Tag Archives: U.S.

Insecticides Prove Necessary for Managing New Invasive Stink Bug

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The brown marmorated stink bug is native to Asia and was introduced into the US in the 1990s. The stink bug feeds on many orchard crops, small fruit, grapes, vegetables and row crops—particularly in mid-Atlantic states. Developing long-term control strategies takes time, which makes the immediate use of insecticides necessary.

“Damage in apple in the mid-Atlantic region inflicted by H. halys (brown marmorated stink bug) resulted in losses in excess of 37 million dollars in 2010. In addition, H halys is a serious nuisance pest in residential areas because it uses human-made structures as overwintering sites.”

“Because the brown marmorated stink bug is a newly established invasive pest in the United States, insecticides will play a key role in managing this pest on various crops at least in the short term. Indeed, the use of insecticides has substantially increased in commercial orchards because of the damage inflicted by H. halys and subsequent economic loss in the mid-Atlantic region.”

Authors: T.C. Leskey, D.-H. Lee, B.D. Short and S.E.Wright
Affiliation: USDA Agricultural Research Services, Kearneysville, WV
Title: Impact of insecticides on the invasive Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae): Analysis of insecticide lethality.
Publication: Journal of Economic Entomology. 2012. 105(5):1726-1735.

Devastating New Potato Disease Has Growers Spraying at First Sign of Vector

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Potato psyllids in the Pacific Northwest are spreading a new disease, Zebra chip. Beginning in 2011, psyllid feeding has spread a virus that reduces potato yields and renders tubers unmarketable with bands that darken when fried. Immediate spraying to control the insect vector is required.

“Researchers say populations of potato psyllids – vectors of zebra chip, a crop disease new to the region – are growing dramatically in the Columbia Basin.”

“Despite the increasing psyllid pressure during the past couple of weeks, Phil Hamm, an Oregon State University plant pathologist, believes the disease shouldn’t cause major problems for growers who stick with insecticide programs. … ‘When the region has psyllids, you treat,’ Hamm said.”

Author: John O’Connell
Headline: Psyllid populations growing dramatically
Publication: Capital Press. August 31, 2012.

“Routing Pecan Scab – Protecting a Popular Nut”

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The pecan is native to North America. Serious development of orchards occurred in the early 1900s in the Southeast. Pecan scab has plagued the industry since these early days. It was not until the introduction of effective synthetic chemical fungicides in the 1960s that growers could effectively prevent losses to the fungus leading to a quadrupling in yields.

“Two of the main advances leading to the U.S. pecan industry’s success have been the introduction of fungicides and airblast spray technology for quickly and effectively dispersing pesticides throughout an orchard.”

“The approaches have quadrupled yields and boosted farmers’ profits.”

Author: T. Weaver
Affiliation: USDA ARS
Title: Routing Pecan Scab – Protecting a Popular Nut
Publication: Agricultural Research. 1998. August:8-9.

“Organic Blueberries Don’t Come Easily”

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The New York Times ran an article with this title in 2011 to inform readers why there are so few organic blueberries grown in New Jersey – “the blueberry capital of the world”. It seems that the organic blueberry growers are powerless to prevent massive feeding on their berries by insects that call New Jersey home. On the other hand, blueberry growers who use chemical insecticides are able to control the insect problem and harvest 2 to 4 times more blueberries per acre.

“New Jersey is one of the country’s top producers of blueberries, yet only a small number of farms are organic. And considering all the obstacles presented by nature, it’s not hard to see why. Insects like the root grub and the plum curculio, as well as some fungi, contribute to organic farmers’ loss of up to 50 percent of their berries a season, whereas conventional farmers may lose 5 percent or 6 percent, said Peter Oudemans, a Rutgers professor and a plant pathologist at the Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research in Chatsworth, Burlington County. Blueberry plants are native to New Jersey, Dr. Oudemans said, which makes them a natural food choice for native insects. ‘Planting a solid acre of organic blueberries in New Jersey is like throwing a peanut butter sandwich into a room full of kindergartners,’ said Dr. Oudemans, of Hammonton, ‘the blueberry capitol of the world,’ according to a local highway sign. ‘Everything around is going to go for them.'”

“‘We have to do twice the work of conventional growers,’ Mr. Condo [an organic grower] said. ‘It’s a lot harder and much more labor-intensive. Conventional farmers probably get around two or three thousand crates per acre. We’re lucky if we get 700 to 900.'”

Authors: Tammy La Gorce
Title: Organic blueberries don’t come easily.
Publication: The New York Times. June 17, 2011.

Nutritionists Credit Pesticides for Widespread Availability of Apples in the American Diet

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Apple production has come a long way in the U.S. thanks to the protection against insects and diseases provided by pesticides. In fact, without pesticides, this important fruit would largely disappear from our diets. A point recently made by nutritionists from the University of Nebraska…

“Apples play an important role in the American diet. … Apples and apple products offer several important health benefits. Besides supplying key nutrients, apples contain important compounds that may protect against cancer, heart disease, and other chronic diseases.”

“The availability and judicious use of pesticides is important for the production of high-quality apples. Without the use of pesticides, there would be very few apples grown in the United States. Pesticides protect the fruit from attack by insects, mites, disease organisms, and weeds. … Pesticides are necessary to produce an abundant, consumer-accepted, affordable apple supply.”

Authors: Lewis, N. and Ruud, J.
Affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Nebraska
Title: Apples in the American diet.
Publication: Nutrition in Clinical Care. 2004. 7(2): 82-88.

Fungicides Necessary for Southeast Peanut Production

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In the U.S., fungicides are used in the field to control ten major diseases of peanuts. For decades, peanut harvesting started when the peanuts in a field were stripped of their leaves by one of these diseases. Peanut yields increased dramatically between 1969 and 1987 following the introduction of effective synthetic chemical fungicides. Fungicides continue to be needed to maintain high peanut yields.

“It’s one of the harsh realities of growing peanuts in the Southeast – you will have disease problems. ‘The same type of weather and climate that helps you grow peanuts so successfully in the Southeastern United States also makes it difficult to control diseases,’ says Bob Kemerait, University of Georgia Extension plant pathologist. Fungicide programs, he adds, constitute the single most expensive input a grower will have in peanut production. ‘It’s not seed, insecticides or herbicides. You spend more in fungicides than perhaps anything else – that’s the bad news. The good news is the tremendous value you receive from controlling diseases. We could not make the desired yields and grades without these programs,’ says Kemerait.”

Author: Paul L. Hollis
Title: Peanut fungicides valuable tools.
Publication: Southeast Farm Press. 2008. Vol. 35(12).

National Academy of Sciences Credits Pesticides with Improving American Diet

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Americans take for granted a plentiful, inexpensive daily supply of fruit and vegetables. This bounty has come about due to increased production throughout the county as a result of pesticide use – a point made by the National Academy of Science…

“Pesticides are used widely in agriculture in the United States. When effectively applied, pesticides can kill or control pests, including weeds, insects, fungi, bacteria, and rodents. Chemical pest control has contributed to dramatic increases in yields for most major fruit and vegetable crops. Its use has led to substantial improvements over the past 40 years in the quantity and variety of the U.S. diet and thus in the health of the public.“

Authors: National Research Council
Affiliation: National Academy of Sciences
Publication: Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children. 1993. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.

Heavy Thrips Infestations in Virginia and North Carolina Cotton

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Thrips have many hosts, including grasses, grains and alfalfa. Large populations often develop on these hosts and fly into cotton fields when the cotton seedlings are developing. Thrips feeding causes severe deformation and stunting of the developing cotton leaves. The Upper Southeast cotton region (Virginia and North Carolina) could be designated “Thrips Central” for the Cotton Belt. Jack Bacheler, a North Carolina Extension Entomologist, explains…

“With the exceptionally warm winter and good moisture levels, at this point it looks like thrips flights into cotton should be both large and early this year. … Our region has earned the distinction of having the highest levels of thrips and greatest potential damage to seedling cotton of anywhere in the U.S. In some tests, with the help of a microscope, we sometimes count as many as 200 to 500 thrips per 5 seedlings! That’s a “ton” of thrips, especially if seedlings are unprotected. So it’s probably not a surprise that Virginia and North Carolina have the highest ratio of surrounding host vegetation to small average cotton field size.”

“Over the past eight years, more than 85 percent of our cotton acreage has been over-sprayed [i.e. sprayed over] following a seed treatment. With the potential for thrips damage lasting up to 5 or 6 weeks after planting and seed treatments varying from about 2 to 3 weeks in their activity, a high percentage of foliar follow-up treatments for thrips is not surprising.”

Author: Jack Bacheler
Affiliation: North Carolina Extension Entomologist
Title: Heavy thrips populations anticipated.
Publication: Southeast Farm Press, April 18, 2012. Available: http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/76291692/thrips-pressure-heavy-mississippi-cotton

Modern Fungicides Continue Control of Potato Disease

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The disease of potatoes known as ‘early blight’ occurs earlier in the season than the well-known ‘late blight’ disease. Early blight is a significant problem in Wisconsin and Minnesota potato fields. Fungicides have been used for over 100 years to protect potatoes from early blight. Recent research in Wisconsin shows that modern fungicides continue to be most effective with newer chemistries expected to continue effective control into the future.

“Potato early blight is a perennial and potentially destructive disease caused by the fungus Alternaria solani. Appropriately-timed, effective fungicides are necessary to limit yield and quality loss. In 2010, we evaluated 38 fungicide programs for early blight control at the University of Wisconsin Hancock Agricultural Research Station on ‘Russet Burbank.’ Programs included an untreated control, conventional and organic grower standard programs, and newer chemistries.”

“The highest yielding program was the Wisconsin conventional grower standard. Organic treatments were ineffective. Several newer chemistries and modified standard programs were effective. At this time, and in the registration pipeline, there are excellent fungicides for the control of potato early blight that will contribute to good fungicide resistance management practices.”

Authors: Kenneth Cleveland, Jamie Dobbs, Rosemary Clark and Amanda Gevens
Affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dept. of Plant Pathology
Title: Evaluating the efficacy of fungicide programs for the control of potato early blight in the Central Sands of Wisconsin.
Publication: American Journal of Potato Research (2012) 89:32.

Research Shows Importance of Insecticides for Sweet Potato

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North Carolina is the country’s largest sweet potato producing state, totaling nearly half the entire production in the U.S. Wireworms, which live in the soil and feed on sweet potato roots, are the #1 insect enemy of sweet potato growers. Mark Abney, North Carolina State University entomologist, explains what his research has determined about the value of insecticide treatments for wireworm control…

“Abney was part of the multi-state project that ran from 2004-2007 and was designed to document which insects were major pests of sweet potatoes and begin the process of developing comprehensive IPM programs to best manage these pests. … ‘So, growers who don’t treat with an insecticide for wireworm control on sweet potatoes should expect 40 percent or more of their crop to be damaged by wireworms and for 17-20 percent of the crop to be unmarketable,’ he adds.”

Author: Roy Roberson
Title: Wireworm management a must in North Carolina sweet potatoes.
Publication: Southeast Farm Press. 2012. January 11.