IPM Notes for June 27, 2013

Pheromone Trap Reports

Trap #1, Black Cutworm – Earwig – 1; black cutworm – 1; European chafer – 1; lady bug – 1.

Trap #2, Corn EarWorm – Corn earworm – 2; noctuid – 5; European chafer – 1.

Trap #3, European Corn Borer – Bumble bee – 26; European chafer – 1; corn rootworm – 1.

Trap #4, Fall Army Worm – Fall armyworm – 2; cereal leaf beetle – 4.

Setting pheromone trap

Helios Trap Contents

earwig – 3
bumble bee – 4
striped cucumber beetle – 1
cabbage looper – 1

Examining contents of helios trap

Field Corn

• All the rain we are having is draining the soil nutrients. Some corn is firing, leaves yellowing at bottom, brown (dead) in middle of leaf. Firing starts with an inverted “V” in the leaf. When loosing nitrogen, leaves are yellow and green. When the stalk is getting yellow, which will weaken it, the stalk will snap off when the weight of the corn is on it. 50-60 pounds of nitrogen were put down the weekend of June 22.

• Corn does not grow in temperatures over 90 degrees. 

• Corn is at 8 leaf stage (V-8 – vegetative growth 8). 

• When hail hits corn, it strips the leaves completely and the corn will have no crop. 

• Reddish color brace roots were observed on the top of the soil and over the root ball. These hold the corn in the soil.

• Insects damaging to corn: Flea beetle – causes Stewart’s Wilt, usually when corn is under a foot high.

• Cereal leaf beetle – feeds on veins causing slits; if there are 10 or more per plant, there could be severe damage to the corn. Cereal leaf beetle is usually on wheat; migrating to corn and now laying eggs on leaves.

• Overall, corn looks good

Popcorn

• Two varieties, red and yellow, planted next to field corn a few days ago. 

• The wet spots are showing saturated soil causing nitrogen to leach and the corn will not germinate.

Sweet Corn

• Sixteen rows of corn were planted; each a different variety.

• To estimate number of corn plants per acre: measure 17.5 feet and count the number of plants in that space and count the number of 17.5” rows. Multiply that by 1000. (25 plants in a 17.5” row = $25K plants/acre; if 21 plants = 21K plants/acre)

• The sweet corn is planted in time blocks so it produces corn for the market each week.

• The large space between the rows is so the corn can be fertilized.

• Silver Queen corn no longer exists but the name is synonymous with sweet corn. Many varieties have replaced silver queen such as Argent or Supersweet which are not know to the public; so, for marketing purposes farmers advertise they are selling Silver Queen. These new varieties have a gene that keeps it sweet longer (7-10 days) so it stays fresher/sweeter in supermarkets.

Soybeans

• Some plants have bacterial disease with the yellowing.

• Nodules on roots are pink 

• Plants are at 5 leaf stage (V-5).

• If weather gets really hot soybeans abort their flowers; when it is cooler they will flower again. 

• Soybeans flower by the amount of daylight and shut down when the days are shorter. They have maturity groups. The group range in the Burlington County area is 2.8 to 4.2; 2.8 beans are ready in September and 4.2 are ready in October.

Wheat

• Not resprouting yet; the radical is not coming out. If there is sponginess is in the grain, wheat is not ready to be harvested. The grain must be hard. 

• Awn wheat has spikes (hairs) on each grain. Deer do not like to eat it with the spikes sticking them in the face. There are two kinds of wheat – awn and awnless.

• When wheat is harvested, it is sent to market in bushels. An average bushel weighs 60 pounds; it may be lighter 5 pounds or so because of rain causing mold spores and micro toxins on the wheat. Mold spores cause the wheat heads to be empty of grain so the bushel is lighter and must be mixed with good wheat. Some micro toxins are toxic to humans and animals.

•  Mold spores on the wheat cause the top of the plant to be darker, it has no grain, there are no roots and the stalk is hard. Several plants were noted with the darker tops.

Demonstration Gardens

• Peppers like to dry out so the mulch was pushed away from the plants. The leaves were sprayed with Epsom salts which makes magnesium and greens them. Use 1 teaspoon per gallon of water. Spray once or twice only per season.

Pepper plants

• Tomatoes should not be watered with Miracle Grow. It makes the plants grow tall without fruit. On the tomato insect sticky paper were a slug and Syrphid flies (hoverflies). Hoverflies help pollinate. Leafhoppers on the plants suck the sap out of the leaves and cause them to curl. Several plants had curled leaves. Leafhoppers spread viruses and tomatoes are susceptible to viruses. Leafhoppers love alfalfa and tomatoes and hops are close to alfalfa. Of the three systems used for tomatoes, the stake or trellis is nice for picking. This system is used commercially. Suckers should not be pruned from the tomatoes. As the plants grow, additional string rows should be added to the stakes. The effect of the straw laid around the tomatoes should be checked regarding disease on the plants.

Examining tomato demo plot

• Hops are yellowing from leafhopper damage.

• Quinoa seed replanted in half of the garden.

Special thanks to Marylin for the IPM notes and Ramona for the photographs.