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May 4, 2012

ABOUT THE NEWSLETTER Welcome to Alabama Cooperative Extension System

(ACES) where we are committed to providing you research-based

information. The main purpose of this newsletter is to provide

readers information about critical crop production and pest man-

agement information for field crops grown in Alabama. This

newsletter promotes sustainable agriculture, i.e., successful

farming without depleting natural resources so that future

generations can have productive land for food production.

Currently, there are about 600 subscribers (as of April 2011) and

many commercial websites that cross-post this newsletter online

resulting in a wider readership. Readers can also download or

view the newsletter at ACES Store (https://store.aces.edu/

ListItems.aspx?CategoryID=180). There is a multi-institutional

editorial board that works swiftly each week to electronically de-

liver the newsletter every FRIDAY during the summer months

(typically from May to September). Research and Extension per-

sonnel from all educational institution in Alabama can submit crop

production and protection articles of high relevance for immediate

release to the audience; authors should pay attention to the guide-

lines for format and submission deadlines (Wednesdays) on the

last page of this newsletter. Readers from States beyond Alabama

should check with their university Extension before using any rec-

ommendation. To subscribe, please email a short request to bug-

doctor@auburn.edu. Once your name is added to the list , you

will get a welcome message from the IPM COMM Listserv.

Editorial Board:

Chief Editor: Ayanava Majumdar “Dr. A” – Extension Entomolo-

gist & State Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education Co-

ordinator, Auburn Univ.

Board members:

Henry Fadamiro – Associate Professor of Entomology & Plant

Pathology Department, State IPM Coordinator, Auburn Univ.

Clement Akotsen-Mensah – Research Associate, Entomology &

Plant Pathology Department, Auburn Univ.

Cathy Sabota – Professor of Horticulture, Alabama A&M Univ.

Conrad Bonsi – Professor and Associate Dean, Tuskegee Univ.

Author guidelines are provided on the last page of this newsletter.

Articles may be delayed for publication if they are not in the rec-

ommended format.

Vol. 3, No. 2

A Comprehensive IPM Newsletter for food

and fiber producers across Alabama!

IN THIS ISSUE…

General Announcements

Welcome to all subscribers!

Important Changes to Newsletter

Subscribe to Peanut & Vegetable IPM on Facebook

Alabama Master Gardener Program

Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network

AFVGA Launches the Facebook Page

IPM news

Early Season Corn Fungicides

Disease Alert: Boxwood Blight

Watch for IPM Field Events

Insect Alert: Rose Chafer Damage to Grapes

Drain Fly and “Gnats” in Home

IPM in Organic Vegetable Production

Extension Events

Guidelines for Authors ARCHIVE

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Ayanava Majumdar,

Extension Entomologist

SUBSCRIBE TO IPM ALERTS VIA FACEBOOK & YOUTUBE!

If you love your smart phone, then you will love the use of social media for IPM information. You can see insect

pest outbreak and scouting reports on Facebook and YouTube FREE OF COST! For joining IPM pages on Face-

book, please login with your account and then look for the pages listed below. Click the LIKE button to subscribe

to pest alerts.

FACEBOOK CHANNELS: For peanut producers: ‘ALABAMA PEANUT IPM PROGRAM’

For vegetable producers & gardeners: ‘ALABAMA VEGETABLE IPM’

YOUTUBE CHANNEL (IPMNEWS): http://www.youtube.com/user/IPMNews

Make sure you sign-up for Extension IPM workshops and field days close to you for hands-on crop production and

pest management training.

WELCOME BACK!

This is the first issue of the 2012 IPM COMMUNICATOR newsletter that will be delivered electronically to about

600 subscribers each week every Fridays. The average breakdown of subscribers is as follows: 60% farmers, 15%

crop advisors, 10% industry personnel, 10% Master Gardeners, and 5% others. The circulation of this newsletter

has more than doubled in two years and the 2010 feedback report was a major motivation for us to continue this

publication. Thank you to all subscribers who responded to our survey last year. Here is a glimpse of the feedback

we got from you—the readers!

SOME IMPORTANT CHANGES: We have made slight adjustments to the format of this newsletter in order to quicken production and improve qual-

ity. All new and past edition of the Alabama IPM Communicator are now archived centrally in the ACES Store,

visit https://store.aces.edu/ListItems.aspx?CategoryID=180. Instead of providing full contact information for au-

thors for every article, we encourage you to visit the ACES Directory (http://www.aces.edu/directory/) to look up

names of Extension Teams and Team Members (authors).

For finding a County Extension Office closest to you, please visit http://www.aces.edu/main/# and select a county

from the drop-down menu. The authors are responsible for the accuracy of information and all questions should be

directed to them. The Editorial Board assumes no responsibility on behalf of the authors. Producers should check

the Extension IPM guides and consult a Regional Extension Agent for details about IPM tactics. Check pesticide

label before use. Use of pesticide names in this publication does not mean endorsement of those products. Thank

you for your support.

- EDITORIAL BOARD

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YOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS, WE’VE GOT ANSWERS! When you want to know how to get that colorful annual bed installed and growing,

to whom do you turn for advice? Are you at a loss for solutions to disease and in-

sect problems? If you’ve got gardening questions, we’ve got answers! Call the

Master Gardener Helpline. Trained volunteers are ready, willing, and waiting to

help!

There are 15 Helpline locations throughout the state of Alabama and calls are an-

swered at least one location year-round. In fact, as you read this, Master Gardeners

are manning the phone lines in the Southwest and North Central regions of the

state. Give ‘em a call! They’d love to help you with all your gardening needs.

Dial 1-877-252-GROW (4769) and select your location from the short menu to

receive the most accurate, local information. Below is a list of the menu options so

you will be prepared when you call. If you do not hear your location option in the menu, please select “3” and a

Master Gardener will assist you.

Option Location Included area

1 Southwest from the Gulf Coast to Grove Hill and Greenville

2 Central and East from Anniston to Phenix City; metro Montgomery

3 North Central/West from Clanton to Birmingham; Hamilton & Carrollton

4 Northwest from Decatur/Huntsville to the Shoals & Russellville

5 Northeast from Pell City & Gadsden to Cullman and Scottsboro

6 West area of Demopolis, Greensboro, Selma, & Lowndesboro

7 Southeast area of Andalusia, Dothan, Troy, & Eufaula

CONSIDER JOINING THE ORGANIC MOVEMENT….

JOIN THE ALABAMA SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE NETWORK (ASAN)!

ASAN is working directly throughout the state with farmers, youth and anyone who want to get

into organic and sustainable food production systems. ASAN partners with farmers for success-

ful production of healthy food for local communities. ASAN also works with community food

leaders, community-based organizations and all levels of government to foster development of

viable local food systems, especially through formation of local food policy councils. ASAN is

also a strong partner with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System for educational programs

initiated in 2011 and 2012. These educational classes have benefited over 160 producers in 2012

and will continue to grow due to increasing demand. We’re doing all this mainly through projects funded by vari-

ous USDA agencies and foundations, memberships and donations, and in collaboration with Alabama’s Land-

Grant institutions and the State Department of Agriculture. Any food producer can join with a small membership

fee and/or donation. For more information and to join the organic food movement in Alabama, please visit http://

www.asanonline.org/

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DISEASE ALERT

BOXWOOD BLIGHT – A NEW DISEASE IN THE NURSERY AND LANDSCAPE Within the past few years, boxwood blight, which is characterized by a leaf blight and shoot dieback of several

boxwood (Buxus sp.) species, has jumped the ‘pond’ from England and/or Western Europe to the U.S. either

through the importation (legal or not) of cuttings or container stock. Through the early winter months, this disease

has primarily been found on boxwood in the landscape as well as container and field-grown nursery stock in the

New England and Mid-Atlantic States into more recently Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina. So far, boxwood

blight has not been identified in Alabama. However, the recent discovery of boxwood blight on nursery stock in

Oregon indicates that this disease will be introduced into Alabama nurseries on diseased liners and container stock

as well into landscapes via diseased plants sourced from Mid-Atlantic States. There is considerable field and con-

tainer production of boxwood in North Alabama, while several nurseries produce container-grown plants in the

Baldwin-Mobile area.

Symptoms

The causal fungus Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum (C. buxicola) infects the leaves, shoots, and main stem(s)

of boxwood. On the leaves, early symptoms appear as light to dark brown spots that often have a dark brown bor-

der (Fig. 1A). Leaf spots, which may coalesce to cover much of the leaf surface (Fig. 1B), may eventually exhibit

a zonate or ‘target spot’ pattern. Eventually, badly disease brown or straw-colored leaves are shed leaving the dis-

eased plants almost completely defoliated (Fig. 1C). Brown to reddish-brown colored lesions with tan to light

brown centers form on the shoots and larger stems (Fig. 1D). Later the lesion surfaces as well as the underlying

tissues turn black (Fig. 1E). Boxwood typically does not succumb to boxwood blight. Symptomatic nursery field

or container stock is unattractive and unsalable, while diseased plants in the landscape are unsightly and may not

recover even with appropriate fungicide treatments. Unlike some Cylindrocladium sp. the causal fungus of box-

wood blight does not cause a root rot.

Pathogen Biology

The causal fungus C. pseudonaviculatum readily sporulates on leaves and shoots (Fig 2A). On the leaf under-

sides, a white layer of fruiting structures (sporodochia) on which conidia are produced (Fig. 2B). Similar struc-

tures may also be seen forming on stem lesions (Fig. 2C). The cylindrical, hyaline (clear) conidia are splash dis-

persed short distances to healthy leaves and shoots (Fig. 2D). Long distance spread occurs via the distribution of

‘diseased’ liners and nursery stock, which in reality may appear perfectly healthy until exposed to weather patterns

favoring infection and subsequent symptom development. While disease development may over a wide range of

temperatures up to 86F, ideal temperatures are in the mid-60’s to mid-70’s. Summer afternoon temperatures

above 91F over a week may be lethal to the causal fungus C. pseudonaviculatum. Depending on the location,

disease development on container or field stock in Alabama would most likely occur from mid-fall into mid-spring

during extended periods of wet, mild weather. While winter disease development probably would cease in North

Alabama due to low night temperatures, weather patterns may continue to favor boxwood blight development dur-

ing the winter months near the Gulf Coast. Disease development is also likely to occur all winter in North Ala-

bama on container stock or liners stored in unheated poly houses. Continued on next page...

INDUSTRY PUBLICATION DISCUSSES EARLY SEASON CORN FUNGICIDES This article is a nice summary of work done concerning early fungicide applications on corn. I agree that these

treatments have little value with respect to late season disease control, particularly for southern rust in Alabama.

To read more, visit

https://www.pioneer.com/home/site/us/agronomy/library/template.CONTENT/guid.53C0A4C3-2E0A-EB44-D536

-032F7CA7653F

To read more about corn diseases and fungicide research conducted in 2011 in Alabama, please refer to the follow-

ing ACES Timely Information Sheet: http://www.aces.edu/timelyinfo/PlantPathology/2011/June/pp702.pdf

Austin Hagan,

Extension Plant Pathologist

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Host Range

Boxwood blight has been reported on all cultivar species of boxwood, though there are differences in species and

cultivar susceptibility to this disease. The English boxwood (Buxus sempervierns ‘Suffruticosa’) and American or

common boxwood (B. sempervierns) are likely to suffer from heavy leaf spotting, defoliation, and shoot dieback.

Cultivars of the Korean B. sinica var. insularis), Japanese (B. microphylla var japonica), little leaf (B. microphyl-

la), and hybrid boxwoods (B. sinica var. insularis x B. sempervierns) have identified as hosts of boxwood blight.

Control

For Alabama nursery producers, scouting current stock as well as incoming liners and other plant material for

symptoms will be the key to preventing the accidental introduction of boxwood blight into a field or container

nursery. As previously noted, this disease is being spread on liners, B&B, and container stock from nursery to

nursery as well as from the nursery into home landscapes. Ideally, boxwood stock plants and liners should be

sourced from nurseries in areas of the U.S. where boxwood blight has not yet been found. Alabama propagators

should propagate cuttings taken from healthy stock plants known to be free of boxwood blight and other foliar dis-

eases such as Volutella blight rather than newly purchased plant material. Regardless of the source, all incoming

liners, B&B, and container boxwood stock received by a nursery must be isolated from existing boxwood stocks

and monitored for several weeks when weather patterns favor disease development for foliar symptoms. As a fur-

ther precaution, boxwood blocks, regardless of age and container size, should be scattered around a nursery rather

than located in a single block. Should suspicious leaf spot or blight symptoms appear, immediately send a sample

to the Auburn University Plant Diagnostic Laboratory and isolate disease stock. Should boxwood blight be diag-

nosed, burning and not recycling or composting diseased stock and media. Other sanitation practices that will help

slow disease spread include sanitizing any reused containers as well as collecting and burning fallen leaves and

other boxwood debris. Refer to ANR-359, ‘CONTROL OF DISEASES ON TREES AND SHRUBS’ for additional

information concerning the use of sanitation and other management practices to reduce the risk of disease in con-

tainer and field grown nursery stock.

While fungicides can be used to prevent the spread of boxwood blight to healthy plants, they will not ‘cure’ dis-

eased nursery stock or landscape plants. Ideally, protective fungicide applications should be made to liners during

the rooting process to prevent the accidental introduction and subsequent spread of boxwood blight. Depending on

the location, fungicide treatments may be needed on Alabama-grown boxwood in the spring and fall when mild

and wet weather patterns favor disease development. Along the Gulf Coast, the treatment window for boxwood

blight control may extend through the winter months. Since the fungus can attack all above-grown plant parts,

thorough coverage of the leaves, shoots, and stems with the fungicide mixture will also be critical for control of

boxwood blight.

Currently, little if any information is available concerning the efficacy of available fungicides or the ideal treat-

ment schedule required to control boxwood blight in the U.S. Some possible fungicides for controlling boxwood

blight are listed in this publication. Please refer to the product label for use instructions and restrictions, particular-

ly the target hosts, surfactant guidelines, and re-entry periods. Also, many cleared for use in nurseries and garden

centers are not registered for use in commercial or residential landscapes. Since numerous fungicide screening

trials are likely to be conducted in 2012 for the control of boxwood blight, modifications of the fungicide list are

likely to occur.

For residential landscapes, few fungicides can at this point be suggested for controlling boxwood blight. One of

the many formulations of chlorothalonil or mancozeb may be the best option for the control of this disease on box-

wood in the landscape. For best results, fungicide applications would have to begin either before or just as symp-

toms appear on the leaves. Repeat fungicide applications every 7 to 14 days depending on the fungicide selected

until weather conditions no longer favor disease development. Fungicide treatments will likely have to repeated

every year. As noted above, fungicides may have to be applied in the spring and fall to protect plants from attack

but should be unnecessary during the hotter and usually drier summer months. For severely boxwood blight dam-

aged plants, replacement of boxwood with another evergreen shrub such as a selection of Japanese, Compacta or

other dwarf holly may be necessary.

For the complete article please visit http://www.aces.edu/extcomm/timelyinfo/PlantPathology/2012/April/

BoxwoodBlightTIletterhead.pdf. Several photos of the new disease are provided on the next page.

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Figure 2. Boxwood Blight—A new disease of nursery and landscape A) white layer of sporodochia and condia on the boxwood leaf; B) sporulation on underside of leaf in lesion area; C) close up of sporodochia on dead shoot; and D) cylindrical, hyaline conidia.

Austin Hagan

Extension Plant Pathologist

A

B

C

D

WATCH FOR IPM TRAINING EVENTS THIS SUMMER! In Spring 2012, ACES Regional Extension Agents (REAs) completed a

record number of horticulture crop production & IPM training work-

shops at various locations across the state. Remember, IPM covers in-

sect, disease and weed management. The workshops were catered to the

training needs of conventional AND organic producers. In other words,

the ACES Commercial Horticulture Team has now separate programs

for you in order to provide more in-depth training and to make a greater

impact (increase technology adoption).

At present, the REAs are planning the hands-on IPM Field Days and

there could be an event near you! An easy way to stay updated is to

subscribe to the newsletter sent out by REAs and subscribe to the Ala-

bama Vegetable IPM page on Facebook. If you are subscribed to the Alabama IPM Communicator weekly news-

letter (visit https://store.aces.edu/ListItems.aspx?CategoryID=180), then you are already receiving pest alerts and

messages from the IPM team. These are some of the many ways the ACES Commercial Horticulture Team is

reaching to many producers in Alabama and across the state line. Stay tuned!

Ayanava Majumdar, Extension Entomologist

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INSECT ALERT

ROSE CHAFER DAMAGE TO GRAPES High spring temperatures caused an early rose chafer (Macrodactylus subspinosus Fabricius) development in vine-

yards this season. Rose chafer adults attack grapes at bloom as they emerge from the soil. Not only do they destroy

the fruit at blossom, in addition, they frequently skeletonize the leaves,

leaving only the large veins intact. This insect is especially abundant in

areas of light, sandy soil where beetles may appear suddenly as grapes

begin to bloom.

The adult rose chafer is a tan, slender, about 0.5 inches in length beetle

with a straw-colored body with black undersurface, a reddish head and

long, spiny, reddish legs (image on right). The female is somewhat more

robust than the male. The wings do not quite cover the abdomen. Eggs of

the rose chafer are oval, white, shiny in appearance, and about 1 to 2 mm

long. Larvae are C-shaped white grubs that resemble a May beetle larva,

but are smaller - up to 18 mm in length and more slender. Larvae are

found in sandy soil feeding on grass roots. The light yellow-brown pupa is 16 mm long and has the last larval skin

clinging to the posterior.

Life Cycle

Although the adult rose chafers become active in northeastern North America from late May to early June, we

observed them to emerge in early May in North Alabama vineyards during the last few years. The adults appear

suddenly. Beetles feed and mate soon after emerging from the soil and it is common to see mating pairs in the

newly formed grape clusters. Females deposit eggs singly a few centimeters below the soil surface. Mating and

egg laying occur continuously for about two weeks with each female depositing 24 to 36 eggs. The average

lifespan of the adult is about three weeks. Approximately two weeks after being deposited, eggs hatch into grubs.

The larvae feed on the roots of grasses, weeds, grains, and other plants throughout the summer, becoming fully

developed by autumn. Larvae move downward in the soil as soil temperatures decline and form an earthen cell in

which they overwinter. In the spring, larvae return to the soil surface, feed for

a short time, and pupate in May. After two weeks in the pupal stage the adults

emerge and crawl to the soil surface to begin their cycle again. There is one

generation per year.

Damage Symptoms

The adult rose chafer attacks the flowers (image on right), buds, foliage, and

fruit of numerous plants including grape, rose, strawberry, peach, cherry, ap-

ple, raspberry, blackberry, pear, hydrangea, clover, and many more plants,

trees, and shrubs. Adults emerge about the time of grape bloom and often

cause extensive damage to foliage. Blossom buds are often completely de-

stroyed, resulting in little or no grape production. Feeding activity on various plants may continue for four to six

weeks. Damage can be especially heavy in sandy areas. A toxin present in the beetles may kill poultry.

Monitoring

Scouting for this pest within your vineyard should begin in April. Newly emerged adults may be found feeding

upon young grape buds and foliage. If adult insect numbers reach 2 beetles per vine, control methods should be

utilized. Monitoring may also be conducted by utilizing the attractant developed for rose chafer. Traps should be

placed around the perimeter and dissecting the vineyard. For monitoring purposes these traps may be spaced every

100 ft. and should be checked daily for newly emerged chafers. Control methods should be considered if beetles

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ROSE CHAFER DAMAGE TO GRAPES (CONTD.)

Management

When only a few beetles are present one may handpick them from the plant and destroy them. Where populations

are large and pose a threat to the grape crop, massive trapping may be a safe alternative to applying insecticide.

The desired effect of mass trapping, which is to bring the beetle population to below threshold level, is usually

achieved after a couple years of trapping. Chemical control methods should be utilized when beetle pressure ex-

ceeds an average of two beetles per vine.

Recommended Links (copy paste in browser)

http://ipm.ncsu.edu/AG189/html/Rose_Chafer.HTML

http://www.extension.org/pages/31601/rose-chafer

Elina Coneva

Extension Fruit Crops Specialist

DRAIN FLY AND “GNATS” IN HOME Fungus gnats and drain flies are often the nuisance pest in home. These are both flies, with several species in each

basic grouping, and their common names are given to them for good reason.

There are some similarities and differences between drain flies and fungus gnats.

Similarities: Both groups are small creature, live and breed in moist organic materials. They do not have the abil-

ity to bite or otherwise harm us and animals, simply a nuisance pest.

Differences:

Fungus gnats (in picture) can manage to breed in simply damp condi-

tions where tiny bits of mildew or mold may grow. Fungus gnats are

some of our tiniest flies, with thin, dark bodies that end in a point and a

pair of tiny, clear wings. The larvae will feed on mildew and fungi of some

sort the adult flies look for the damp conditions that will grow this food

resource.

Inside the home a common place to find perfect conditions for fungus

gnats will be house plants, more specifically the soils these plants grow

in. There may be other possibilities indoors as well, such as areas beneath

or around leaking plumbing, perhaps under the kitchen sink or, worse,

within walls where pipes and fittings may have begun to leak. It could be

carpets or other flooring below windows that are leaking rainwater inside,

catch pans under the fridge, mildew growing on or below a window sill

that has condensation dripping down off the window continually in the winter.

Drain flies (image next page) need a much larger buildup of organic materials to breed. Drain fly is also

called a “moth” fly, because it has wide and hairy wings resemble a tiny, gray moth, though it has only one pair of

wings (real moth has 2 pairs of wings). Drain fly is tiny, usually no larger than 1/8 inch. Inside home, common

places are sink, floor, or bathtub drains, as hair and many other things get washed into sinks there eventually

will be an accumulation that could even become a complete plug in that drain (photo 3). Another coomon breed-

ing habitat is the inaccessible “overflow drain” where overflowing water gets into through the overflow hole in

the sink. These areas remain continually wet, with organic buildup coating the sides of the pipes below the sink,

and drain flies look at this as just heavenly.

Continued on next page...

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DRAIN FLIES AND “GNATS” IN HOME (CONTD.)

Control: For control of these gnats and most other nuisance flies we cannot

focus on controlling the adult fly. There is no reason to set off bug "bombs" in

the home, and very little reason to use other kinds of aerosol foggers to spray

in the air.

Effort should focus on identify and eliminate the conditions that allow them to

breed and live. Otherwise, the flies will be quickly replaced by new flies com-

ing from larval habitat.

Gnat control, obviously, is to eliminate the water problem, for it definitely is a

"problem" that needs to be corrected.

Drain flies are controlled by cleaning the drains or other areas of or-

ganic buildup, especially the over-flow drain and build-ups. There are

not harsh and dangerous drain cleaners, but are products that use bacterial

or enzymatic action to actually eat the organic buildup and allow it to be

washed away. It may take a few days to a week, but the result is far friendli-

er to the environment and to your family than the use of caustic cleaners.

Also pesticide use is not encouraged in control of these nuisance flies.

There are gel products on market but none products are more efficient than

Eliminating Breeding Habitats in home.

Credits: all the photos are downloaded from Google-Image.

Xing Ping Hu

Extension Entomologist

IPM IN ORGANIC VEGETABLE PRODUCTION This article briefly describes some basic approaches to organic crop pro-

duction and pest management. The first step to pest management starts with

pest monitoring & scouting. Remember, pest prevention should be the IPM

goal in organic cropping system not pest control. Don’t try to control 100%

of the pest populations, try alternative integrated pest management tactics

to reduce the onslaught of insects and prevent buildup.

Grow vigorous vegetable varieties! Organic crop production is harder

than conventional system, and one of the best pest management tools for the organic gardeners is choosing the

right plant variety for your garden. Choose vigorous crop hybrids with multiple disease and insect resistance,

when available. This will reduce dependence on insecticides that are generally quite expensive.

Organic producers should use cultural control tactics. Use mechanical and cultural insect control tactics first to

reduce or repel insects on crops. For example, use trap cropping and companion planting to confuse insects from

finding your crop. You can use pieces of bird nets and row covers to cover fruits and stem portions to reduce

squash bug and vine borers. Stem collars and nets may also work well to keep cutworms away.

Apply living insecticides the right way! Organic insecticides are often slow acting or don’t last very long after

application. Insecticides like Bacillus thruringiensis (DiPel) and Beauveria bassiana (Mycotrol-O) applied on top

of leaves may die quickly from direct solar radiation and high temperature. Botanical insecticides, like neem and

pyrethrin, are also susceptible to solar radiation and rainfall. Therefore, it is recommended to apply above insecti-

cides to the underside of leaves (during evening hours) in order to extend the life of products. It is also a good idea

to treat the bottom stems and soil at the plant base with insecticides in order to contaminate insects jumping off the

plant as you spray.

Continued on next page...

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IPM IN ORGANIC VEGETABLE PRODUCTION (CONTD.)

Rotate insecticides! Not all organic insecticides are safe to beneficial insect, so

choose insecticides carefully and apply timely for maximum effectiveness. Make

sure that you also rotate insecticides to prevent resistance buildup (YES, insects can

become resistant to some organic insecticides). Commercial organic producers

should purchase OMRI-approved industrial formulations instead of over the counter

gardening products in order to get strong and effective formulations that can be

applied using small equipment. Organic producers should also consult their certify-

ing agency to ensure compliance with the National Organic Program Standards

(NOP) for pest management and get a list of approved pesticides.

Want to know more about the NOP pest management recommendations? Then stay tuned for the next issue of this

newsletter AND come to organic production field events! Contact a Regional Extension Agent today.

Ayanava Majumdar

Extension Entomologist

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EXTENSION EVENTS

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For more information please visit: www.website.com

ABOUT IPM COMMUNICATOR (contd. from page 1)

Archive: All editions of newsletter will be archived on ACES Publication, Alabama IPM Center, and many other public websites.

Please contact the article author/s for additional information. The Editorial Board does not assume responsibility for any technical arti-

cle or information published in this newsletter.

CALL FOR EXTENSION ARTICLES

Sections: IPM Communicator has many sections such as Entomology, IPM in Forestry, IPM for the Home & Garden, IPM in

Schools & Urban Areas, Plant Pathology, Weed Control, and News Around the State. All sections may not appear in each edition

if there were no submissions from authors. Additional sections may be created to accommodate critical news articles.

Author guidelines:

The IPM COMMUNICATOR is emailed weekly every Friday to hundreds of subscribers. Articles must be received by Wednesday of

each week to allow compilation and release. Use the format of published articles in this newsletter to develop your article. Please

email finished articles to the Chief Editor in MICROSOFT WORD. Color pictures can be included in the article if it enhances the read-

ability; authors must provide pictures and send information about the image source/s. SEND PICTURES SEPARATELY ATTACHED

IN YOUR EMAIL. Email completed article to bugdoctor@auburn.edu.

Articles should be written in easily understandable format; short articles will facilitate rapid reading by audience who typically scan

publications for information. Long technical articles will not be published in newsletter unless it is a key story. The editor reserves the

right to modify articles to fit newsletter format without affecting the technical details. Announcements for upcoming events is also

published in the newsletter.

Suggestions for improvement: Editorial board is always open to suggestions. Please email or call 251-331-8416 to provide your input

to the Editorial board.

New subscription: Please email a request to bugdoctor@auburn.edu. Thank you for your support.

For past editions of this newsletter, visit the ACES Store https://store.aces.edu/ListItems.aspx?CategoryID=180.

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