Ash Sial Integrated Pest IPM Coordinator Cris deRevere Management Program IPM Public Relations [email protected] ipm.uga.edu Monthly Newsletter JANUARY 2019 VOLUME 5 | ISSUE 1 SPECIALIST SPOTLIGHT Get to know the specialists stationed throughout the state of Georgia that make up the IPM Program. Dan Suiter CAES Tifton Campus 1109 Experiment Street | Tifton, GA 30223 organizations. Floridian, on his father’s side. His great, Suiter coordinates the training great, great grandfather, Jean Louis activities of the Georgia Structural Pest Rousseau, came to the Tallahassee, Control Training Facility. He developed FL from France in 1812 to fight in the the Certificate in Urban and Structural War of 1812. Dan’s great grandfather, Pest Management, a 10-week program Robert Henry Rousseau, was born in provides participants a broad overview north Florida in 1870 where he drove of the pest control industry. free-range cattle and farmed citrus. Partnering with the Center for Urban Following a prolonged citrus freeze, Agriculture, Suiter hosts a webinar he moved to south Florida in 1899 to an Suiter is an Entomology program that was attended by 4,400 pest a farming community called Boynton, Professor at the UGA Griffin management professionals. Webinars before moving to Palm Beach County, n D campus. He has a 90% extension provided state-mandated CEU credits in where Dan was born. appointment. He delivers extension GA, FL, AL, TN, NC, SC, NJ, MD, PA, Nova UGA IPM INFORMATION and applied research programs on Scotia, British Columbia, and Labrador/ the management of structural and Newfoundland. In 2017, the program @UGAIPM household pests in support of the pest was expanded for professionals in the control industry, homeowners, and UGA Green industry. Extension. Dr. Suiter has worked with Dr. Suiter has garnered more than $1 d f the pest control industry since 1987. million to support his extension and The submission deadline for the applied research program, and has He received his Ph.D. (1994) from the February newsletter is January University of Florida. From 1995 to 2000 spoken to nearly 350 audiences totaling 28, 2019. Please submit all he worked in the Center for Urban & 30,000+ professionals in 20+ states. articles and events prior to the Industrial Pest Management at Purdue Over his career he has been a committee deadline to [email protected]. University, and has been at UGA since. member of or major professor to 18 He was the recipient of the graduate students. IN THIS ISSUE Recognition award in Urban Entomology In 2019, Suiter will offer a monthly for the Southeastern Branch of the webinar program for the pest control Specialist Spotlight .............. 1 industry. He has also established a Entomological Society of America; Pest Upcoming Events ................. 2 Control Technology magazines “Top 40 relationship with U.S. Customs and under 40” award; in 2007 was inducted Border Protection at the Port of Savannah Featured Creature ............... 2 into Syngenta’s Crown Leadership (Garden City, GA) involving invasive From the Field ..................... 3 Awards Class; and in 2018 was UGA D.W. species research. His recent students’ Brooks Award winner in Extension. He Port research project looked at the ant Agent Advocates ................. 8 was a member of the 2017 International fauna on Port property and concentrated IPM Award of Excellence. He is active in on exotic and invasive ant species. Media Mentions ..................10 leadership roles in several professional Dan is a sixth generation native IPM PROGRAM LOCATION: CAES Athens Campus 463 Biological Sciences Building Athens, GA 30602 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM MONTHLY NEWSLETTER 2 UPCOMING EVENTS FEATURED CREATURE Tobacco Flea Beetle Jan 11 - GA Extension (Epitrix hirtipennis (Melsheimer)) Gwinnett Category 41 (Epitrix fasciata (Blatchley)) – Southern tobacco Mosquito Control Pesticide Applicator Training | Description: Seasonal Distribution– There are 3-4 generations 8:00AM | Lawrenceville, Immature stages- The tobacco flea beetle has of the tobacco flea beetles per year. High numbers GA three larval instars that are whitish with darker have been observed in South Georgia in late June Jan 15 - Turner County heads, and all feed on fine roots near the soil in solanaceous crop transplants, and we think Extension Peanut surface or occasionally tunnel into larger roots. that this is likely a second generation. Only up to Production Meeting | The tobacco flea beetle larvae range from 1 mm 12:00PM | Ashburn, GA two generations of pale striped flea beetle have after hatching to 4.2 mm at maturity, while the been reported per year. Jan 15 - Food 4 Thought | pale stripe larvae range from 1 to 11 mm. 6:00PM | Thomaston, GA Adult stage- The tobacco and southern tobacco Damage to Crop: Jan 17 - 43rd Annual flea beetle adults are small (1.4-2.2 mm in Typical flea beetle damage occurs in the foliage of Georgia Peanut Farm length) and reddish, yellow brown, with a brown young crop plants, and damage usually manifests Show and Conference | patch across the width of the elytra. The southern itself as numerous small shot holes through the 8:30AM | Tifton, GA tobacco adult is slightly smaller and wider than leaves. This occurs early in the growing season the tobacco flea beetle. Jan 22 - GrassMasters and can show up soon after transplanting Part 1, Monroe County | depending on the date. 6:00PM | Forsyth, GA Biology: Life Cycle– Tobacco flea beetle females can lay Management: Jan 24 - GrassMasters up to 200 eggs which hatch in 6- 8 days. The Part 2, Monroe County | Significant yield loss has been reported for levels 6:00PM | Forsyth, GA larval development typically lasts from 16-20 of flea beetles at five adults per plant very early days under warm conditions. The last instar larva in the growing season. We suspect that 5-10% Jan 29 - GrassMasters forms a small cell in the soil where it pupates, Part 3, Monroe County | defoliation is sufficient reason for controlling 6:00PM | Forsyth, GA and the adult emerges 4-5 days later for a total of this foliar feeder early in the growing season. 26-33 days. The pale striped flea beetle requires Middle to late season control is seldom if ever Jan 31 - GrassMasters a longer time to develop from egg to adult, 28-54 warranted. Natural enemies of the tobacco flea Part 4, Monroe County | days total. 6:00PM | Forsyth, GA beetle adults include the bigeyed bug, Geocoris punctipes. David Riley, Professor, University of Georgia, 2018 n SAVE THE DATE Feb 8-9 - 2019 Georgia Organics Conference | 7:30AM | Tifton, GA Feb 21 - 2019 Sustainable Agriculture Update | 9:00AM |College Park, GA For more events, please visit the UGA Extension Calendar. Tobacco wireworm Tobacco flea beetle adult Tobacco Flea beetle damage [ Return to Index ] INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM MONTHLY NEWSLETTER 3 FROM THE FIELD Articles and news stories pertaining to IPM field work written by inside sources. Chris Tyson brings expertise to new role as area onion agent by Clint Thompson hris Tyson, a University of C Georgia Cooperative Extension agent for more than 10 years, has been named the new area onion agent at the Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center in southeast Georgia. The Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center, located between Reidsville and Lyons in Toombs County, is home to specialized onion research conducted by researchers in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). Tyson has worked in onion research alongside past area agents Reid Torrance Chris Tyson is the new area onion agent at the Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research and Cliff Riner while serving as a UGA Center in southeast Georgia. Tyson previously worked as a UGA Extension Agriculture Extension agriculture and natural and Natural Resources agent in Tattnall County. resources agent in nearby Tattnall County. Tyson will continue the onion research Tyson also will collaborate with CAES Georgia’s vegetable crop. In 2017, being conducted at the Vidalia Onion scientists, including UGA Extension the farm gate value for onions was and Vegetable Research Center, working weed scientist Stanley Culpepper on $140.6 million, according to the UGA with industry leaders to evaluate new herbicide research and UGA vegetable Center for Agribusiness and Economic varieties being released and sharing specialists Tim Coolong and Andre da Development. The southeast Georgia updates with growers. Silva on fertility issues. counties of Tattnall and Toombs have “A lot of that foundation in research “Andre and I and some of the other the largest share of Georgia’s farm gate has already been laid for me. One of county agents hope to do a research value for onions, with $50.8 million and my biggest responsibilities will be trial this year where we look at nitrogen $46.8 million, respectively. managing the official Vidalia onion management on some newer onion To learn more about onion production, variety trial, which evaluates onion varieties,” he said. “We think we can see UGA Extension Bulletin 1198, titled varieties each year for yield and grade reduce nitrogen use on some of the newer “Onion Production Guide,” at extension. and flavor. We’re responsible for varieties and still make good onions. If uga.edu/publications. n making a recommendation on which we can reduce it to some degree, that’s onions should be called Vidalia onions good for everybody involved.” Published 12/26/18 by CAES MEDIA NEWSWIRE and which ones don’t make the cut,” Georgia onion producers started the Tyson said. “It’s very exciting to be able planting season in early November, to have this opportunity. I don’t take it but due to heavy rains this fall, some lightly because it’s a critical position in growers are behind, according to Tyson. Georgia. I look forward to trying to help The extremely wet conditions have kept the growers and work with the growers farmers out of the field, and planting and the industry to continue to move could be stretched into January this forward and make sure we have sweet season, he said.