Scattered rain fell over the weekend. Peppers and okra are coming as the watermelon harvest finishes up. Disease and insect pressure remains high, and planning for strawberry planting is beginning. See details below.
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Coastal Region
Anna Sara Hill
- The weather last week started out hot and humid at the beginning of the week but turned dry by the end of the week. These drastic fluctuations in humidity can create transpiration problems in plants, resulting in poor growth. Many plants are showing signs of heat stress and sunscald.
- Be on the lookout for aphids. I saw alate and wingless morphs on several different hosts this week including blueberries, peppers, and okra this week.
- Flea beetles seem to be thriving in this heat. I observed a large infestation in an organic blueberry patch. I also saw them feeding on Solanaceae crops. Flea beetles have a very distinctive feeding pattern. There are several species that infest blueberries, and large infestations in young plants can be economically damaging.
- Be cautious treating plants with oil-based products in this heat. The oil will volatilize and burn the plants. If it is necessary to treat for flea beetles, aphids or other pests, spray early in the morning before the sun gets up or late in the evening when the temps are dropping.
Flea Beetles feeding on blueberry leaves.
Anna Sarah Hill, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Distinctive feeding pattern caused by flea beetles.
Anna Sarah Hill, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Zack Snipes
- We are finally getting some rain down our way.
- Okra and hot peppers are coming in at very high volumes with the heat and the rain. I am starting to see anthracnose fruit rot and bacterial spot in pepper. There isn’t much we can do for the bacterial spot except for copper sprays. This will only protect new foliage and not “cure” the disease. For the anthracnose, sanitation, or removing the diseased fruit and getting it out of the field is a great IPM tool. Once diseased fruit is removed, we can apply mancozeb products in combination with some group 7 and 11 fungicides. There aren’t many, if any, organic fungicides to combat this disease so removing diseased fruit is best at this stage in the game.
Midlands Region
Phillip Carnley
- Watermelons are finishing up right in time for all the rain we have been experiencing. Disease and drought stress has been the biggest problem so far. Specifically, anthracnose has been showing up in fields and been causing some issues for packing.
- Tomatoes are still looking fair. As with much of the state, the hot, dry conditions have continued to spur on Southern stem blight. Blossom end rot has also been borderline uncontrollable, but despite that, harvest has still been fair.
- Banana peppers are being harvested in great numbers with little in the way of disease. Bell peppers are also being harvested in large quantities. Both types of pepper have had a hard time with sun scald this season.
- Cowpeas are still being harvested with varying yields. On the low end, I’ve seen 15 bushels, and on the higher end, 50 to 60 bushels shelled. Cowpea curculio has not been a large factor this year like in years past. While they are not as widespread this year, it is still very important to scout and treat accordingly, still on that 3-to-5-day rotation with a pyrethroid.
- This Friday, July 26, I will be hosting a drop-in Field day to look at 13 different pea varieties. If interested, please feel free to contact me for registration.
We have lots of sunscald on peppers right now.
Phillip Carnley, ©2024, Clemson Extension
This field of cowpeas is dried down and ready for harvest.
Phillip Carnley, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Pee Dee Region
Christiana Huss
- There have been plenty of evening storms in the inland Pee Dee these last couple of weeks, though some of the coastal farms in Georgetown and Horry counties are still getting skipped over by these pop-up storms.
- Disease and pest pressure is only getting more severe as rain continues and the season progresses. Thankfully, our farmers have still been harvesting plenty. Even if you are not experiencing major disease in your plants this year, be sure to rotate to a different plant family next season when possible. The most severe disease pressure has been seen on fields that were not rotated. Using a cover crop when your fields are not planted with a cash crop will also significantly reduce weed and soil-borne disease pressure while preserving soil nutrients. Contact your local agent to discuss which cover crops might benefit you the most.
- Many farmers are preparing for upcoming strawberry planting. Now is the time to order plants if you haven’t already.
- I’ve gotten plenty of calls from people wanting to scale their gardens up into small farms or try crops they haven’t grown before. If you are new, welcome! We can be most helpful to you in the early decision-making process. Variety choice, field preparation, and site choice can sometimes make or break an operation. I love working with newer farmers and learning with them.
Peach scab seen on plums. This pathogen lays dormant on the tree’s twigs until after the plum petals fall. Then, if it rains, the pathogen jumps from the twigs to the small developing fruit. The scab is only superficial until cracks form in the fruit. Then, secondary pathogens invade and rot the fruit from the inside out. Pruning out diseased branches coupled with early-season fungicide applications will help manage this pathogen.
Christiana Huss, ©2024, Clemson Extension
