Weed Control Can Also Reduce Insect Damage

Weed Control Can Also Reduce Insect Damage

Insects, like humans, do not like exerting more effort than is necessary. They are also picky eaters. When an insect lands on a plant that it cannot eat or doesn’t prefer to eat, then it must exert more time and effort to search for a more palatable host plant....
The Kiwano and Pepino: Crops for the Back Forty

The Kiwano and Pepino: Crops for the Back Forty

The USDA defines specialty crops as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture).” This definition is very broad and as you will soon find out, some crops are extremely special. Two crops new to me, Kiwano...
Conditions are Favorable for Bacterial Spot in Fall Tomatoes

Conditions are Favorable for Bacterial Spot in Fall Tomatoes

High temperatures and wet weather produce the perfect conditions for the onset of bacterial spot in tomato fields. The disease is caused by various species of Xanthomonas bacteria. Small spots (1/8 inch) form on leaves, stems, and fruit. The leaf spots are sometimes...
Rindworms:  A “Complex” Pest of Melons

Rindworms: A “Complex” Pest of Melons

Matt Lollar, Jackson County Horticulture Agent It’s the beginning of melon harvest season in the Panhandle, and rindworms pose a significant threat to fruit quality. Rindworms are an interesting bunch because they are made up of a number of caterpillar species that...