March 2022 - 18

PUMPKINS & SQUASH
THE WAR ON
WHITEFLIES
Tools, techniques for pest control
examined in the Southeast
An adult silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia argentifolii) is shown up close on the leaf of a cucurbit. Photo: Alton N. Sparks Jr., University of Georgia/Bugwood.org
By Stephen Kloosterman
Associate Editor
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18 | VegetableGrowersNews.com
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Whiteflies are a persistent pest
for specialty crop growers in the
Southeast, so it's no surprise they
were a hot topic in January at the
Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable
Conference in Savannah, Georgia.
In addition to a new product
available from Corteva Agriscience,
research posters presented a variety of
information for growers to best control
whiteflies, specifically the silverleaf
whitefly, aka Bemisia tabaci or Bemisia
argentifolii.
Whiteflies have piercing-sucking
mouthparts, and while their feeding
can cause damage by the accumulation
of honeydew and sooty mold, they
are also known as vectors of disease.
In cucurbits, they transmit squash
vein yellowing virus, cucurbit leaf
crumple virus and cucurbit yellow
stunting disorder, according to a
University of Georgia bulletin on the
pests. Tomatoes are also susceptible
to viruses transmitted by whiteflies,
especially tomato yellow leaf curl virus
and tomato chlorosis virus.
Corteva Agriscience's Ridgeback is
now available for vegetables including
sweet corn, cucurbits, fruits and
vegetables, sweet potatoes and tomatoes
in Georgia. It is labeled for stinkbugs,
thrips and chewing insects - but
perhaps most importantly, it is effective
at stopping whiteflies, said Corteva
Agriscience Market Development
Specialist Todd Spivey.
" That'll be the main focus of
this product in Georgia vegetable
productions, " he said of whiteflies.
" With two modes of action to target
multiple pest issues, including
troublesome whiteflies, it's an exciting
new tool for Georgia farmers. "
Ridgeback boasts two modes of
action for broad-spectrum pest
control. Bifenthrin, a Group 3A
pyrethroid, is combined with a novel
active ingredient, Isoclast, that features
Group 4C chemistry.
With two modes of action, growers
who use Ridgeback insecticide can
target pests with two modes of entry -
both contact and ingestion. And with
translaminar movement - that is the
pesticide moving through the leaf -
growers can control even those pests
they can't see on the underside of leaves.
A variety of research posters at the
VEGETABLE GROWERS NEWS
conference also offered some insights
into the growers' ongoing war on
whiteflies:
* A research poster presented
by the University of Georgia's
Clarence Codod and others
described efforts to develop
a risk assessment tool called
" Squash Rx " that would
help growers in making

http://www.VegetableGrowersNews.com

March 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2022