Pest management by crop type

Fruiting vegetables (Tomato, Pepper, Eggplant, Tomatillo, and Okra)

• Cucurbit vegetables (Cucumber, Squash, Pumpkin, Watermelon)

Pest management practices

• Chemigation: Applying Insecticides through Drip Irrigation
• Biological Control (general info)
• Twospotted spider mite management with Phytoseiulus persimilis
• Brown marmorated stink bug management with predators and parasitoids

Additional resources: Walgenbach Entomology Lab

Publications

• North Carolina Agricultural Chemicals Manual
  The manual has ten main sections:
  I. Pesticide use and safety information
  II. Chemical application equipment
  III. How to send specimens for disease, insect, and weed identification
  IV. Fertilizer use
  V. Insect control
  VI. Insect and disease control of fruits
  VII. Chemical weed control
  VIII. Plant growth regulators
  IX. Animal damage control
  X. Disease control
  Detailed information on controlling pests of field crops, forage crops, grains, fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, turf, landscape, nursery, livestock, poultry, home garden, communities, and industrial sites is included.
• Southeastern U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook
  A practical, up-to-date, single source guide that conveniently fits on your dashboard that includes topics on vegetable production, variety selection, pesticide selection, and alternative pest management tools, plus more.
• Horticulture Portal (N.C. Cooperative Extension)
  A webpage with links to publication on commercial and home vegetable production. The site also has it own search engine, the “infosearch”, to help users find information in the scientific literature, trade journals and associations magazines/websites.
• NC State University Horticulture Publications (N.C. Cooperative Extension)
  Online agriculture publications including the titles, Guide to Intensive Vegetable Systems,  Home Vegetable Gardening, Insects and Pests of Vegetables, How to Grow Early Vegetables, Managing Diseases in the Home Garden, Plasticulture for Commercial Vegetables.

Diseases

• Extension Plant Pathology Portal (N.C. Cooperative Extension)
  A comprehensive website with information on crop diseases including vegetables. Links to forecasting and disease alert information are provided.
• Vegetable-specific guides for insect pests and diseases
  IPM Network page providing links to management strategies for specific pest of cucumbers, crucifers, peppers and sweet potatoes in NC.

Insects

• Insect and Related Pests of Vegetables (AG-295)
  Introduction to management methods for some important, common potential pests in the southeastern U.S. Includes insect identification keys and detailed notes on pests of 15 vegetable crops

Weeds

• Wolfpack Weeds (Department of Horticulture, NCSU)
  Website that provides information on weed control and alternate management systems, research, herbicide development and efficiency, and crop safety for fruit and vegetable crops
• Greenhouse Weed Control
  A guide to weed control in greenhouses including sanitation, product list, re-entry periods and more.

Crop Profiles, Web Sites and Resources for Specific Crops

Cabbage

• Cabbage Crop Profile
  A production overview for cabbage within the state of North Carolina including general production information, cultural practices, worker activities, insect and disease management including chemical, biological and cultural control methods.
• Cabbage Grower Portal (N.C. Cooperative Extension)
  Up-to-date website that contains detailed information on field production and management, integrated pest management (IPM), post harvest handling, economics and marketing.

Cucumbers

• Cucumber Crop Profile
  A production overview for cucumber within the state of North Carolina including general production information, worker activities, insect and mite control, disease management, mechanical and chemical control of weeds
• Cucurbits Grower Portal (N.C. Cooperative Extension)
  Up-to-date website that contains detailed information on cucurbit production and management, integrated pest management (IPM), post harvest handling, economics and marketing.
• Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecast
  Forecasting system with reports and maps. Sign-up on the website to receive alerts.
• Insect Pests of Cucurbits (N.C. Cooperative Extension)
  A comprehensive publication highlighting pests of curcurbits,

Leafy Greens

• Leafy Green Crop Profile
  A production overview for collards, kale, turnip greens and mustard greens within the state of North Carolina including general production information, cultural practices, worker activities, insect, nematode and disease management including chemical, and non-chemical control methods.
• Greens (N.C. Cooperative Extension)
  Up-to-date website that contains detailed information on Leafy greens, such as turnips, mustard, collards, kale, and spinach.
• Insect Pests of Crucifers (N.C. Cooperative Extension)
  A comprehensive publication highlighting pests of crucifers,

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  Photo by David Cappaert, Bugwood.org.

Peppers

• Peppers Crop Profile
  A production overview for bell pepper within the state of North Carolina including general production information, cultural practices, worker activities, and insect, disease and weed management including chemical, cultural, and biological methods of control
• Pepper Grower Portal (N.C. Cooperative Extension)
  Up-to-date website that contains detailed information on field and greenhouse production and management, integrated pest management (IPM), post harvest handling, economics and marketing
• Insect Pests of Peppers (N.C. Cooperative Extension)
  A comprehensive publication highlighting pests of peppers.

Potatoes (Irish)

• Irish Potato Crop Profile
  A production overview for Irish potato within the state of North Carolina including general production information, production practices, insect, disease and weed management
• USAblight
  A national website with information on late blight on potatoes and tomatoes in USA. Includes a occurrence map, and growers can register to receive alerts or report an outbreak.
• Insect Pests of Potatoes (N.C. Cooperative Extension)
  A comprehensive publication highlighting pests of potatoes.

Snap Beans

• Pest Management Strategic Plan for Snap Beans in Virginia, North Carolina, and Delaware
  Summary from a 2005 workshop on research, regulatory and educational priorities in insect, disease and weed management in snap bean production

Sweet potatoes

• Sweet Potato Crop Profile
  A production overview for sweet potatoes within the state of North Carolina including general production information, production practices, worker activities, chemical and non-chemical control of insects, diseases and weeds.
• Strategic Plan for Pest Management Research and Education in Southern Sweet Potato Production Systems
  Summary from  2001-2002 workshops on research, regulatory and educational priorities in insect, disease and weed management in sweet potato production
• Insect Pests of Sweet Potatoes (N.C. Cooperative Extension)
  A comprehensive publication highlighting pests of sweet potatoes.

Tomatoes

• Tomato Crop Profile
  A production overview for field grown tomato in the state of North Carolina including general production information, production practices, worker activities, insect, mite, disease and weed management strategies including biological, cultural and chemical control
• Tomato Growers Information Portal (N.C. Cooperative Extension)
  Up-to-date website that contains detailed information on field and greenhouse production and management, integrated pest management (IPM), post harvest handling, produce safety and economics and marketing
• Commercial Production of Staked Tomatoes in the Southeast
  Comprehensive guide including cultivars, site and soils, cover cropping, different production systems, equipment, fumigation, fertilization, transplants, staking and trellising, pruning and pest management of diseases, insects and weeds, cleaning and grading, postharvest storage, packaging, marketing, costs and returns. See the Appendix for photographs of pests and physiological disorders.
• Pest Management Strategic Plan for Tomato in the Southeast Region.
  Summary from 2018 workshop on research, regulatory and educational priorities in insect, disease and weed management in tomato production across the entire southeastern U.S.
• Insect Pests of Tomatoes (N.C. Cooperative Extension)
  A comprehensive publication highlighting pests of tomatoes.

Watermelon

• Watermelon Crop Profile
  A production overview for watermelon in the state of North Carolina including general production information, production practices, worker activities, insect, mite, disease and weed management including chemical, and cultural control methods. A list of Extension Specialists is included.
• Pest Management Strategic Plan for Watermelons in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and North Carolina
  Summary from 2008 workshop on research, regulatory and educational priorities in insect, disease and weed management in watermelon production