Browse Weeds, Diseases and Pests Stories

472 results found for Weeds, Diseases and Pests
A seldom recognized and underappreciated benefit of community clean-up programs is the permanent elimination of larval mosquito habitats. Some of the most common mosquito pests around the world develop in the containers, litter, debris and used tires that are commonly collected during a clean-up event. CAES News
Community Mosquito Management
Spring is approaching and now is a great time to schedule a community clean-up event. These events can be organized by citizens, civic groups or local governments and often have a theme or targeted area in a town or community. Clean-up events provide many benefits to a community including raising the awareness of litter prevention, developing pride in our communities and restoring the natural environment.
SilverleafWhitefly CAES News
Whitefly Research
A multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences recently renewed a $4 million contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service to build upon their previous work to develop targeted interventions to mitigate the impact of silverleaf whiteflies on vegetable production in the Southeast. UGA entomologist Allen Moore leads the research team in collaboration with USDA ARS in Charleston, South Carolina.
Fig1 Cucurbit anthracnose web CAES News
USDA Cucurbit Grant
Seven East Coast states harvested nearly 102,000 acres of watermelon and cucumber in 2019 and 2020, representing more than 62% ($410 million) and 45% ($180 million) of the U.S. production of the two crops, respectively. Growers of cucurbits — which include melons, pumpkin, squash and cucumbers — face numerous challenges in production, leading to decreased profitability and less produce on grocery shelves.
Image submitted by Melissa Mitchum showing SCN impact in field and under microscope. CAES News
SCN Resistant Cultivars
Plant-parasitic nematodes cause billions of dollars in annual yield losses and represent a major impediment to meeting the challenge of feeding an ever-growing global population. One plant-parasitic nematode, the soybean cyst nematode, has been a long-standing focus of research and innovation in the Melissa G. Mitchum Lab at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Orange spores emerge from southern rust pustules on a corn leaf. The fungal spores associated with this disease can be carried long distances on wind currents from surrounding states. (Submitted photo) CAES News
Southern Corn Rust
The first cases of southern corn rust for the 2023 growing season were discovered on Tuesday, June 20 and Wednesday June 21 in Clinch and Grady Counties , along the Georgia-Florida line. University of Georgia Extension experts are encouraging producers to be diligent in scouting for the fast-spreading disease among their corn crops.
Cool spring temperatures have increased the incidence of the Asian Bush Mosquito, Aedes japonicus, which thrives in cool temperatures, however the species is not typically an aggressive of a biter, so its populations are not as noticeable. CAES News
Mosquito Control
Whether it was Punxsutawney Phil or the Old Farmer’s Almanac, somebody got it right because, after a relatively mild winter, it’s been a cool spring across the Southeast. Even as summer approaches, these cool temperatures have provided some relief on both the air conditioning bill and the mosquito front.
IMG 2016 CAES News
Micro Roses
Roses are red … and dozens of cultivated hues. Whatever their colors, they are among the most popular flower throughout the year for many consumers, from long-stemmed Valentine’s bouquets and Mother’s Day arrangements to a bounty of varieties available for planting in landscapes during the summer and fall.
(L to R)Dan Suiter, Orkin Professor of Urban Entomology and UGA Extension; entomologist Freeman Elliott, recently retired Orkin president and member of the CAES Advisory Council; Nick Place, CAES dean and director; Kris Braman, head of CAES Department of Entomology. (Photo by Lavi Astacio) CAES News
Orkin Partnership
Dan Suiter, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension entomologist and well-known expert in addressing the needs of pest control operators, has been named the Orkin Professor of Urban Entomology at UGA. Orkin, an industry leader in pest control services and protection, has created the endowment to help strengthen the entomology program in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Kissing Bug Starved and Engorged CAES News
Faculty Award Winner
Kevin Vogel, an assistant professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia, has received a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award from the National Science Foundation. Supported by the more than $1 million CAREER grant, Vogel and his team will spend the next five years building upon the still-limited body of research regarding the symbiotic relationship between kissing bugs and a highly specified bacterium that resides in their gut.
All mosquitoes require standing water for their larval and pupal stages to develop. As a result, any standing water that can be eliminated now is one less site where pest populations can develop when temperatures warm in the coming weeks. CAES News
Mosquito Season Prep
As January transitions to February, few of us are thinking about mosquitoes and the multitude of problems they can cause when spring arrives. But with January rain totals well above normal across the Southeast, it is a good time to take inventory of where standing water is holding and what can be done to eliminate it.