It isn’t only the late blight of tomatoes and potatoes, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, that causes major crop loss each season. Although P. infestans, and the resulting late blight disease it causes, get all of the attention, numerous other Phytophthora species are responsible for blight diseases, too. Not only do Phytophthora organisms affect … Read more
Looking for bugs isn’t a nerdy middle school hobby – not if you’re an orchardist. It’s essential for tree fruit growers, no matter what spray program you use. – Pests in the Orchard Blanketing the orchard with sprays as a preventive may be someone’s idea of pest control, but a more cost-effective, rational and effective approach … Read more
Phytoplasma are a type of bacteria that don’t have cell walls and are transmitted by insects feeding on plant phloem. Unlike standard bacteria, phytoplasma cannot be cultured in vitro, and in vivo populations in the insect vector and infected plant are typically very low. But phytoplasma can cause great damage to crops, trees, shrubs and … Read more
Black rot is a bacterial disease that only infects cruciferous crops. It also goes by many other equally unappealing names – such as stem rot, stump rot or black stem. Though the name you know it by may vary, the cause is always the same: bacteria called xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. – Black Rot Disease To … Read more
Like humans, insects love to feed on corn. As a result, if consumers want to continue enjoying this sweet treat, they must rely on growers to identify and control insects that favor corn. Three insects that like to feed on this vegetable are the corn rootworm, cutworm and European corn borer. Let’s look more closely … Read more