again, and we observed significant numbers of caterpillars feeding in southern NH. With silking corn, the trap threshold is 3+ moths per week. Be on the lookout for larval feeding damage. Larval feeding damage is characterized by large, ragged holes in leaves, and sawdust-like excrement. For northern NH, with moth numbers increasing, scout for larval feeding this week or next. We have also observed some common armyworm catches too.

 

Corn earworm captures have REALLY jumped up from last week and many of you are likely on a spray schedule. If you have silking corn, be sure to scout for CEW and prepare for management. Our trap threshold/spray schedule table is below and can be found in the fact sheet linked below as well, along with those for ECB and FAW. We are on a 3-day spray schedule for many locations in southern NH. For those of you further north, be aware of the increased moths potentially moving your way.

Corn earworm spray thresholds for pheromone traps

 

Western bean cutworm moth numbers have more than doubled compared to last week. See our pest alert from 2022 about western bean cutworm. WBC is native to the US corn belt and has been slowly moving east over the last decade.

 

Our scout observed 0-40% percent corn pest larvae this week in Hillsborough County, which increased quite a bit from last week, and was mostly due to fall armyworm (33% in some locations). Field scouting should begin once moths are captured at your farm or in your area. Information on scouting for sweet corn pests and spray thresholds can be found here. UMass suggests, “If CEW trap counts are too low to warrant a spray (below 1.4 moths/week, averaged between 2 traps), scout whorl corn for ECB and FAW and spray if 12-15% of plants are infested. A good time to apply a pesticide is when tassels have just fully emerged, to catch the caterpillars before they migrate down from the whorl and tassels into the ears”. The results of our trapping efforts for sweet corn pests are recorded by town in Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town.

Table 1. Sweet corn pest weekly summary, 7/29/2024-8/4/2024.

Squash vine borer numbers continue to decrease, indicating the end of the 1^st generation adults (Table 2). SVB may have a second generation in mid-late August that would affect winter squash and other late varieties. They can also survive in plant residue and become a bigger issue in the future. If chemical controls are needed, try to spray at dusk and direct applications to the base of the plants. This may help reduce harm to European honeybees, but our native bees will still be at risk because they often reside in squash flowers at night.

Table 2. Squash vine borer weekly summary, 7/29/2024-8/4/2024.

Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported in Massachusetts. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, western and southeastern New York also reported cucurbit downy mildew. Symptoms of downy mildew include small angular yellow lesions on leaves that stay within the veins. Growers may want to include targeted fungicides in their weekly cucurbit spray programs. Cucumbers and cantaloupes are most susceptible but it may be worthwhile to apply a protectant and target sprays to all cucurbit crops. More information on CDM can be found in the NE Vegetable Management Guide and in our blog post from 2023. UMass also has more information on managing cucurbit downy mildew in a recent issue of their Veg Notes, which you can find here. CDM can also be tracked via the Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecast Homepage: https://cdm.ipmpipe.org/, though Franklin County in Massachusetts has not yet been added to this map.

 

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers are up from last week. We trap for SWD in Goffstown, Concord, Litchfield and Hollis, NH. Trap captures by crop can be found in Table 3 below. If you have susceptible ripening fruit, I recommend monitoring and managing for SWD, especially as blueberries continue to ripen. The hot and humid weather is ideal for SWD development. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

Table 3. Male SWD trap captures, 7/29/24-8/4/24.

 

Check back in each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

 

With the warm, wet and humid weather over the past couple of days and weeks, you may see an increase in plant diseases on your farm. For any plant disease diagnostics, contact the UNH Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab to submit a sample.

 

Other information of note:

-Japanese beetles and other scarab beetles have been observed in high numbers on corn this year.

-We have been observing and hearing reports of stink bugs (brown marmorated, red-shouldered, brown and green) on many crops, including sweet corn and peaches.

-Aphids on sweet corn: Pre-tassel stage sprays may be needed when 50% of the plants are infested or if 25% have heavy infestations. Sprays applied before 50% of the tassels emerge are more effective than later sprays. More information can be found in the NE Vegetable Management Guide under Insect Control for Sweet Corn.

-Birds have been causing noticeable damage to sweet corn. Linda observed damage in Litchfield, and I’ve also had reports from Stratham.

 

Upcoming Events:

• The Climate Adapted Farm: Making the effects of extreme weather less severe

Join NH Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (NHVGBA) & UNH Extension for this climate-resilience focused series. Attend one or more events to learn how your farm can adapt to better withstand the challenges of climate change, and how together we are working towards farmer-driven actionable solutions. This is a four-part series, join us for one or the full slate! 

 

• • August 20, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Resilience Against Extreme Weather at Wilson Farm, Litchfield, NH. What's your plan B when disaster strikes? Explore concrete actions to prepare your farm for floods, droughts, or extreme heat and get introduced to emergency management planning. 

 

• Organic No-till Vegetable Production and Protected Agriculture

August 21, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm at Uphill Farm, Whitefield, NH

This evening discussion will be on organic no-till vegetable production. We will discuss vegetable production in northern New Hampshire, establishing and managing no-till systems, and explore pest exclusion systems for leek moth and swede midge. Uphill Farm will also highlight its efforts to transition towards precision irrigation with assistance from the Coös County Conservation District Climate Resiliency Grant.

 

Please sign up for our text service! Text UNHIPM to 866-645-7010 to subscribe.

 

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

 

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

 

 

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---

7/28/24

 

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

 

Our IPM scout, Linda, has been busy scouting for multiple pests all over the state, so be sure to scroll through to see trap captures in southern NH. Southern New Hampshire remains quite dry, while other parts of the state have seen excessive moisture and some flooding.

 

European corn borer (ECB) numbers are again very low, though we are catching some moths in Sullivan (10), Merrimack (1) and Hillsborough (1) counties. UMass has reported a slight uptick in ECB numbers, perhaps indicating the start of a second flight in Massachusetts. This indicates New Hampshire will not be too far behind. With whorl stage corn, larval feeding damage is characterized by tiny “shot holes” in the leaves. Eventually the larvae will bore into the developing tassel and stalks. Click HERE for more information on ECB management. We have also seen ECB infesting young sunflower stalks this year, so be aware that they can also be problematic in sunflower if you grow it.

 

Fall armyworm numbers quadrupled this week and we observed many caterpillars feeding in southern NH. With silking corn, the trap threshold is 3+ moths per week. Be on the lookout for larval feeding damage. Larval feeding damage is characterized by large, ragged holes in leaves, and sawdust-like excrement.

 

Corn earworm captures have increased again from last week and many of you are likely on a spray schedule. If you have silking corn, be sure to scout for CEW and prepare for management. Our trap threshold/spray schedule table is below and can be found in the fact sheet linked below as well, along with those for ECB and FAW.

 

Western bean cutworm moth numbers remain similar to last week, and only 1 egg mass was observed in Hollis, NH. See our pest alert from 2022 about western bean cutworm. WBC is native to the US corn belt and has been slowly moving east over the last decade. If you aren’t already controlling for CEW and FAW, it is recommended to scout for WBC egg masses and if 5-8% of corn has egg masses AND you have 95% tasseling corn, an insecticide application may be warranted.

 

Our scout observed 0-42% percent corn pest larvae this week in Hillsborough County, which increased quite a bit from last week, and was mostly due to fall armyworm. Field scouting should begin once moths are captured at your farm or in your area. Information on scouting for sweet corn pests and spray thresholds can be found here. UMass suggests, “If CEW trap counts are too low to warrant a spray (below 1.4 moths/week, averaged between 2 traps), scout whorl corn for ECB and FAW and spray if 12-15% of plants are infested. A good time to apply a pesticide is when tassels have just fully emerged, to catch the caterpillars before they migrate down from the whorl and tassels into the ears”. The results of our trapping efforts for sweet corn pests are recorded by town in Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town.

 

Table 1. Sweet corn pest weekly summary, 7/22/2024-7/28/2024.

Squash vine borer numbers are trending down, possibly indicating the end of the 1^st generation adults (Table 2). SVB may have a second generation in mid-late August that would affect winter squash and other late varieties. The number of moths captured with pheromone traps can be used to decide whether an insecticide treatment is required. For bush-type summer squash and pumpkins (including giant pumpkins), the recommended threshold is 5 SVB moths per trap per week. For vining type squash or pumpkins, we suggest a threshold of 12 moths per trap per week. The difference is because vine-type cucurbits can root or tiller in at each node along the vine. This allows the plant to uptake water and nutrients from more than just the main stem. SVB tends to bore into the main stem of cucurbit plants, creating a higher risk for bush type plants. SVB tends to bore into the main stem of cucurbit plants, creating a higher risk for bush type plants. If chemical controls are needed, try to spray at dusk and direct applications to the base of the plants. This may help reduce harm to European honeybees, but our native bees will still be at risk because they often reside in squash flowers at night.

 

Table 2. Squash vine borer weekly summary, 7/22/2024-7/28/2024.

Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and western and southeastern New York. Symptoms of downy mildew include small angular yellow lesions on leaves that stay within the veins. More information on CDM can be found in the NE Vegetable Management Guide. CDM can also be tracked via the Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecast Homepage: https://cdm.ipmpipe.org/.

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers are down from last week. We trap in Goffstown, Concord, Litchfield and Hollis, NH. Trap captures by crop can be found in Table 3 below. If you have susceptible ripening fruit, I recommend monitoring and managing for SWD, especially as blueberries continue to ripen. The hot and humid weather is ideal for SWD development. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

 

Table 3. Male SWD trap captures, 7/22/24-7/28/24.

Check back in each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

 

With the warm and humid weather over the past couple of weeks, you may see an increase in plant diseases on your farm. For any plant disease diagnostics, contact the UNH Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab to submit a sample.

 

Other information of note:

-Deer feeding on squash, corn and legumes: 15% damage was observed by Linda while scouting sweet corn this past week. For more information on managing deer, see these resources from UMass and Cornell.

Upcoming Events:

• The Climate Adapted Farm: Making the effects of extreme weather less severe

Join NH Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (NHVGBA) & UNH Extension for this climate-resilience focused series. Attend one or more events to learn how your farm can adapt to better withstand the challenges of climate change, and how together we are working towards farmer-driven actionable solutions. This is a four-part series, join us for one or the full slate! 

 

• • August 20, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Resilience Against Extreme Weather at Wilson Farm, Litchfield, NH. What's your plan B when disaster strikes? Explore concrete actions to prepare your farm for floods, droughts, or extreme heat and get introduced to emergency management planning. 

 

• Organic No-till Vegetable Production and Protected Agriculture

August 21, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm at Uphill Farm, Whitefield, NH

This evening discussion will be on organic no-till vegetable production. We will discuss vegetable production in northern New Hampshire, establishing and managing no-till systems, and explore pest exclusion systems for leek moth and swede midge. Uphill Farm will also highlight its efforts to transition towards precision irrigation with assistance from the Coös County Conservation District Climate Resiliency Grant.

 

Please sign up for our text service! Text UNHIPM to 866-645-7010 to subscribe.

 

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

 

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

 

Back to Top

---

7/23/24

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

 

Our IPM scout, Linda, has been busy scouting for multiple pests all over the state, so be sure to scroll through to see trap captures in southern NH. As the season progresses, there is more and more to report!

 

 

European corn borer (ECB) numbers are almost zero again this week, except for 3 moths caught in Sullivan and 1 in Grafton counties. These numbers are likely because of the end of the first flight and control measures implemented. We can expect the 2^nd flight to start anytime based on degree day calculations. Massachusetts is seeing numbers begin to climb again. Click HERE for more information on ECB management. We have also seen ECB infesting young sunflower stalks this year, so be aware that they can also be problematic in sunflower if you grow it.

 

Fall armyworm numbers remain similar to the previous week. We saw FAW show up earlier this year with observations of larval feeding before moths were captured in traps. With silking corn, the trap threshold is 3+ moths per week. Be on the lookout for larval feeding damage. Larval feeding damage is characterized by large, ragged holes in leaves, and sawdust-like excrement.

 

Corn earworm captures have significantly increased and many of you are likely on a spray schedule. If you have silking corn, be sure to scout for CEW and prepare for management. Our trap threshold/spray schedule table is below and can be found in the fact sheet linked below as well, along with those for ECB and FAW.

 

Western bean cutworm moth numbers are also increasing compared to last week, though less egg masses were observed. See our pest alert from 2022 about western bean cutworm. WBC is native to the US corn belt and has been slowly moving east over the last decade. If you aren’t already controlling for CEW and FAW, it is recommended to scout for WBC egg masses and if 5-8% of corn has egg masses AND you have 95% tasseling corn, an insecticide application may be warranted. Linda only found 1 egg mass in New Boston, down from last week.

 

Our scout observed 0-8% percent corn pest larvae this week in Hillsborough County, which decreased a little from last week, likely due to control measures. The highest damage was seen in silking and tasseling corn. Field scouting should begin once moths are captured at your farm or in your area. Information on scouting for sweet corn pests and spray thresholds can be found here. UMass suggests, “If CEW trap counts are too low to warrant a spray (below 1.4 moths/week, averaged between 2 traps), scout whorl corn for ECB and FAW and spray if 12-15% of plants are infested. A good time to apply a pesticide is when tassels have just fully emerged, to catch the caterpillars before they migrate down from the whorl and tassels into the ears”. The results of our trapping efforts for sweet corn pests are recorded by town on Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town.

 

 

Table 1. Sweet corn pest weekly summary, 7/15/2024-7/21/2024.

Squash vine borer numbers continue to remain high (Table 2). The number of moths captured with pheromone traps can be used to decide whether or not an insecticide treatment is required. For bush-type summer squash and pumpkins (including giant pumpkins), the recommended threshold is 5 SVB moths per trap per week. For vining type squash or pumpkins, we suggest a threshold of 12 moths per trap per week. The difference is because vine-type cucurbits can root or tiller in at each node along the vine. This allows the plant to uptake water and nutrients from more than just the main stem. SVB tends to bore into the main stem of cucurbit plants, creating a higher risk for bush type plants.

 

Table 2. Squash vine borer weekly summary, 7/15/2024-7/21/2024.

 

Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Western New York. Symptoms of downy mildew include small angular yellow lesions on leaves that stay within the veins. More information on CDM can be found in the NE Vegetable Management Guide. CDM can also be tracked via the Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecast Homepage: https://cdm.ipmpipe.org/.

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers remain high. We trap in Goffstown, Concord, Litchfield and Hollis, NH. We counted 100 in one of our control traps in Concord. NH. Trap captures by crop can be found in Table 3 below. If you have susceptible ripening fruit, I recommend monitoring and managing for SWD, especially as blueberries continue to ripen. The hot and humid weather is ideal for SWD development. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

 

 

Table 3. Male SWD trap captures, 7/15/24-7/21/24.

 

Check back in each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

 

With the warm and humid weather over the past couple of weeks, you may see an increase in plant diseases on your farm. For any plant disease diagnostics, contact the UNH Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab to submit a sample.

 

 

Other information of note:

• Pepper maggot damage was seen in southern NH. Oviposition scars show up as sunken pinpricks in pepper fruit (see photo below). The scars are especially noticeable on cherry peppers (a preferred host), which can be used as indicator plants in outer rows to time insecticide sprays targeting adult flies. Pepper maggot pressure is variable by location, where some farms never have issues and others deal with it each year. More information can be found in the Pepper section of the New England Vegetable Management Guide. Last week’s issue of UMass Vegetable Notes also has more information on pepper maggot if you scroll down.

Pepper maggot oviposition scars on pepper fruit. Photo credit: Linda Kunhardt.

• Colorado potato beetle continues feeding damage on potato, tomato and eggplants in the field and in high tunnels.
• Brown marmorated stink bug egg masses and nymphs have been observed in higher numbers this past week.

BMSB egg mass on corn. Photo credit: Linda Kunhardt.

• Tomato hornworms reported on both tomatoes and peppers in high tunnels.
• Stalk borer confirmed in sweet corn in southern NH and in tomato in northern NH last week.
• Japanese beetles on sweet corn. If you have very heavy pressure and they are feeding on silks, they should be controlled by sprays targeting CEW and ECB.

Upcoming Events:

• The Climate Adapted Farm: Making the effects of extreme weather less severe

Join NH Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (NHVGBA) & UNH Extension for this climate-resilience focused series. Attend one or more events to learn how your farm can adapt to better withstand the challenges of climate change, and how together we are working towards farmer-driven actionable solutions. This is a four-part series, join us for one or the full slate! 

 

• • August 20, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Resilience Against Extreme Weather at Wilson Farm, Litchfield, NH. What's your plan B when disaster strikes? Explore concrete actions to prepare your farm for floods, droughts, or extreme heat and get introduced to emergency management planning. 

 

• Organic No-till Vegetable Production and Protected Agriculture

August 21, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm at Uphill Farm, Whitefield, NH

This evening discussion will be on organic no-till vegetable production. We will discuss vegetable production in northern New Hampshire, establishing and managing no-till systems, and explore pest exclusion systems for leek moth and swede midge. Uphill Farm will also highlight its efforts to transition towards precision irrigation with assistance from the Coös County Conservation District Climate Resiliency Grant.

 

Please sign up for our text service! Text UNHIPM to 866-645-7010 to subscribe.

 

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

 

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

Back to Top

---

7/14/24

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

 

Our IPM scout, Linda, has been busy scouting for multiple pests all over the state, so be sure to scroll through to see trap captures in southern NH. As the season progresses, there is more and more to report!

 

European corn borer (ECB) numbers are almost zero, except for 2 moths caught in Sullivan County last week. These numbers are likely because of the end of the first flight and control measures implemented. We can expect the 2^nd flight to start anytime based on degree day calculations. Click HERE for more information on ECB management. We have also seen ECB infesting young sunflower stalks this year, so be aware that they can also be problematic in sunflower if you grow it.

 

We are already above threshold in traps for fall armyworm in specific areas of Hillsborough County and numbers remain similar to the previous week. We saw FAW show up earlier this year with observations of larval feeding before moths were captured in traps. With silking corn, the trap threshold is 3+ moths per week. Be on the lookout for larval feeding damage. Larval feeding damage is characterized by large, ragged holes in leaves, and sawdust-like excrement.

 

Corn earworm captures are increasing and many of you are likely on a spray schedule. If you have silking corn, be sure to scout for CEW and prepare for management. Our trap threshold/spray schedule table is below and can be found in the fact sheet linked below as well, along with those for ECB and FAW.

 

Western bean cutworm numbers are climbing after our first captures in late June. See our pest alert from 2022 about western bean cutworm. WBC is native to the US corn belt and has been slowly moving east over the last decade. If you aren’t already controlling for CEW and FAW, it is recommended to scout for WBC egg masses and if 5-8% of corn has egg masses AND you have 95% tasseling corn, an insecticide application may be warranted. Linda found 5 egg masses in Concord and 1 in Weare this past week.

 

Our scout observed 0-12% percent corn pest larvae this week in Hillsborough County, which decreased from last week, likely due to control measures. The highest damage was seen in silking and tasseling corn. Field scouting should begin once moths are captured at your farm or in your area. Information on scouting for sweet corn pests and spray thresholds can be found here. The results of our trapping efforts for sweet corn pests are recorded by town on Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town.

 

Table 1. Sweet corn pest weekly summary, 7/8/2024-7/14/2024.

Our scout also found stalk borer this week. This is an occasional pest of corn and other vegetables. It overwinters as an egg in grassy weeds. Caterpillars hatch in the spring and feed within grasses before they grow too big and then migrate to plants with thicker stems. For corn, infestations are usually worse in border rows and fields with grassy weeds. The borers feed in the stalk or deep in the whorl. Their feeding may kill growing tips. Reduced tillage fields may have increased levels of stalk borer because of higher weed pressure. Management includes eliminating grassy weeds to reduce overwintering eggs and reduce migrating borers at field edges. Stalk borer caterpillars and their damage can be seen in the photos below.

Photo: Stalk borer larva. Credit: Linda Kunhardt.

Photo: Damage to sweet corn. Credit: Linda Kunhardt.

 

Squash vine borer numbers continue to remain high (Table 2). The number of moths captured with pheromone traps can be used to decide whether or not an insecticide treatment is required. For bush-type summer squash and pumpkins (including giant pumpkins), the recommended threshold is 5 SVB moths per trap per week. For vining type squash or pumpkins, we suggest a threshold of 12 moths per trap per week. The difference is because vine-type cucurbits can root or tiller in at each node along the vine. This allows the plant to uptake water and nutrients from more than just the main stem. SVB tends to bore into the main stem of cucurbit plants, creating a higher risk for bush type plants.

 

Table 2. Squash vine borer weekly summary, 7/8/2024-7/14/2024.

Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported in New Jersey and Western New York. Symptoms of downy mildew include small angular yellow lesions on leaves that stay within the veins. More information on CDM can be found in the NE Vegetable Management Guide. CDM can also be tracked via the Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecast Homepage: https://cdm.ipmpipe.org/.

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers remain high. We trap in Goffstown, Concord, Litchfield and Hollis, NH. We counted more than 150 in one of our control traps in Concord. NH. Trap captures by crop can be found in Table 3 below. If you have susceptible ripening fruit, I recommend monitoring and managing for SWD, especially as blueberries continue to ripen. The hot and humid weather is ideal for SWD development. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

 

Table 3. Male SWD trap captures, 7/8/24-7/14/24.

Check back in each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

 

With the warm and humid weather over the past couple of weeks, you may see an increase in plant diseases on your farm. For any plant disease diagnostics, contact the UNH Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab to submit a sample.

 

Other information of note:

• Broad mites observed in peppers. This UNH Extension blog post from a few years ago has information and resources for management. Also, you can check the New England Vegetable Management Guide for up-to-date chemical controls on peppers and on transplants.
• Potato leafhopper numbers have been high in orchards and surrounding crops. PLH feeding causes ‘hopperburn’, with leaves yellowing, browning and dying. Nymphs are a very bright green. More information can be found here, and in the potato section of the NE Vegetable Management Guide.
• Squash bugs are out and about. The most recent vegetable newsletter from UMass has a very comprehensive overview of squash bug biology and control if you scroll down.

Upcoming Events:

• The Climate Adapted Farm: Making the effects of extreme weather less severe
  Join NH Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (NHVGBA) & UNH Extension for this climate-resilience focused series. Attend one or more events to learn how your farm can adapt to better withstand the challenges of climate change, and how together we are working towards farmer-driven actionable solutions. This is a four-part series, join us for one or the full slate! 
  • TODAY! July 16, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Physically Protecting Your Crops at Spring Ledge Farm, New London, NH. Discover strategies for efficiency improvements and technology add-ons when growing crops in controlled environments like high and low tunnels, and netted structures. We will cover how to mitigate damage from extreme heat and wind.  
  • August 20, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Resilience Against Extreme Weather at Wilson Farm, Litchfield, NH. What's your plan B when disaster strikes? Explore concrete actions to prepare your farm for floods, droughts, or extreme heat and get introduced to emergency management planning. 

• Organic No-till Vegetable Production and Protected Agriculture
  August 21, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm at Uphill Farm, Whitefield, NH
  This evening discussion will be on organic no-till vegetable production. We will discuss vegetable production in northern New Hampshire, establishing and managing no-till systems, and explore pest exclusion systems for leek moth and swede midge. Uphill Farm will also highlight its efforts to transition towards precision irrigation with assistance from the Coös County Conservation District Climate Resiliency Grant.

Please sign up for our text service! Text UNHIPM to 866-645-7010 to subscribe.

 

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

 

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

Back to Top

---

7/5/24

 

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! I hope everyone had a great 4^th of July!

 

Our IPM scout, Linda, has been busy scouting for multiple pests all over the state, so be sure to scroll through to see trap captures in southern NH. Crop development and pest activity seems to be about a week early this year (or more for some pests!), so be alert for pest presence and damage earlier than expected, especially compared to last season.

 

European corn borer (ECB) numbers have decreased significantly, likely because of insecticide sprays targeting this pest. If you have corn that is in or approaching mid whorl stage, consider scouting for damage. Click HERE for more information on ECB management. We have also seen ECB infesting young sunflower stalks this year, so be aware that they can also be problematic in sunflower if you grow it.

 

We are already above threshold in traps for fall armyworm in specific areas of Hillsborough County and saw it show up earlier this year with observations of larval feeding before moths were captured in traps. With silking corn, the trap threshold is 3+ moths per week. Be on the lookout for larval feeding damage. Larval feeding damage is characterized by large, ragged holes in leaves, and sawdust-like excrement.

 

Corn earworm captures are increasing and many of you are likely on a spray schedule. If you have silking corn, be sure to scout for CEW and prepare for management. Our trap threshold/spray schedule table is below and can be found in the fact sheet linked below as well, along with those for ECB and FAW.

Table 1: Corn Earworm Spray Thresholds for Pheromone Traps

 

Western bean cutworm numbers remain low after our first captures in late June. See our pest alert from 2022 about western bean cutworm. WBC is native to the US corn belt and has been slowly moving east over the last decade.

 

Our scout observed 0-10% percent corn pest larvae this week in Hillsborough County, which decreased from last week, likely due to control measures. The highest damage was seen in silking and tasseling corn. Field scouting should begin once moths are captured at your farm or in your area. Information on scouting for sweet corn pests and spray thresholds can be found here. The results of our trapping efforts for sweet corn pests are recorded by town on Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town.

 

Table 1. Sweet corn pest weekly summary, 7/1/2024-7/7/2024.

 

Squash vine borer numbers continue to rise and remain high (Table 2). The number of moths captured with pheromone traps can be used to decide whether or not an insecticide treatment is required. For bush-type summer squash and pumpkins (including giant pumpkins), the recommended threshold is 5 SVB moths per trap per week. For vining type squash or pumpkins, we suggest a threshold of 12 moths per trap per week. The difference is because vine-type cucurbits can root or tiller in at each node along the vine. This allows the plant to uptake water and nutrients from more than just the main stem. SVB tends to bore into the main stem of cucurbit plants, creating a higher risk for bush type plants.

 

Table 2. Squash vine borer weekly summary, 7/1/2024-7/7/2024.

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers have more than doubled from last week. We trap in Goffstown, Concord, Litchfield and Hollis, NH. Trap numbers by crop can be found in Table 3 below. If you have susceptible ripening fruit, I recommend monitoring for SWD, especially as blueberries continue to ripen. The hot and humid weather is ideal for SWD development. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

 

Table 3. Male SWD trap captures, 7/1/24-7/7/24.

Check back in each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

 

Other information of note:

• Broad mites observed in peppers. This UNH Extension blog post from a few years ago has information and resources for management. Also, you can check the New England Vegetable Management Guide for up-to-date chemical controls.

Upcoming Events:

• The Climate Adapted Farm: Making the effects of extreme weather less severe
  Join NH Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (NHVGBA) & UNH Extension for this climate-resilience focused series. Attend one or more events to learn how your farm can adapt to better withstand the challenges of climate change, and how together we are working towards farmer-driven actionable solutions. This is a four-part series, join us for one or the full slate! 
  • July 16, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Physically Protecting Your Crops at Spring Ledge Farm, New London, NH. Discover strategies for efficiency improvements and technology add-ons when growing crops in controlled environments like high and low tunnels, and netted structures. We will cover how to mitigate damage from extreme heat and wind.  
  • August 20, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Resilience Against Extreme Weather at Wilson Farm, Litchfield, NH. What's your plan B when disaster strikes? Explore concrete actions to prepare your farm for floods, droughts, or extreme heat and get introduced to emergency management planning. 
• Organic No-till Vegetable Production and Protected Agriculture
  August 21, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm at Uphill Farm, Whitefield, NH
  This evening discussion will be on organic no-till vegetable production. We will discuss vegetable production in northern New Hampshire, establishing and managing no-till systems, and explore pest exclusion systems for leek moth and swede midge. Uphill Farm will also highlight its efforts to transition towards precision irrigation with assistance from the Coös County Conservation District Climate Resiliency Grant.

 

Please sign up for our new text service!

Sign Up For: UNH IPM Text Updates

BY SIGNING UP YOU WILL RECEIVE:

• One text per week directing you to the latest fruit and vegetable IPM reports from UNH Extension during the season
• Timely Pest alerts (i.e., first seasonal SWD trap captures, first confirmed downy mildew samples)
• Occasional event reminders for twilight meetings and other educational opportunities

TO SIGN UP:

Text UNHIPM to 866-645-7010
OR
Scan the QR code

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

 

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

 

 

 

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---

6/28/24

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

 

Pest numbers are really ramping up! Our IPM scout, Linda, has been busy scouting for multiple pests all over the state, so be sure to scroll through to see trap captures in southern NH. Crop development and pest activity seems to be about a week early this year (or more for some pests!), so be alert for pest presence and damage earlier than expected, especially compared to last season.

 

European corn borer (ECB) numbers are decreasing, likely because of insecticide sprays targeting this pest. If you have early corn that is in or approaching mid whorl stage, consider scouting for damage. The results of our trapping efforts are recorded by town on Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town. Click HERE for more information on ECB management.

 

As a reminder, we found a fall armyworm caterpillar feeding on corn in Hollis, NH two weeks ago, and I’ve heard reports of another FAW caterpillar feeding on field corn this week in the Pembroke area. We also have 2 adult catches recorded in Claremont, NH. This is much earlier than we usually see FAW, so be on the lookout for larval feeding damage. You could also be seeing true armyworm feeding, which is very similar to FAW. Larval feeding damage is characterized by large, ragged holes in leaves, and sawdust-like excrement.

 

First captures of corn earworm and western bean cutworm were recorded this week. We recorded 21 CEW in Hollis, NH, and 10 in Rollinsford, NH. If you have silking corn, be sure to scout for CEW and prepare for management. We caught 1 WBC adult in Mason, NH and a WBC caterpillar was observed in Rollinsford, NH. See our pest alert from 2022 about western bean cutworm. WBC is native to the US corn belt and has been slowly moving east over the last decade.

 

Our scout recorded feeding damage from corn pests this week that ranged from 0-48% in Hillsborough County, which is increasing from last week as the season progresses. The highest damage was seen in silking and tasseling corn. Field scouting should begin once moths are captured at your farm or in your area. Information on scouting for sweet corn pests and spray thresholds can be found here.

 

We trapped almost 8x as many squash vine borer adults this week compared to last week (Table 2). The number of moths captured with pheromone traps can be used to decide whether or not an insecticide treatment is required. For bush-type summer squash and pumpkins (including giant pumpkins), the recommended threshold is 5 SVB moths per trap per week. For vining type squash or pumpkins, we suggest a threshold of 12 moths per trap per week. The difference is because vine-type cucurbits can root or tiller in at each node along the vine. This allows the plant to uptake water and nutrients from more than just the main stem. SVB tends to bore into the main stem of cucurbit plants, creating a higher risk for bush type plants.

 

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) numbers have significantly increased (6x more than last week). This is likely due to the combination of heat and moisture we had last week. We trap in Goffstown, Concord, Litchfield and Hollis, NH. Trap numbers can be found in Table 3 below. If you have susceptible ripening fruit, I recommend monitoring for SWD, especially as blueberries continue to ripen. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

 

Check back in each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

 

Other information of note:

• Onion thrips cause streaking and stippling patterns on onions and other allium crops from their feeding. More information can be found here.
• Sap beetle feeding was reported on tasseling sweet corn in southern NH. For more information, see the Sweet Corn insect section of the New England Vegetable Management Guide.
• Striped cucumber beetles are out and about and can transmit bacterial wilt in addition to feeding on foliage, flowers and fruit of cucurbits. See this UNH fact sheet for more information.
• Japanese beetles were reported feeding heavily on lettuce, impacting the washing process.
• Leek moth damage continues to show up in northern NH.

An announcement for organic high tunnel growers from Dr. Becky Sideman at UNH...

"High Tunnel Cover Cropping Project – Participants Wanted!

If you are growing organic vegetables in a high tunnel, we want to connect with you! The University of Minnesota and University of New Hampshire are partnering to conduct on-farm research about the performance of legume cover crops in organic high tunnel vegetable rotations in the Midwest and Northeast regions. The goal of this project is to enable organic high tunnel growers to reduce their dependence on purchased composts and manures by using nitrogen-fixing legume cover crops to support soil fertility, productivity, and sustainability.

 

We are currently recruiting organic high tunnel growers to receive cover crop seed and participate in the on-farm research trials, which will begin in fall 2024 for overwinter cover crops and spring 2025 for spring/summer covers. We have two levels of participation available, so you can choose the level of commitment that works for you.

 

Join us for an information session on Tuesday, July 30th at 6:30pm CDT on Zoom. During the webinar, you’ll learn more about participating in the trial and have opportunities to ask questions. You can also view a recording of our previous information session at this link.

 

Sign up to learn more about the trial at z.umn.edu/hightunnelcovercroptrial. We will send the webinar link and a calendar invitation to everyone who signs up. Hope to see you there!

 

Becky Sideman (UNH – becky.sideman@unh.edu)."

 

Upcoming Events:

• The Climate Adapted Farm: Making the effects of extreme weather less severe

Join NH Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (NHVGBA) & UNH Extension for this climate-resilience focused series. Attend one or more events to learn how your farm can adapt to better withstand the challenges of climate change, and how together we are working towards farmer-driven actionable solutions. This is a four-part series, join us for one or the full slate! 

 

• • July 16, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Physically Protecting Your Crops at Spring Ledge Farm, New London, NH. Discover strategies for efficiency improvements and technology add-ons when growing crops in controlled environments like high and low tunnels, and netted structures. We will cover how to mitigate damage from extreme heat and wind.  
  • August 20, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Resilience Against Extreme Weather at Wilson Farm, Litchfield, NH. What's your plan B when disaster strikes? Explore concrete actions to prepare your farm for floods, droughts, or extreme heat and get introduced to emergency management planning. 

 

• Organic No-till Vegetable Production and Protected Agriculture

August 21, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm at Uphill Farm, Whitefield, NH

This evening discussion will be on organic no-till vegetable production. We will discuss vegetable production in northern New Hampshire, establishing and managing no-till systems, and explore pest exclusion systems for leek moth and swede midge. Uphill Farm will also highlight its efforts to transition towards precision irrigation with assistance from the Coös County Conservation District Climate Resiliency Grant.

 

Please sign up for our new text service!

 

 

 

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

 

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

Back to Top

---

6/21/24

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

 

Our IPM scout, Linda, has been busy scouting for multiple pests all over the state, so be sure to scroll through to see trap captures in southern NH. Crop development and pest activity seems to be about a week early this year (or more for some pests!), so be alert for pest presence and damage earlier than expected, especially compared to last season.

 

ECB numbers are increasing in some areas and decreasing in others, likely because of insecticide sprays targeting this pest. If you have early corn that is in or approaching mid whorl stage, consider scouting for damage. The results of our trapping efforts are recorded by town on Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town. Click HERE for more information on ECB management.

 

 

As a reminder, we found fall armyworm caterpillars feeding on corn in Hollis, NH last week. This is much earlier than we usually see FAW, so be on the lookout for larval feeding damage. If you are a call-in grower, you may want to place traps sooner than planned. FAW larval feeding damage is characterized by large, ragged holes in leaves, and sawdust-like excrement.

 

Our scout recorded feeding damage from corn pests this week that ranged from 0-31% in Hillsborough County. Field scouting should begin once moths are captured at your farm or in your area. Information on scouting for sweet corn pests and spray thresholds can be found here.

 

This week we trapped 4 brown marmorated stink bug adults in Milford, Concord, and Hollis, within our sentinel monitoring program. These locations are where we have been catching BMSB over the last few weeks. We currently do not have any thresholds established for BMSB but we continue to keep an eye on population levels in the state. Click HERE for a quick post about BMSB. 

 

Five spotted wing drosophila adult males were caught this week in cherry traps and 9 in control traps. If you have susceptible ripening fruit, you may want to monitor for SWD. These were all caught in traps in Hollis and Concord, NH. Our neighbors in Massachusetts and New York have also recorded SWD captures, which is a little earlier than expected. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here. In addition, Jeremy Delisle shared additional management tips and resources from Cornell University in this week’s Fruit IPM report, which can be found here.

 

We trapped significantly more squash vine borer adults this week (Table 2). The number of moths captured with pheromone traps can be used to decide whether or not an insecticide treatment is required. For bush-type summer squash and pumpkins (including giant pumpkins), the recommended threshold is 5 SVB moths per trap per week. For vining type squash or pumpkins, we suggest a threshold of 12 moths per trap per week. The difference is because vine-type cucurbits can root or tiller in at each node along the vine. This allows the plant to uptake water and nutrients from more than just the main stem. SVB tends to bore into the main stem of cucurbit plants, creating a higher risk for bush type plants. Future trapping data will be published on a town by town basis.

 

Check back in each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

 

Other information of note:

• For any of you that grow radicchio, or are interested in growing it, take a look at this article that was shared in Morning Ag Clips earlier this week with results from a radicchio variety trial conducted at UNH. The article contains links to the complete study conducted by Dr. Becky Sideman et al. if you would like even more details.
• We are in peak adult flight for onion maggot according to NEWA based on degree day accumulation in Concord, NH. According to NEWA, we will be entering high risk for blueberry maggot by next week. If blueberry maggot is a concern, place baited traps on field edges or in abandoned plantings to monitor for adults. You can use baited yellow sticky card, or sticky red spheres (same as traps used for apple maggot). Check traps once or twice per week and replace traps and baits every third week if using yellow sticky cards.
• I’ve also heard more reports of severe flea beetle pressure on brassicas from both southern and northern NH. For more information and management recommendations, check out this UMass fact sheet and the New England Vegetable Management Guide.
• Colorado potato beetles are out and feeding on potatoes and will also feed on other nightshade crops, like tomato. Remember that CPB can quickly build resistance to insecticides. Careful insecticide class rotation and non-chemical controls are needed to delay resistance. If you have applied insecticides to no effect, change chemical classes and do not use the IRAC group that did not work for the rest of the season. If possible, rotating off certain insecticide groups for two seasons would be best. For more information on CPB management, see our CPB fact sheet. To see a list of chemicals approved for CPB on potato and other management strategies, click here for the New England Vegetable Management Guide.   

Upcoming Events:

The Climate Adapted Farm: Making the effects of extreme weather less severe

Join NH Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (NHVGBA) & UNH Extension for this climate-resilience focused series. Attend one or more events to learn how your farm can adapt to better withstand the challenges of climate change, and how together we are working towards farmer-driven actionable solutions. This is a four-part series, join us for one or the full slate! 

 

• July 16, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Physically Protecting Your Crops at Spring Ledge Farm, New London, NH. Discover strategies for efficiency improvements and technology add-ons when growing crops in controlled environments like high and low tunnels, and netted structures. We will cover how to mitigate damage from extreme heat and wind.  
• August 20, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Resilience Against Extreme Weather at Wilson Farm, Litchfield, NH. What's your plan B when disaster strikes? Explore concrete actions to prepare your farm for floods, droughts, or extreme heat and get introduced to emergency management planning. 

 

Please sign up for our new text service!

 

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

 

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

Back to Top

---

6/14/24

 

Hello Vegetable IPM folks! 

Our IPM scout, Linda, has been busy scouting for multiple pests all over the state and we have a few pest catches to report this week. Crop development and pest activity seems to be about a week early this year (or more for some pests!), so be alert for pest presence and damage earlier than expected, especially compared to last season.

ECB numbers continue to hold steady or increase in certain areas. If you have early corn that is in or approaching mid whorl stage, consider scouting for damage. The results of our trapping efforts are recorded by town on Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town. Click HERE for more information on ECB management.

 

 

 

Unexpectedly, we found fall armyworm caterpillars feeding on corn in Hollis, NH this week. This is much earlier than we usually see FAW, so be on the lookout for larval feeding damage. If you are a call-in grower, you may want to place traps sooner than planned. FAW larval feeding damage is characterized by large, ragged holes in leaves, and sawdust-like excrement. Field scouting should begin once moths are captured at your farm or in your area. Information on scouting for sweet corn pests and spray thresholds can be found here.

 

This week we trapped 1 brown marmorated stink bug adult in Concord, within our sentinel monitoring program. We had previously caught BMSB in Hollis and Milford, NH over the past couple of weeks. We currently do not have any thresholds established for BMSB but we continue to keep an eye on population levels in the state. Click HERE for a quick post about BMSB. 

Five spotted wing drosophila adult males were caught this week in strawberry (2), cherry (1), and control (2) traps. These were caught in Hollis, Litchfield and Concord. Our neighbors in Massachusetts and New York have also recorded SWD captures, which is a little earlier than expected. Be on the lookout for this pest on your earlier fruit. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

We trapped 1 squash vine borer this week in Amherst, NH. The number of moths captured with pheromone traps can be used to decide whether or not an insecticide treatment is required. For bush-type summer squash and pumpkins (including giant pumpkins), the recommended threshold is 5 SVB moths per trap per week. For vining type squash or pumpkins, we suggest a threshold of 12 moths per trap per week. The difference is because vine-type cucurbits can root or tiller in at each node along the vine. This allows the plant to uptake water and nutrients from more than just the main stem. SVB tends to bore into the main stem of cucurbit plants, creating a higher risk for bush type plants. Future trapping data will be published on a town by town basis.

Cabbage root maggot: I have received a couple of inquiries about cabbage root maggot (CRM) and how to control it organically. CRM is currently in peak flight of first generation adults. This UMass fact sheet has great information on scouting for this pest and there is also a NEWA model available for CRM if you have a history of issues with this pest on brassicas. Row covers can be effective to prevent adults from egg-laying on recently seeded or transplanted brassicas, however, they may not be effective on brassicas planted in areas that have a history of brassica plantings due to fly pupae remaining in the soil. It’s best to rotate brassicas as far as possible from previous brassicas. High soil temperatures will also kill CRM and larval feeding will not impact larger brassica crops.

Leek moth was found in Sullivan County in May 2024. Previously, it had only been detected in Grafton and Coös counties. Leek moth is an invasive pest of allium crops. More information and links to resources can be found here.

Check back in each week as the season progresses to see the latest trapping data. Data for additional insect pests will be updated on a weekly basis. Thank you to all the growers who participate in the program! 

Please sign up for our new text service!

Upcoming Events:

The Climate Adapted Farm: Making the effects of extreme weather less severe

Join NH Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (NHVGBA) & UNH Extension for this climate-resilience focused series. Attend one or more events to learn how your farm can adapt to better withstand the challenges of climate change, and how together we are working towards farmer-driven actionable solutions. This is a four-part series, join us for one or the full slate! 

 

• June 18, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Preparing Your Land for Extreme Weather at Barker’s Farm, Stratham, NH. Learn about implementing swales, field roads, drainage ponds, and soil health practices to manage water effectively and adapt to climate challenges.  
• July 16, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Physically Protecting Your Crops at Spring Ledge Farm, New London, NH. Discover strategies for efficiency improvements and technology add-ons when growing crops in controlled environments like high and low tunnels, and netted structures. We will cover how to mitigate damage from extreme heat and wind.  
• August 20, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Resilience Against Extreme Weather at Wilson Farm, Litchfield, NH. What's your plan B when disaster strikes? Explore concrete actions to prepare your farm for floods, droughts, or extreme heat and get introduced to emergency management planning. 

 

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

 

Back to Top

---

6/7/24

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

Our IPM Scout is busy installing and checking traps. We caught our first ECB-NY and ECB-IA moths last week. If you have early corn that is in or approaching mid whorl stage, consider scouting for damage. The results of our trapping efforts are recorded by town on Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town. Click HERE for more information on ECB management.

 

Early season scouting procedure: Wait until mid to late whorl stage to scout. Select at least 5 sites across the planting, all of the same variety and planting date. Do not check field edges to avoid the “edge effect.” To make your sampling most representative of the field, follow a rough X pattern across the planting. At each site, examine 20 stalks, and look at the whorl area for the tiny “shot holes” that show corn borers are in that stalk. Often there is a tiny bit of light, powdery frass adjacent to the small holes. If you see such signs, mark that stalk as infested. As you move across the planting, keep track (pocket pad is helpful) of two things: 1) how many stalks are infested; and 2) the total number of stalks you’ve counted. Stop at 100. If you reach a threshold of 30 or more infested stalks, it is worthwhile to treat with an insecticide. For very early corn (high value), you may wish to adjust that threshold down to 15. If the infestation rate is below threshold, it will cost more to treat the corn than the damage is worth. For sweet corn in the pre-tassel stage (tassel is visible in the whorl), use the 15% threshold (Table 2). See information source here. 

 

 

Our scout has also deployed a select number of traps for brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), an invasive pest. We have ten traps placed at six locations as part of our sentinel monitoring. No economic thresholds have been established for New Hampshire, but the program provides data on when BMSB becomes active, as well as relative infestation levels. This week, 2 adult BMSB were trapped in Hollis and Milford, NH, which is down from the 10 adults caught last week. Click HERE for a quick post about BMSB. 

Spotted wing drosophila traps went out this week in cherry and strawberry. Our neighbors in Massachusetts and New York have already recorded SWD captures, which is a little earlier than expected. Be on the lookout for this pest on your earlier fruit. More information on monitoring for SWD can be found here.

Cabbage root maggot

I have received a couple of inquiries about cabbage root maggot (CRM) and how to control it organically. CRM is currently in its first generation and some areas of the state are in peak flight. This UMass fact sheet has great information on scouting for this pest and there is also a NEWA model available for CRM if you have a history of issues with this pest on brassicas. Row covers can be effective to prevent adults from egg-laying on recently seeded or transplanted brassicas, however, they may not be effective on brassicas planted in areas that have a history of brassica plantings due to fly pupae remaining in the soil. It’s best to rotate brassicas as far as possible from previous brassicas. High soil temperatures will also kill CRM and larval feeding will not impact larger brassica crops.

Please sign up for our new text service!

 

 

Upcoming Events:

The Climate Adapted Farm: Making the effects of extreme weather less severe

Join NH Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (NHVGBA) & UNH Extension for this climate-resilience focused series. Attend one or more events to learn how your farm can adapt to better withstand the challenges of climate change, and how together we are working towards farmer-driven actionable solutions. This is a four-part series, join us for one or the full slate! 

 

• June 18, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Preparing Your Land for Extreme Weather at Barker’s Farm, Stratham, NH. Learn about implementing swales, field roads, drainage ponds, and soil health practices to manage water effectively and adapt to climate challenges.  
• July 16, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Physically Protecting Your Crops at Spring Ledge Farm, New London, NH. Discover strategies for efficiency improvements and technology add-ons when growing crops in controlled environments like high and low tunnels, and netted structures. We will cover how to mitigate damage from extreme heat and wind.  
• August 20, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Resilience Against Extreme Weather at Wilson Farm, Litchfield, NH. What's your plan B when disaster strikes? Explore concrete actions to prepare your farm for floods, droughts, or extreme heat and get introduced to emergency management planning. 

 

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

 

Back to Top

---

5/31/24

 

Hello vegetable IPM folks! 

Our IPM Scout is busy installing and checking traps. We caught our first ECB-NY and ECB-IA moths this week, so adult populations will begin to increase. If you have early corn that is in or approaching mid whorl stage, consider scouting for damage. The results of our trapping efforts are recorded by town on Table 1 below. In some cases, there are multiple traps within a town. Click HERE for more information on ECB management. If you are a call in grower, consider installing your ECB traps now if you haven’t already! 

 

Early season scouting procedure: Wait until mid to late whorl stage to scout. Select at least 5 sites across the planting, all of the same variety and planting date. Do not check field edges to avoid the “edge effect.” To make your sampling most representative of the field, follow a rough X pattern across the planting. At each site, examine 20 stalks, and look at the whorl area for the tiny “shot holes” that show corn borers are in that stalk. Often there is a tiny bit of light, powdery frass adjacent to the small holes. If you see such signs, mark that stalk as infested. As you move across the planting, keep track (pocket pad is helpful) of two things: 1) how many stalks are infested; and 2) the total number of stalks you’ve counted. Stop at 100. If you reach a threshold of 30 or more infested stalks, it is worthwhile to treat with an insecticide. For very early corn (high value), you may wish to adjust that threshold down to 15. If the infestation rate is below threshold, it will cost more to treat the corn than the damage is worth. For sweet corn in the pre-tassel stage (tassel is visible in the whorl), use the 15% threshold (Table 2). See information source here. 

Our scout has also been working hard to deploy a select number of traps for brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), an invasive pest. We have ten traps placed at six locations as part of our sentinel monitoring. No economic thresholds have been established for New Hampshire, but the program provides data on when BMSB becomes active, as well as relative infestation levels. This week, 10 adult BMSB were trapped in Hollis, NH. Click HERE for a quick post about BMSB. 

Leek Moth detected in new county in NH

Leek moth, an invasive pest of alliums, introduced to NH in 2016, has been detected in Sullivan County on garlic. It was previously only known to be in Coös and Grafton counties. More information can be found here.

Flea beetles on brassica crops

Our IPM scout has observed heavy feeding from flea beetles on brassicas this past week. The two flea beetle species that feed on brassicas are the crucifer flea beetle (black and shiny) and the striped flea beetle (black with two yellow stripes). Brassicas vary greatly in their susceptibility and attractiveness to flea beetles. To avoid peak adult activity and the buildup on populations, rotate spring crops as far as possible from last season's fall brassica crops, and plant late-season crops far from early brassicas. If possible, avoid early brassicas all together to break the flea beetle reproductive cycle. Be sure to incorporate residues immediately after harvest to expose and kill larvae and pupae. Floating row covers provide excellent protection of the crop if well secured with soil or bags around all edges immediately after seeding or transplanting. More information on flea beetle life cycles, trap cropping, scouting, and chemical control can be found in this UMass fact sheet and the New England Vegetable Management Guide.

Please sign up for our new text service!

Upcoming Events:

The Climate Adapted Farm: Making the effects of extreme weather less severe  

Join NH Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (NHVGBA) & UNH Extension for this climate-resilience focused series. Attend one or more events to learn how your farm can adapt to better withstand the challenges of climate change, and how together we are working towards farmer-driven actionable solutions. This is a four-part series, join us for one or the full slate! 

 

• June 5, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Farming in Permanent Raised Beds in a No-Till System at  Waxing Moon Gardens, Sandwich, NH. Join us to see how Waxing Moon Gardens conserves soil, increases water efficiency, eliminates weed pressure, and boosts overall farm productivity.  
• June 18, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Preparing Your Land for Extreme Weather at Barker’s Farm, Stratham, NH. Learn about implementing swales, field roads, drainage ponds, and soil health practices to manage water effectively and adapt to climate challenges.  
• July 16, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Physically Protecting Your Crops at Spring Ledge Farm, New London, NH. Discover strategies for efficiency improvements and technology add-ons when growing crops in controlled environments like high and low tunnels, and netted structures. We will cover how to mitigate damage from extreme heat and wind.  
• August 20, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30pm, Resilience Against Extreme Weather at Wilson Farm, Litchfield, NH. What's your plan B when disaster strikes? Explore concrete actions to prepare your farm for floods, droughts, or extreme heat and get introduced to emergency management planning. 

 

Contact: Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UNH Extension State Specialist, Entomology and IPM, Amber.Vinchesi@unh.edu

This program is made possible thought funding provided by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Integrated Pest Management Program. This work is also supported in part by the Integrated Pest Management Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Plan from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

 

 

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