Joanne Whalen, Extension IPM Specialist; jwhalen@udel.edu
Cabbage
Economic levels of diamondback and imported cabbage worm larvae continue to be found. A treatment should be applied when 5% of the plants are infested and before larvae move to the hearts of the plants.
Cucumbers
All fields should be scouted for cucumber beetles and aphids. Fresh market cucumbers are susceptible to bacterial wilt, so treatments should be applied before beetles feed extensively on cotyledons and first true leaves. Although pickling cucumbers have a tolerance to wilt, a treatment may still be needed for machine-harvested pickling cucumbers when 5% of plants are infested with beetles and/or plants are showing fresh feeding injury. A treatment should be applied for aphids if 10 to 20 percent of the plants are infested with aphids with 5 or more aphids per leaf.
Melons
Continue to scout all melons for aphids, cucumber beetles, and spider mites. The treatment threshold for aphids is 20% infested plants with at least 5 aphids per leaf. Be sure to also watch for beneficials. The threshold for mites is 20-30% infested crowns with 1-2 mites per leaf. Acramite, Agri-Mek, bifenthrin, Danitol, and Oberon are labeled on melons for mite control. The manufacturer of Acramite (Chemtura) recommends against mixing Acramite with any sticker or products containing stickers. LI700 has been used with Acramite on apples and they have not experienced any problems. They have also had good success using silicone based wetting agents, such as Silwet and Kinetic, with Acramite. It is also important to maintain a tank-mix at or below pH 7.0. In actual field use, they have seen that a pH of 6.5 or lower is better. Be sure to watch carefully for cucumber beetles. Since beetles can continue to re-infest fields as well as hide under the plastic, multiple applications are often needed. Foliar products labeled for cucumber beetle control on melons include a number of pyrethroids, Assail, Lannate, Sevin, and Thionex. Venom 70SG also has a 2ee label for cucumber beetle control on cucurbits (http://www.cdms.net/LDat/ld76N019.pdf). Be sure to check all labels for rates, precautions and restrictions, especially as they apply to pollinators.
Peppers
Continue to sample for thrips. We are hearing reports of high thrips activity on crops in Virginia. You should also continue to sample for corn borers and watch carefully for egg masses. Before fruit is present these young corn borer larvae can infest stems and petioles. Be sure to also check local moth catches in your area by calling the Crop Pest Hotline – instate: 800-345-7544; out of state: (302) 831-8851 or visiting our website at (http://ag.udel.edu/extension/IPM/traps/latestblt.html). You should also watch for an increase in aphid populations. A treatment may be needed prior to fruit set if you find 1-2 aphids per leaf for at least 2 consecutive weeks and beneficial activity is low.
Potatoes
Fields should be scouted for Colorado potato beetle (CPB), corn borers (ECB) and leafhoppers. Adult CPB as well as the first small larvae can now be found. A treatment should be considered for adults when you find 25 beetles per 50 plants and defoliation has reached the 10% level. Once larvae are detected, the threshold is 4 small larvae per plant or 1.5 large larvae per plant. We are starting to see the first corn borer egg masses in the earliest planted fields. A corn borer spray may be needed 3-5 days after an increase in trap catches (http://ag.udel.edu/extension/IPM/traps/latestblt.html) or when we reach 700-degree days (base 50). If you are scouting for infested terminals, the first treatment should be applied when 10% (fresh market) or 20-25 % (processing) of the terminals are infested. As a general guideline, controls should be applied for leafhoppers if you find ½ to one adult per sweep and/or one nymph per every 10 leaves.
Snap Beans
Continue to sample all seedling stage fields for leafhopper and thrips activity. The thrips threshold is 5-6 per leaflet and the leafhopper threshold is 5 per sweep. If both insects are present, the threshold for each should be reduced by 1/3. If both insects are present, Lannate, bifenthrin, Proaxis and Warrior (lambda-cyhalothrin) are labeled for both insect pests on snap beans. In addition, be sure to watch for bean leaf beetle. Damage appears as circular holes in leaves and significant defoliation can quickly occur. As a general guideline, a treatment should be considered if defoliation exceeds 20% prebloom. A pyrethroid, dimethoate or Sevin are labeled for control. As a general guideline, once corn borer catches reach 2 per night, fresh market and processing snap beans in the bud to pin stages should be sprayed for corn borer. Sprays will be needed at the bud and pin stages on processing beans. Once pins are present on fresh market snap beans and corn borer trap catches are above 2 per night, a 7-10 day schedule should be maintained for corn borer control. Check trap catches at: http://ag.udel.edu/extension/IPM/traps/latestblt.html.
Sweet Corn
Continue to sample seedling stage fields for cutworms and flea beetles. You should also sample all whorl stage corn for corn borers. A treatment should be applied if 15% of the plants are infested. The first silk sprays will be needed for corn earworm as soon as ear shanks are visible. Over the past week, corn earworm catches have been high in the Bridgeville and Laurel areas. On early silking sweet corn, sprays are needed on a 3 day schedule in Sussex County and on a 3-4 day schedule in Kent County. Be sure to check trap catches since the spray schedules can quickly change. You can call the Crop Pest Hotline for the most recent trap catches – in state: 1-800-345-7544; out of state: 302-831-8851 or check our website at http://ag.udel.edu/extension/IPM/traps/latestblt.html.