More hot, dry weather is in store for this week. Disease and insect pressure continue to increase as watermelon, small fruit, tomato, and peach harvest continues. See details below.
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Coastal Region
Zack Snipes
- We have gotten very hot and very dry in places along the coast. We need a good, slow, soaking rain. Despite the weather, we are in full force harvesting heavy volumes of all crops.
- Tomatoes are coming off right now, and they look and taste amazing.
- I am seeing some diseases in melons and squash, particularly gummy stem blight. Protecting these crops for just a few more weeks can really improve your bottom line, so don’t give up on disease management just yet. I am also seeing lots of squash bugs in cucurbit crops.
I only walked about eight feet to fill up this gallon bucket of blackberries.
Zack Snipes, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Adding cut flowers to your crop list can add curb appeal to your farm and bring in some serious cash flow.
Zack Snipes, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Midlands Region
Phillip Carnley
- Tomatoes are growing nicely in the Midlands. I’m seeing isolated plants in fields with Sclerotinia and some bacterial speck. Fruit size has been smaller this year compared to last year.
- Watermelons are just starting to be harvested and the quality is good. Anthracnose is starting to cause a few problems for growers. Like much of the state, the dryland melons desperately need a good rain shower.
The white growth of Sclerotinia looks similar to that of Southern blight. To distinguish the two, split open the stem to look for the large, black sclerotia of Sclerotinia, as opposed to the small, tan and brown sclerotia around at the base of the stem of Southern blight.
Phillip Carnley, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Watermelons are coming to harvest in the Orangeburg area.
Paul Carnley, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Rob Last
- Another hot week in the Midlands with another hot one to come.
- Overall, crops are looking good; however, we are seeing an increase in pest and disease pressure.
- Solanaceous crops are thriving, with an increase in bacterial spot and bacterial speck being seen.
- Leaf-footed bugs and Japanese beetles are showing up. Squash bugs are also showing up in increasing numbers in some places. Damage can be seen as wilting of the whole plant, with the crown collapsing quickly.
- Blackberries and blueberries are developing well with good quality. Monitoring for spotted winged drosophila is strongly recommended.
If insecticide treatments are warranted, remember to choose the most selective material first and always be aware of the risk of harming pollinators. - Keep scouting, and if in doubt, contact your local Extension Agent. We are happy to help.
Leaf-footed bugs are showing up in the Midlands.
Rob Last, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Sarah Scott
- Last week in the Aiken/Edgefield area we were hot and dry. Growers are irrigating peach trees now, we start 3 weeks prior to harvest to help fruit develop some size.
- We’re seeing bacterial spot in some varieties on the foliage and fruit. If infection gets heavy it can lead to defoliation of the leaves. Growers can treat with most products up until 21 days pre-harvest. There are a few biological options to use up until day of harvest as well.
- We have begun picking freestone varieties of peaches and issues of split pits are starting to clear up.
- Some bacterial disease issues in tomatoes are being seen across the region at varying levels. Squash bugs and squash vine borers have also been seen in relatively high numbers. Japanese beetles are also moving in. Growers should be scouting regularly to maintain good crop protection at this time.
- I expect to see disease issues pick up if we remain hot and humid throughout the week.
The plum crop is looking really nice this year!
Sarah Scott, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Pee Dee Region
Christiana Huss
- It’s been hot, dry, and dusty in the Pee Dee.
- Watermelons have really sized up and should be ready to harvest soon. Disease pressure for melons seems low in this area of the state.
- In sweet corn, early-season stink bug and caterpillar damage was observed in one field. Caterpillars chewed holes in whorled young leaves and leave behind uniformly spaced holes. Stink bugs likely caused some stunting and deformed leaf development observed in this field.
- I saw some “cat-faced” tomatoes. Although this could be due to early-season cold damage on blooms, it is likely common in this particular variety due to its deep furrows.
Caterpillar damage that occured when the leaf was young and whorled.
Christiana Huss, ©2024, Clemson Extension
“Cat-facing” on tomatoes has many potential causes, including unusually cool or warm weather or large swings in daytime and nighttime temperatures during flowering.
Christiana Huss, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Brittney King
- We are extremely dry in the Pee Dee and could really use some rain.
- Cucurbit crops are progressing well. Zucchini, squash, and cucumber are being harvested at good volumes with little disease pressure so far. I continue to see newly hatched squash bug eggs on cucurbit leaves, so it is important to continue scouting and spraying. Some cantaloupes are ready to harvest, while watermelons still have a couple of weeks to size up.
- I am seeing more Southern stem blight show up in tomato fields. Some varieties that were planted earlier were able to set fruit before Southern blight appeared. Preventative fungicides and crop rotation are key in the management of this disease. Please refer to the Land-Grant Press article Managing Southern Blight On Vegetables for more information.
- Viral symptoms are also showing up in a couple different tomato fields. One sample has already come back positive for Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV). This virus is transmissible by thrips and can easily be avoided by using TSWV-resistant varieties. Refer to the 2024 SE Vegetable Crop Handbook on pages 111-112 for a list of resistant varieties. Using reflective mulch has also been useful in deterring the thrips away from the crop.
Viral symptoms on a tomato plant. Overall stunting of leaves and plant, upward rolling of leaves, leaves exhibiting a bronzed appearance.
Brittney King, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Southern stem blight is moving quickly through this field. Notice the grafted tomato plants in the back are untouched.
Brittney King, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Upstate Region
Andy Rollins
- New tomato and pepper plantings are all going in on white plastic. This is recommended on all vegetable crops after June 1 as the higher soil temperatures are reduced by white plastic and limit extreme temperatures from hurting our crops.
- Tomato and pepper harvests have begun and are doing well. We have found some anthracnose in the fruit. This has been caused by higher temperatures and moist weather. Keep protectant fungicides on these plants to avoid issues. We’re also finding some bacterial spot on leaves but not fruit.
- Peach sizing issues have plagued some growers of certain varieties. Some of this is believed to have been cold damage, even though seeds are intact in many cases. Those issues seem to be decreasing as we get into freestone fruit. I am still finding some powdery mildew on fruit as well as some frog eye where spray programs lapsed for 2 week periods during heavy rainfall. Overall, we have a lot of high-quality fruit with good size.
New plantings of tomatoes and peppers are going in on white plastic. This color of plastic helps keep the soil a little cooler in summer.
Andy Rollins, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Anthracnose fruit rot is showing up in peppers.
Andy Rollins, ©2024, Clemson Extension
