April 22, 2020
In “Episode 6” of our video series with Aligned Distributing LLC, we discuss in-season preventative practices. The episode explains: integrated pest management, scouting for pests, weed control, disease mitigation, and hermaphrodites. Watch the full video to learn more about our recommendations and view key points from the video below.
1. Preventative practices are part of a system called integrated pest management (IPM), which involves scouting for insects, learning indicators of pest damage, and understanding their lifecycle to best manage pests.
2. By scouting for pests early and often in the crop cycle and applying beneficial insects, growers can maximize their chances of having a clean crop for the rest of the season.
3. Weeds growing amongst your crop can harbor harmful insects, trap moisture, and spread disease as well; keep them as short as possible or remove them to minimize disease.
4. To mitigate the spread of disease, avoid watering late in the day, understand your environment, and increase row spacing to provide airflow.
5. Hermaphrodites are caused by stress due to under or overwatering, changes in light, or pest or disease pressure, which can trigger a plant to produce male parts.
6. Diligently scout the field for hermaphrodites and males after the third week after transplant, and increase the frequency of your scouting throughout the crop cycle.
7. Contact your local agricultural state university for a disease diagnosis if you observe potential symptoms of disease on your plants.
Watch the full video for more information regarding in-season preventative practices and stay tuned for “Episode 7: Harvesting Your Crop”!
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