SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – June 3, 2024

As the weather continues to warm up, strawberry harvest wraps up, tomatoes and peppers are coming on strong, and cucurbit harvest is beginning. Read more details below.

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Statewide

Tony Keinath, Extension Plant Pathologist

Yellow leaf spots on watermelon caused by powdery mildew on the underside of the leaf.

Yellow leaf spots on watermelon caused by powdery mildew on the underside of the leaf.
Tony Keinath ©2024, Clemson Extension

Lacy Barnette and Jhessye Moore-Thomas, Climate-Smart Grown in SC

  • We’ve come to the end of year 1 of the project and are preparing for year 2 re-enrollment.
  • The remaining kale and turnips in the fields are still looking good.
  • Some producers have started planting warm-season cover crops for the summer ahead of their fall leafy greens.
  • Planning for trainings and workshops to provide further technical assistance for Year 2 is underway.
Direct seeded brassicas emerging from crimped Wren’s Abruzzi rye cover crop.

Direct seeded brassicas emerging from crimped Wren’s Abruzzi rye cover crop.
Jhessye Moore-Thomas, ©2024, Clemson Extension

Kale with wheat straw as a natural mulch.

Kale with wheat straw as a natural mulch.
Lacy Barnette, ©2024, Clemson Extension

Midlands

Rob Last

  • Crops in the Midlands are developing well, but we need some rain.
  • Solanaceous crops are loading up with fruit. I am finding some Alternaria on tomatoes in some areas allied to bacterial wilt and Southern blight.
    Bacterial spot and speck are at lower levels than usual for this time of year.
  • Strawberries are finished; however, some excellent blueberries and blackberries are coming to harvest.
  • Cucurbits are looking good; however, I have found powdery mildew in squash, with some reports in watermelons. Vivando, metrafenone, is a very effective management option.
Tomato plants are loading up in the Midlands.

Tomato plants are loading up in the Midlands.
Rob Last, ©2024, Clemson Extension

Pee Dee

Brittney King

  • We are pretty dry here in the Pee Dee. I saw crops struggling to keep up in the heat of the day last week. The upper part of the Pee Dee got a little less than half an inch yesterday, but everywhere else is still needing rain.
  • Solanaceous crops are progressing well. Hot banana peppers, shishito, and bell peppers are being harvested. I have seen flower thrips in tomato and pepper flowers, with some damage caused to the fruit as well. Western flower thrips populations are important to be aware of in your fields since they can transmit the Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, leading to immature plant death before fruiting. Virus-resistant plants are the best way to limit the spread of the virus because there are limited insecticides that are effective on thrips, and reflective mulch will only help to repel thrips and suppress transmission. Spinosyns have been effective at providing control but have been shown to have resistance in certain areas, limiting their effective use. Pyrethroids and neonicotinoids should be avoided since they can flare thrips populations.
  • Okra is still being planted, and fields that were planted a little early could have a harvest in the next few weeks.
  • Squash and zucchini are looking great and are being harvested at good volumes. Squash bugs continue to be an issue. I am seeing lots of eggs and nymphs at this time in the season. Assail (acetamiprid) is effective against the egg and nymph stages and has a 0-day PHI.
Squash bug nymphs in the first instar after hatching from their eggs on a cucumber leaf

Squash bug nymphs in the first instar after hatching from their eggs on a cucumber leaf. The first instar is light green in color and becomes a darker grey as it matures.
Brittney King, ©2024, Clemson Extension

Upstate

Andy Rollins

  • Vegetable crops are looking good across Upstate.
  • We’re beginning to harvest cucumbers and have been harvesting squash and zucchini for weeks. We’re finding some spotted cucumber beetle but none of the associated bacterial wilt. No powdery or downy mildew to speak of at this point.
  • Tomato harvest hasn’t started, at least not in the larger plantings. We are having some root and crown issues in tomatoes, made worse by the excessive rain.
  • Many strawberry growers are continuing to harvest to make do with a shorter than normal crop, which we believe is due to environmental conditions.
  • Peach harvest is going well with excellent fruit. The size of some varieties is off, but the seeds are undamaged. Dr. Juan Carlos Melgar is investigating this issue.
Cucumber harvest is beginning in the Upstate.

Cucumber harvest is beginning in the Upstate.
Andy Rollins, ©2024, Clemson Extension

Spotted cucumber beetles are showing up in cucurbits.

Spotted cucumber beetles are showing up in cucurbits.
Andy Rollins, ©2024, Clemson Extension

If this document didn’t answer your questions, please contact HGIC at hgic@clemson.edu or 1-888-656-9988.

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