Pansy ­ Protecting Fall Pansies By Nancy Rechcigl, Syngenta Technical Services

Production of pansies for the fall market begins during late summer, when insect and disease pressure is high. Knowing the key disease and insect problemsyou may encounter can help you be prepared with preventive and corrective measures to ensure success of a high quality crop.

Foliar Diseases

Cercospora leafspot

Infections begin as small, purple­black spots on the older leaves. As spots enlarge, they will develop brown­tan centers with dark, purple margins that have a distinct feathery appearance. Infected leaves will turn yellow, shrivel and drop as the disease progresses.

Anthracnose

Infections begin as small, tan spots with a solid dark, thick border, often along the leaf margin. A concentric ring pattern may develop creating light tan colored spots with papery centers which are slightly sunken appearance. Spots may coalesce creating blighted areas of tissue. Under humid conditions, reproductive structures of the fungus will form and appear as tiny, black, pepper­like spots scattered throughout the paperylesion. This disease also can progress to petioles and stems, resulting in plant death.

Botrytis

Pansy blooms are highly susceptible to infection. Initial infections will cause small, white spots or flecking on flower petals. Under extended periods of cool temperatures and high humidity, the disease can quickly progress, destroying blooms and other parts of the plant.

Foliar Disease Management Strategy

Cultural tactics that help minimize leaf wetness, along with proper sanitation practices and preventive fungicides are all important for controlling thesefoliar diseases. The following fungicides can be used in a preventive rotation to protect against the diseases described above:

Daconil Ultrex®fungicide 1.4lbs/100 gal Heritage® fungicide1­2oz/100 gal Palladium® fungicide 4­6oz/100 gal

Once blooms are present, do not use Daconil® fungicide as this can damage flowers.

Root & Stem Rots

Infections by these pathogens generally results in plants that are stunted, wilt during the heat of the day, exhibit signs of nutritional deficiencies andat times, results in the death of the plant. Reducing the chance of infections starts with a clean growing area, utilizing good cultural and sanitationpractices and reducing heat stress on the plants. A laboratory confirmation of root and stem diseases is always advised because symptoms are oftenindistinguishable.

Rhizoctonia Root & Stem Rot

Infections commonly start at the soil line causing a dark brown discoloration of the lower stem. As the disease progresses, the stem will become girdled, causing the plant to wilt and collapse. Rooted liners that are planted too deeply are more prone to infection. High temperatures and saturated media conditions can also promote disease. Drench with Medallion® WDGfungicide at 1 oz/100 gal. Reapply after 21 days or rotate with a thiophanate methyl product such as Cleary's 3336® WP or OHP6672™ WP fungicides at 1 lb/100 gal if needed.

Pythium Root & Stem Rot

Roots that are stressed and damaged are highly susceptible to infections. Avoid injury to roots through oversaturated media, heat stress, high salts/EC in planting media or a combination of these conditions. Drench applications ofSubdue Maxx® fungicide 1 oz/100gal and Truban® WP 8 oz/100 gal can be rotated and used on a 4 week interval to prevent Pythium infections. If growers have a history of fungal root rot problems early in the season, a tank mixes of the various products above to give broad spectrumpreventative control. Products such as Hurricane® WDG or Banrot® fungicides are premix fungicides that provide broad spectrum control of Pythium spp., Rhizoctonia spp., and otherfungal root rot diseases.

Black Root Rot(Thielaviopsis basicola)

Tends to be more of a problem when cooler temperatures are prevalent. Plants will be stunted and have yellow lower foliage. Roots will have dark lesions or black in appearance and remain intact. Alkaline soil conditions favor disease development. Maintaining a lower pH of 5.5­5.8 can help suppress this disease. Preventive drench rotations using as Cleary's 3336® WP or OHP 6672™ WP at 1 lb/100 gal, Medallion® WDGat 1­2oz/100 gal and Terraguard® 75 WP fungicide at 4­6 oz/100 gal on a 21 day interval are used to prevent this disease.

Pest Problems

Aphids and Whitefly are the primary pests that occur during fall pansy production. Periodically check the undersides of the leaves where these pests can hide. Spray applications of Endeavor®insecticide at 5oz/100 gal orFlagship® 25WG insecticide at4oz/100 gal can be used to control both insect pests and will provide 3­4 weeks of control, respectively. Thrips can also injure pansies late in production when blooms are present. Use yellow or blue sticky cards to monitor activity along with general scouting. Spray applications of Pansy ­ Protecting Fall Pansies By Nancy Rechcigl, Syngenta Technical Services

Production of pansies for the fall market begins during late summer, when insect and disease pressure is high. Knowing the key disease and insect problemsyou may encounter can help you be prepared with preventive and corrective measures to ensure success of a high quality crop.

Foliar Diseases

Cercospora leafspot

Infections begin as small, purple­black spots on the older leaves. As spots enlarge, they will develop brown­tan centers with dark, purple margins that have a distinct feathery appearance. Infected leaves will turn yellow, shrivel and drop as the disease progresses.

Anthracnose

Infections begin as small, tan spots with a solid dark, thick border, often along the leaf margin. A concentric ring pattern may develop creating light tan colored spots with papery centers which are slightly sunken appearance. Spots may coalesce creating blighted areas of tissue. Under humid conditions, reproductive structures of the fungus will form and appear as tiny, black, pepper­like spots scattered throughout the paperylesion. This disease also can progress to petioles and stems, resulting in plant death.

Botrytis

Pansy blooms are highly susceptible to infection. Initial infections will cause small, white spots or flecking on flower petals. Under extended periods of cool temperatures and high humidity, the disease can quickly progress, destroying blooms and other parts of the plant.

Foliar Disease Management Strategy

Cultural tactics that help minimize leaf wetness, along with proper sanitation practices and preventive fungicides are all important for controlling thesefoliar diseases. The following fungicides can be used in a preventive rotation to protect against the diseases described above:

Daconil Ultrex®fungicide 1.4lbs/100 gal Heritage® fungicide1­2oz/100 gal Palladium® fungicide 4­6oz/100 gal

Once blooms are present, do not use Daconil® fungicide as this can damage flowers.

Root & Stem Rots

Infections by these pathogens generally results in plants that are stunted, wilt during the heat of the day, exhibit signs of nutritional deficiencies andat times, results in the death of the plant. Reducing the chance of infections starts with a clean growing area, utilizing good cultural and sanitationpractices and reducing heat stress on the plants. A laboratory confirmation of root and stem diseases is always advised because symptoms are oftenindistinguishable.

Rhizoctonia Root & Stem Rot

Infections commonly start at the soil line causing a dark brown discoloration of the lower stem. As the disease progresses, the stem will become girdled, causing the plant to wilt and collapse. Rooted liners that are planted too deeply are more prone to infection. High temperatures and saturated media conditions can also promote disease. Drench with Medallion® WDGfungicide at 1 oz/100 gal. Reapply after 21 days or rotate with a thiophanate methyl product such as Cleary's 3336® WP or OHP6672™ WP fungicides at 1 lb/100 gal if needed.

Pythium Root & Stem Rot

Roots that are stressed and damaged are highly susceptible to infections. Avoid injury to roots through oversaturated media, heat stress, high salts/EC in planting media or a combination of these conditions. Drench applications ofSubdue Maxx® fungicide 1 oz/100gal and Truban® WP 8 oz/100 gal can be rotated and used on a 4 week interval to prevent Pythium infections. If growers have a history of fungal root rot problems early in the season, a tank mixes of the various products above to give broad spectrumpreventative control. Products such as Hurricane® WDG or Banrot® fungicides are premix fungicides that provide broad spectrum control of Pythium spp., Rhizoctonia spp., and otherfungal root rot diseases.

Black Root Rot(Thielaviopsis basicola)

Tends to be more of a problem when cooler temperatures are prevalent. Plants will be stunted and have yellow lower foliage. Roots will have dark lesions or black in appearance and remain intact. Alkaline soil conditions favor disease development. Maintaining a lower pH of 5.5­5.8 can help suppress this disease. Preventive drench rotations using as Cleary's 3336® WP or OHP 6672™ WP at 1 lb/100 gal, Medallion® WDGat 1­2oz/100 gal and Terraguard® 75 WP fungicide at 4­6 oz/100 gal on a 21 day interval are used to prevent this disease.

Pest Problems

Aphids and Whitefly are the primary pests that occur during fall pansy production. Periodically check the undersides of the leaves where these pests can hide. Spray applications of Endeavor®insecticide at 5oz/100 gal orFlagship® 25WG insecticide at4oz/100 gal can be used to control both insect pests and will provide 3­4 weeks of control, respectively. Thrips can also injure pansies late in production when blooms are present. Use yellow or blue sticky cards to monitor activity along with general scouting. Spray applications of