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Connecticut

Below is a quick run-down of what I have seen/reported in the fields across Connecticut over the last 3-6 days.

Squash Vine bores:
I have confirmed capture and kills from Fairfield, Hartford and New London counties with-in the last 3 days. Highest area reported 7 SVB in pheromone traps.
Suggestion: set-up your pheromone traps to monitor local populations and take action/control measures when necessary.

Cucumber beetles:
Growers are reporting everything from ‘none’ to ‘worst year ever’. The degree of variability is high patch to patch.
Suggestion: Scout your patch at night to see what your levels are at and keep an eye out for damage to leaves.

Powdery Mildew:
If you can believe it I have seen full blown powdery mildew on giant pumpkin plants this early.
Suggestion: Begin applications of 40% milk (and 60% water) to prevent an early on set. With the expected change in the weather in the Connecticut area my guess is that conditions will become less favorable for powdery mildew formation.
Oddity:
I have seen three patches in the New London County that got hit with varying degrees of ozone damage. Patches showing symptoms seem to be isolated to this area of the state and the plants should recover fully but it was interesting to see this type of damage just show up in this area.
Summary:
It seems that while the early warm was good for plant growth it has also sped up some of the other less favorable conditions.
Hope this helps keep growers ahead of the potential current problems.
-Matt

6/17/2010 11:40:49 PM

Preston CT

Matt,

In Preston I have caught one vine bore in my trap on wednesday the 16th of June. I have no cucumber beetles yet but I have had potatoe beetles and squash bugs. No mildew yet but the Ozone damage has hit me hard with the big leaves around the stump being comprimised.

6/18/2010 6:10:09 AM

Johnston, R.I.

Better living through Chemistry gentlemen..............

6/18/2010 9:38:09 AM

Ohio

The 10th of June was my first sighting of a SVB
(now dead) this year, that is the earliest in a growing season I have ever seen them out.

In the last 6 or 7 years looking back on my somewhat unorganized pumpkin notes, I have always seen my first SVB around June 23rd and later. It looks like they have arrived a couple weeks early this year for some reason.

Nice update on the pest's and diseases Matt!

Brooks

6/18/2010 10:48:19 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

trapped 4 of them so far this year, yeah they're early, most likely we'll see a second batch of them later on.

6/18/2010 12:48:23 PM

East Jordan, MI

I've trapped 3. I've been looking for other signs and haven't found any yet. I have been applying Merit and every 3 weeks since I started and contact spray every week and using Garlic. I'm looking for eggs and haven't found any. Haven't seen any live one in the vines.

6/18/2010 11:32:28 PM

Gold Hill, Oregon

could you elborate a bit on ozone damage symptoms? i'm not sure what i would be looking for.

6/19/2010 6:43:26 AM

Connecticut

Here is some information about ozone damage and I included my in the field observation notes to hopefully help growers correctly identify this damage if they do have it:

Some background information:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=12462

Picture of mid-level severity (notice how only some leaves are damaged):
http://www.ars.usda.gov/images/docs/12462_12656/OzonePumpkin.jpg

More Sever case:
http://agdev.anr.udel.edu/weeklycropupdate/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/wmozone.jpg

Here shows varying degrees of damage on watermelon leaves:
http://agdev.anr.udel.edu/weeklycropupdate/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/ozone.jpg

General notes about ozone damage that I have seen:
-it happens ‘all of a sudden’ but does not spread, meaning one day you go out to the patch and 4 leaves are damaged but the following day no other leaves are damaged
-it looks like a nutrient deficiency when the damage is minimal.
-new leaves are not damaged
-a ‘random’ selection of leaves become damaged, my theory is ozone only damages those leaves that are at a particular stage of development

-Matt

6/19/2010 11:16:16 AM

Pataskala,OH

Interesting

6/19/2010 12:54:26 PM

Pataskala,OH

If ozone does that to leaves imagine what it does to people! LOL

6/19/2010 12:56:39 PM

Long Island,New York

Not at all uncommon here where I live. Usually starts up the 4th of july weekend or so.

6/19/2010 8:44:26 PM

Gold Hill, Oregon

i think thats what happened to my plants that were outside the shadecloth when it got upto 117 degrees last year.
thanks matt!!!

6/20/2010 2:51:02 AM