Welcome to the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System's
Vegetable Pest Message.
This message is being recorded on Friday afternoon September 19 by Jude Boucher.

This is the last vegetable pest message of the 2008 growing season.

This week's message will cover:

Upcoming conferences
On November 5-8, 2008, the New England Greenhouse Conference & Expo will be held at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA.  For more information go to www.negreenhouse.org or call 802 865-5202.

On Monday, December 1, there will be a day-long conference on Zone Tillage and Soil Health at the Public House on Rt. 131 in Sturbridge (not at the Sturbridge Host as previously reported).  Pre-registration price will be $35 and seating will be limited, so it is recommended to pre-register if you want to attend.  Contact, Jude Boucher or my secretary Joan, for more information at 860 875-3331.

On Thursday, December 4, there will be a day-long conference on Renewable Energy for Farms and Greenhouses.  This will be at the Sturbridge Host Hotel.  For more information contact Tina Smith at 413-545-5306.

On Friday, December 12th, there will be a conference on Alternative Crops for Greenhouses & High Tunnels, at the Sturbridge Host Hotel in Sturbridge, MA.  For more information contact Tina Smith at 413-545-5306

On Thursday January 22, we will host the annual Connecticut Vegetable and Small Fruit Growers= Conference here at the Tolland County Extension Office.  Contact Jude for more information at 860 875-3331.

Finally, the annual half-day Bedding Plant Meeting will be repeated at three locations across Connecticut: on Feb 10, it will be held here in Tolland at the Extension Center in Vernon; on Feb 20 it will be repeated at the Connecticut Ag Experiment Station in New Haven; and on Feb 25 it will be repeated again at the Litchfield Extension Office in Torrington.  Contact Leanne Pundt at 860 626-6240 for more information.

Corn earworm update
The number of CEW moths in pheromone traps ranged from 3 to10 this week.  Three moths were captured in Storrs, while Shelton, East Lyme, Berlin and East Hartford all captured between 4 and 6 moths, with the high catch of 10 moths/night in Northford.  The action thresholds say that between 1 and 13 moths calls for a 4 day spray schedule on fresh silking corn, but this can safely be stretched by an additional day if the temperatures stay consistently below 80 or if you are using Warrior or Mustang.

Here is a list of infestations found at different sites while scouting sweet corn this past week. *means that the planting is over threshold and should be sprayed. MW=mid-whorl, LW= late-whorl, PT=pre-tassel, S=silk. 

Town % infested plants Stage of planting ECB  & FAW moths / week CEW moths/N
Shelton 38% *FAW PT  0 ECB, 6 FAW 6.5 = 4-day schedule
Northford      2 ECB 10 = 4-day schedule
East Lyme II       5 = 4-day schedule
Berlin       0 ECB 4 = 4-day schedule
East Hartford       0 ECB 4.5 = 4-day schedule
Storrs       3 = 4-day schedule

Brassica caterpillars
I helped growers scout their Brassica crops at two different farms this week by looking for caterpillars on 20 plants per field.  At one farm they had all newly hatched imported cabbageworm larvae, while the other farm had an equal mix of cabbage loopers and diamondback moth larvae.  The infestations were 30 and 60% of the plants infested.  Fields of cabbage and broccoli should be sprayed if more than 20% of the plants are infested after heading begins, while other Brassica crops should be sprayed if more than 10% of the plants are infested.  A spreader-sticker is recommended when treating Brassica crops because of their thick waxy skin.   

Cover crops
Like everything else, the price of cover crop seed is up this year.  I heard prices ranging from $220 to $650 per ton for winter rye seed.  Hopefully you have ordered your cover crop seed by now.  Cover crops help replace some of the organic matter which we oxidize away each year through all of our tillage operations in vegetable production.  It also mops up excess nitrogen and provides erosion control. To help replace all the organic matter that is lost and control erosion through the cropping season, you need to switch to some form of reduced tillage, such as zone tillage.  You can find out more about zone tillage at the conference on December 1st at the Publick House in Sturbridge.

Growers planting oats, should have done so already to provide adequate time for fall growth and establishment.  Oats can be a great choice for fields you may not be able to work early in the spring because it winter kills and will be easy to incorporate when the time comes.  It also helps if you plant your winter rye before mid-September, or by late September if you are in warmer or protected locations such as near the coast or in the Connecticut River Meadows.  Massachusetts researchers have found that rye planted by mid-September had better root growth and accumulated up to 50% more excess nitrogen from the soil than when it was planted later in the month.  If planting oats or rye alone use about 100 pounds of seed per acre.  You can also plant either cover crop with hairy vetch to help provide up to 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre to next seasons crop.  Remember to use the right rhizobia bacteria innoculum to help the vetch fix nitrogen from the air.  Researchers recommend about 40 pounds of rye or oats with 40 pounds of hairy vetch seed if using this combination cover crop.  They also suggest that the vetch not be incorporated in the spring until mid-May to maximize nitrogen production, so it may be more successful to combine the vetch with oats for ease of incorporation.    

Federal IPM $ to Connecticut cut from farm bill
I hate to end the season on a glum note, but I just learned that all the money for IPM coming from Washington to the individual states, like Connecticut, has been eliminated in the new farm bill, which is now law.  The money has all been put into a pool which will be open to grant proposals from Extension systems across the country.  What this really means is that the money that has been funding farm programs here in Connecticut will move to funding programs in the large farm states, such as New York, which have many more researchers, Extension folks and resources, and thus are much better equipped to compete for IPM funds.

That=s all for this season. Thanks for viewing  the online pest message. We hope you found it helpful and we hope to see you at one of the educational conferences this fall or winter.

Jude Boucher

 Previous Vegetable Pest Messages - 2008
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The information in this material is for educational purposes. The recommendations contained are based on the best available knowledge at the time of printing. Any reference to commercial products, trade or brand names is for information only, and no endorsement or approval is intended. The Cooperative Extension system does not guarantee or warrant the standard of any product referenced or imply approval of the product to the exclusion of others which also may be available.All agrochemicals/pesticides listed are registered for suggested uses in accordance with federal and Connecticut state laws and regulations as of the date of printing. If the information does not agree with current labeling, follow the label instructions. The label is the law.Warning! Agrochemicals/pesticides are dangerous. Read and follow all instructions and safety precautions on labels. Carefully handle and store agrochemicals/pesticides in originally labeled containers immediately in a safe manner and place. Contact the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection for current regulations.The user of this information assumes all risks for personal injury or property damage.Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Kirklyn M. Kerr, Director, Cooperative Extension System, The University of Connecticut, Storrs. The Connecticut Cooperative Extension System offers its programs to persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability and is an equal opportunity employer.

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