WHAT’S HAPPENING

Volume 26, Issue 9 June 4, 2010

ENTOMOLOGY AND PLANT PATHOLOGY—EPP#60

Corn By Russ Patrick No new infestations of sugarcane have been reported in corn. Hopefully, their season is over. One thing we can be proud of, there is only one generation of these per year. It would be very bad, if we had more. Southwestern corn borer (SCB) traps have been placed in several counties and results will be reported as they develop. Late planted corn using a Bt variety to control the insects is a good practice and all growers should consider using Bt varieties. If planting corn late this season use Bt varieties to help avoid infestations. Non-Bt varieties will be suscepti- ble to the SCB. We rarely have problems with slugs, but they can occur during wet seasons. Slug infestations were a problem earlier, however no new problems have been reported. Since the weather has turned warmer and dryer this pest should no longer be a problem.

Sugarcane Southwestern Corn Borer Slug Infestation

Inside this issue:

Corn 1 Can’t Recommend Just Amdro Anymore 4 Tobacco Blue Mold 2 Over’nOut Fire Ant Killer Broadcast Granules 4 Stored Grain 3 Plant and Pest Diagnostic Highlights 5-6 Maneb Fungicide Registration Cancelled 3 Other Pest Management Newsletters 7 Dogwood Death 3 Private Applicator Accessing PSEP Online 3

Page 2 WHAT’S HAPPENING

Tobacco Blue Mold By Darrell Hensley Blue mold was confirmed in a field of flue cured tobacco on June 1, 2010 in Pitt County, NC near the town of Stokes, NC. A second field of flue cured tobacco was infected with blue mold near Bethel at the Pitt-Martin county line area. Fields were sprayed with Acrobat with Dithane. Blue mold was also confirmed on May 28, in Wilson County in NC in a burley field on US 301S in Lucama, NC. The tobacco was a few weeks old and had severe blue mold symptoms. Symptoms were observed in all plants inspected. There were several lesions most of which had active sporulation. Some of the plants had also signs of potential systemic infection. The variety was NC5 and all plants were recommended to be destroyed. Also flue cured tobacco planted next to the burley field was inspected and only one lesion with active sporulation was found in all the flue cured plants inspected. Based on air movement and weather patterns, any growers in northeast SC, central and eastern NC, south-central and south- east VA should be scouting immediately for signs of disease. These areas are the most likely to have been affected by recent spore showers. I hope to provide more information next week.

If you have tobacco, below are some options you may consider to help reduce loss when blue mold begins to threaten Tennessee.

Season PHI Product(s) Rate Remarks Limit (days) Begin applications after plants reach a height of 12 inches for dark types and 18 inches for burley tobacco. Apply on a preventative schedule when blue mold threatens and before it appears. Actigard 0.5 oz/acre 1.5 oz. 21 Product should not be applied to plants that are stressed due to drought, ex- cessive moisture, or herbicide injury. Product should not be mixed with foliar fertilizers or crop oils. Do not mix with copper compounds, Aliette WDG 2.5-4.0 lbs/acre 20 lbs 3 surfactants, or foliar fertilizers. Should be mixed with another effective blue mold fungicide with a different Dimethomorph 2-8 oz/acre 32 oz. 0 mode of action. Mancozeb is com- (Acrobat, Forum) 2-8 fl.oz./acre 30 fl.oz. 0 monly used. Do not use with surfac- tants, foliar fungicides, or sucker con- trol materials. Mancozeb Residues from these products have (Dithane DF, Man- 1.5 – 2 lbs/100 been a concern for some buyers, so No limit 30 zate ProStick, gallons water use only as needed. Spray every 7-10 Penncozeb) days as needed. Should be applied prior to symptoms appearing. If blue mold is present, use Quadris 6 – 12 fl..oz. 32 fl.oz. 0 products containing mancozeb prior to using Quadris.

Use at least 20 gallons of water per acre when applying products VOLUME 26, ISSUE 9 Page 3

Stored Grain By Russ Patrick Any grain left in bins should be aerated frequently to avoid moisture build up, which in turn causes mold and insect infestations. Keep the grain dry and as cool as possible. This procedure will go a long way to having insect free grain.

Maneb Fungicide Registration Cancelled By Darrell Hensley All of the United States maneb registrations have been cancelled. The members of the EBDC/ETU Task Force, including BASF Corporation, Dow AgroSciences, DuPont, and United Phosphorus, Inc. want to be sure users are aware that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to cancel all of the maneb tolerances. The following URL describes EPA's actions (http://eppserver.ag.utk.edu/Extension/TN-PMIN/FYI/maneb- revocation.pdf). Information within the URL also discusses the need for interested stake- holders to provide comments on the proposed revocation if growers are still using maneb and if the tolerance needs to remain in place for a longer time.

Dogwood Death By Darrell Hensley On distance diagnostics we received a specimen that had photographs of a tree which had many dead leaves. The information indicated that the leaves began dying quickly but also have a few leaf spots. I figured with the recent wet weather it may have been botrytis leaf spot. However, with the symptoms of rapid leaf death, I first determined it to have dogwood borer injury. Later the county agent called and I was able to find out that a herbicide was responsible for the tree’s symptoms. The turfgrass area was sprayed six weeks earlier with 2,4-D and dicamba. Dicamba is a herbicide that can affect the growth of several shallow rooted ornamentals. The recent rains helped move the material to the roots of the tree and it may eventually kill the tree. Next year, the applicator should use another herbicide or use a larger buffer zone/area around the tree.

Private Applicator Accessing PSEP Online Programs By Gene Burgess The PSEP Sharepoint site given in What’s Happening last week is for Extension Agent use only. This URL is not for the public. A farmer, greenhouse or nursery operator (Private Applicator) who would like to go online to obtain their Private Applicator (PA) certification must first create an account and go through the PA certification program at extOL, https://extol.tennessee.edu/certifications. Page 4 WHAT’S HAPPENING

Can’t Recommend Just Amdro Anymore, Need to State the Complete Product Name! By Karen Vail It used to be that all you had to tell someone was to get Amdro and that was understood that they would need Amdro fire ant bait. But, Amdro has now become a “brand” name and 16 products are currently registered in TN. Here are some of the Amdro products that are registered in TN for fire ant control:

Amdro Fire Ant Bait with hydramethylnon Amdro Firestrike Fire ant Bait with hydramethylnon and methoprene Amdro QuickKill Fire Ant Mound drench with a liquid concentrate containing zeta-cypermethrin Amdro Kills Ants & Spiders granules with a bifenthrin granule Amdro Pro Fire Ant Bait with hydramethylnon Amdro Pro Fire Ant Killer (bait) with hydramethylnon Amdro Fire Ant Bait Yard Treatment with hydramethylnon

In addition, several products with Amdro in the name are not used for fire ant control.

Here are a few web site that provide information about fire ant control products. http://fireants.utk.edu/Webpages/Updates.htm - three product lists - one for products registered for schools, and two others sorted by active ingredient or product name with use sites http://fireant.tamu.edu/broadcastbait/products/ - broadcast fire ant baits http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0175-A/ANR-0175-A.pdf - 2010 Fire Ant Control Materials for Alabama Homeowners http://www.eduwhere.com/fireants.php\ - $15 Fire Ant Tool, search site for products by use site and by application type

Over’nOut Fire Ant Killer Broadcast Granules (0.01% fipronil) for Homeowner’s Lawn Use Will Not be Sold After May 15, 2011 By Karen Vail Over'nOut Fire Ant Killer Broadcast Granules (0.01% fipronil) for homeowner’s use on lawns will not be sold after May 15, 2011. The link to the federal register article explaining the EPA cancellation is: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-2147.htm . The registrant can continue to sell the existing stocks until May 15, 2011. Existing stocks can still be sold and used after this date by folks other than the registrant. The label must still be followed. The professional products, TopChoice and ChipcoChoice, will still be available for application by licensed professionals

VOLUME 26, ISSUE 9 Page 5

Plant and Pest Diagnostic Highlights Bruce Kauffman We received 141 samples from May 14 to June 2, 2010, including 87 samples via the UT Diagnostic Web Site.

FIELD CROPS: Slug feeding on field corn leaves.

FRUIT & VEGETABLES: Suspected muscadine with infertility due to female-only flowers; phytophthora root rot of raspberry; possible potassium deficiency of tomato; suspected black rot canker of apple stem; phomopsis leaf blight of ‘Ozark Beauty’ strawberry; black rot of Thompson seedless grapes and grape leaves; herbicide damage and/or leaf spot- ting of greens; possible damage to apple by chemical thinning of fruit; training for apical dominance of wine grape shoots; sunscald of sweet corn and tomato leaves; edema of zucchini squash; suspected bacterial spot of pepper; possible glyphosate injury to tomato, raspberry and cucumber; fire blight of apple and pear; suspected tomato virus vectored by aphids and/ or herbicide-contaminated manure damaging tomato; possible sulfentrazone herbicide damage to squash; botrytis blight of newly-formed grape flower clusters; suspected phenoxy damage to tomato; viral disease or rosette disease of thornless blackberry; loss of apical dominance of cabbage causing multiple head formation; phytophthora blight of squash; phomopsis cane blight and leaf spot of grape; possible fertilizer burn of tomato; suspected root rot of squash; possible root rot and/ or poor drainage causing decline of mature apple trees.

INSECTS, CRUSTACEANS & MITES: Mulberry whitefly nymphs, a sooty mold fungus and cottony camellia scale on holly leaves; rove beetle larva in mulch; gouty oak wasp galls on Shumard oak branches; grub damage to oak seedling root system; twospotted spider mite on leaves of a hydrangea relative (Dichroa febrifuga) in addition to a suspected over watering problem; euonymus scale of euonymus; strawberry leafroller eating strawberry leaves; imported willow leaf beetle on willow; fourlined plant bug dam- age to mint, hydrangea, sage and dahlia; coxscomb aphid gall of elm; rhubarb curculio feeding on rhubarb leaf stems; possible dogwood borer and/or weedeater damage to dogwood; oriental fruit moth feeding in peach fruit; noctuid caterpillar chewing on hickory leaves; suspected buck moth caterpillar feeding on oak; oystershell scale and cottony maple scale of red maple; leaf curling of sweet corn possibly caused by corn leaf aphid or wheat curl mite and/ or misapplied herbicide application; jumping oak gall wasp damaging leaves of white oak; cottony maple leaf scale of maple; flea beetle and Colorado potato beetle damage to tomato; apple aphid eggs on pear leaves; leafmining caterpillar dam- age to tomato; plant bug and/ or stink bug damage of peach fruit; rose sawfly with leafcut- ting bee defoliation damage to Knockout roses; and whitefringed beetle larva in corn field; golden tortoise beetle feeding on pepper leaves; cottony cushion scale on pyracantha; possible mite damage to tomato; suspected squash vine borer on squash.

Page 6 WHAT’S HAPPENING

Continued from page 5 Insects and other pests around the house: Orb weaver spider; ichneumonid wasp (possibly Megarhyssa atrata); ticks; brown recluse spiders; dermestid beetles; probable subterranean termites; possible pandorus sphinx caterpillar; possible adult sawfly; pave- ment ant; common ground beetles; one of the mason wasps; possible hackberry butterfly and question mark butterfly flying around greenhouse; millipedes; non-biting midge larvae in swimming pool; one of the fishing spiders; one of the leafcutting bees; false ( bicolor).

ORNAMENTALS & TREES: Winter damage to ‘Little Gem’ and ‘Magnolia x Jane’ magno- lia leaves and branches; anthracnose leaf blight on goldenrain tree; rhizoctonia root rot of maple seedlings; possibly overly wet site leading to feeder root decline of ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ holly, yew, Japanese maple, ‘Northern Star’ cherry and Leyland cypress in satu- rated soil; possible chemical damage to hackberry leaves; seiridium canker of newly- established Leyland cypress; suspected black stain root disease (Leptographium sp) of eastern white pine; phytophthora root rot of yew, rhododendron and petunias; rose rosette and cane blight (Gloeosporium sp) of rose; suspected over watering of philodendron; verticillium wilt and possible potassium deficiency of Japanese maple; fire blight of ornamental (Bradford and Cleveland) pear; spine spots damaging new holly leaves; colletotrichum twig blight, volutella canker and possible root decline of boxwood; sus- pected transplant shock of English laurel; hollyhock rust of hollyhock; twig dieback follow- ing improper pruning of viburnum; eastern redcedar decline symptoms; decayed wood in soil; sapsucker damage of ‘Little Gem’ magnolia; daylily streak disease of daylily; decline symptoms on sugar maple; suspected girdling root or phytophthora canker of red maple; possible bacterial leaf spot of oak leaf hydrangea; possible overcrowding, lack of sunlight and over fertilization causing reduced flowering of iris; stem decay and topping of boxelder causing a hazard tree; possible phenoxy herbicide damage to ‘Forest Pansy’ redbud and oak leaves; leaf yellowing of older holly leaves during new leaf production; nitrogen fixation nodules present on elaeagnus roots.

TURF & FORAGES: Stunted roots of bermudagrass with Gaeumannomyces graminis var graminis; brown patch disease (Rhizoctonia sp) and low pH of fescue turf; spring dead spot and winter injury of ‘Champion’ bermudagrass; dollar spot (Sclerotinia homeocarpa) of Bentgrass SR1020. WHAT ‘S HAPPENING

Visit the UT Extension Web site at http://www.utextension.utk.edu ENTOMOLOGY AND PLANT PATHOLOGY—EPP#60

OTHER UT NEWSLETTERS WITH PEST MANAGEMENT INFORMATION Fruit Pest News http://web.utk.edu/~extepp/fpn/fpn.htm

Tennessee Crop and Pest Management Newsletter http://www.utextension.utk.edu/fieldCrops/cotton/cotton_insects/ipmnewsletters.htm

Ornamental Pest and Disease Update http://soilplantandpest.utk.edu/publications/ornamentalnwsltr.html

School IPM Newsletter http://schoolipm.utk.edu

Tennessee Soybean Rust Hotline - 877-875-2326 USDA Soybean Rust Web Site http://www.sbrusa.net

This and other "What's Happening" issues can be found at http://eppserver.ag.utk.edu/Whats/whatshap.htm

Entomology and Plant Pathology Web Site http://eppserver.ag.utk.edu

Precautionary Statement To protect people and the environment, pesticides should be used safely. This is everyone's re- sponsibility, especially the user. Read and follow label directions carefully before you buy, mix, ap- ply, store or dispose of a pesticide. According to laws regulating pesticides, they must be used only as directed by the label.

Disclaimer This publication contains pesticide recommendations that are subject to change at any time. The recommendations in this publication are provided only as a guide. It is always the pesticide applica- tor's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current label directions for the specific pesticide being used. The label always takes precedence over the recommendations found in this publica- tion. Use of trade or brand names in this publication is for clarity and information; it does not imply ap- proval of the product to the exclusion of others that may be of similar, suitable composition, nor does it guarantee or warrant the standard of the product. The author(s), the University of Tennes- see Institute of Agriculture and University of Tennessee Extension assume no liability resulting from the use of these recommendations.

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