The last two winters in the Southeast have been fairly mild, and extension specialists in Georgia have linked this to an onslaught of whiteflies during the last two growing seasons. If winter is mild, more whiteflies are able to survive the winter and add to crop woes in the next growing season. With a La Niña expected to bring milder than normal conditions in the next winter, that could mean a continuation of the pattern that allows whiteflies to live and attack next year’s crop. Farmers will have to be very vigilant about watching for whitefly infestations and staying on top of treatments for them as the next growing season begins. You can read more at Vegetable and Specialty Crop News at https://vscnews.com/vegetable-growers-face-whitefly-challenges/.
