Blaauw

  • Greetings everyone, I hope this post finds everyone well. I am part of a new working group that is attempting to improve pest management through mating disruption technologies. However, before we can do that, we need to better understand growers’ needs and perception of mating disruption. As such, if you have a little extra time,…

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  • San Jose scale: San Jose scale has been a little quiet this year…almost too quiet. This heatwave has probably slowed their development down a little bit, so I am anticipating seeing an increase in activity soon. This timing may be particularly important for blocks that have had a history of scale problems. Looking at the…

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  • Good afternoon everyone, we have started to see some San Jose scale crawler activity in middle GA. With the relatively cool spring weather we have been having, the first large peak of San Jose scale crawler activity is going to be similarly timed compared to last year, which I anticipate to occur within approximately 7-10…

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  • Scale Management Update 2022

    The above 50°F weather makes for a lovely day, but the scale insects enjoy it too, becoming developmentally active above 51°F. That means it is a good time to nip these guys in the bud. For delayed dormant timing, apply dormant horticultural oil at a rate of 1.5% oil to water. It is recommended to apply…

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  • I just wanted to let everyone know that the 2022 peach guides have been updated and are now available online: https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B1171&title=Southeastern%20Peach,%20Nectarine,%20and%20Plum%20Pest%20Management%20and%20Culture%20Guide The physical copies have been printed, so they should be available soon. In the mean time if you have any questions before then, please let me know. Thank you everyone, ~Brett

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  • As many of you may have already heard, the EPA has decided to ban the use of chlorpyrifos (e.g. Lorsban) for use in food production. While chlorpyrifos has been on the chopping block for many years, yesterday’s announcement came as quite the surprise. For more information, please see the EPA’s official statement here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-takes-action-address-risk-chlorpyrifos-and-protect-childrens-health Unfortunately,…

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  • You Mite Have a Problem…

    Hello everyone, With the hot, dry weather we were having in May, I have received some reports of mites flaring up in orchards. This is unfortunately not surprising as hot, dry weather is perfect for mite reproduction and development. Hopefully, the rain we have been having we knock back populations, but just in case we…

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