What Is It? Wednesday – Bee Fly
This little critter looks a lot like a bee (it’s yellow, fuzzy, and foraging flowers), but if you look closely, you’ll see it has only one pair of wings (bees have two). This feature distinguishes...
Author: Justin Ballew
SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – September 12, 2022
Coastal Region Rob Last reports, “Fall watermelons are looking good. There is some disease around, so fungicide applications remain crucial. I am finding whiteflies in a few crops too. As we move...
SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – September 6, 2022
Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “It rained every day last week, and we ended up with over 8 inches. Field conditions are really soupy right now, and growers have had problems getting into some...
What Is It? Wednesday – Hickory Horned Devil Caterpillar
This is a caterpillar known as the hickory horned devil. The adult is a beautiful moth known as the regal moth (Citheronia regalis), but it is rarely seen due to its nocturnal habit. The hickory...
SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report- August 22, 2022
Midlands Region Justin Ballew reports, “We had a few rain events last week, and temperatures were a little cooler. Fall planted crops are growing really well right now, but due to the recent...
What is It? Wednesday – Glyphosate Damage
This young tomato plant is suffering from glyphosate damage that occurred when row middles were being sprayed. Glyphosate is a systemic herbicide, so damage shows up at the growing point. At this...
SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – August 15, 2022
Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “We are in our lull period of production right now for the most part. Okra is coming in very strong in high volumes. It’s getting difficult to pick it all. Fall...
SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – August 8, 2022
Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “For the most part, it has been hot and dry in the Lowcountry. Things are relatively quiet. I have seen and heard reports of high whitefly numbers in various...
What Is It? Wednesday – Mantidfly
This may look a lot like a paper wasp, but it is actually a mantidfly. If you look carefully, you’ll notice the front pair of legs is different from the two back pairs. The front legs look like...
SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report- August 1, 2022
Midlands Region Justin Ballew reports, “It has gotten dry again in the Midlands. Scattered areas received some good rain over the weekend, but others missed it and remain badly in need. Over the...
SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – July 25, 2022
Coastal Region Rob Last reports, “In a wide range of crops insect and disease pressure is high, with gummy stem blight across all cucurbit crops and downy mildew is also very active. Fruit rots,...
SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report- July 18, 2022
Congratulations to Sidi Limehouse of Rosebank Farms for winning the SC Big Melon Contest at the Edisto REC Field Day this past Thursday. Sidi weighed in a 124-pound melon. This was the inaugural SC...