• Crop Monitoring and Scouting

  Understanding crop monitoring and scouting In the world of agriculture and horticulture, the phrase "knowledge is power" couldn't be truer. Crop monitoring and scouting are crucial practices that can

• Apple scab

  released when they become wet. The ascospores are wind-dispersed to the fruit trees and will germinate if free water is available. They infect the plant [...] growers about conducive periods and when they are to be expected. Ascospores are released at heavy rainfall. They germinate between 6 and 26 °C. At optimum [...] harmed by for example application of compounds against stem canker, since they help in decomposing the infected leaves Prevent plant diseases by optimizing

• Beneficial microorganisms

  harnessed for pest control through applications like biopesticides, where they are introduced to target pests, providing an eco-friendly alternative to [...] pesticides, beneficial microorganisms pose minimal risk to the environment. They break down naturally, leaving no harmful residues. Precision pest control

• Bacterial spot

  which are first round and become more angular as they grow. The centre of the lesions may fall out as they become drier. Under humid conditions, the spots [...] round and small to start with and slightly raised from the leaf surface. They occur on the abaxial (underside of) leaf surfaces and may enlarge into dark [...] light brown. On fruits the spots are first small, circular and green but they turn brown, become raised and look like cracked scab. Life cycle and appearance

• Angular leaf spot

  initially causes small, water-soaked lesions on the underside of the leaf. They enlarge to angular spots, often limited by the small veins. The distinctive [...] is used, the lesions look dark green, but when transmitted light is used, they are translucent. When conditions are humid, a viscous bacterial exudate forms [...] This exudate changes to a white film when it dries. Lesions may merge as they grow and later also become visible on the upper side of the leaf as irregular

• Wheat bunt

  and easily hybridize. There is debate whether they should indeed be considered separate species, since they cause the exact same symptoms. Tilletia tritici [...] showing the bunt (smut spore) they contain, which is larger than a normal kernel. The bunt balls are grey-brown. They rupture at harvest and release black

• Corn earworm

  of the cob, making holes in the corn. In other crops, they prefer flower buds and soft fruit. They cause visible damage through feeding, and some larvae [...] prominent varieties are corn, sorghum, cotton, aubergine, pepper, and tomato. They primarily feed on flowers and fruit from the host plant, as well as on the [...] corn of immature cobs and ears. Adults of corn earworm are nocturnal, since they react to light radiation at night and are attracted to light traps, especially

• Tomato leafminer

  whitish to yellowish after emerging. They mine inside the leaf, stem or fruit. In the second to fourth instars they become greenish with a black band behind [...] or on the surface of a leaf, in a curled leaf or in a mine. If they leave the mines they build silk cocoons on the leaflets or in the soil. When pupation [...] blotch-shaped mines in the leaves. Caterpillars prefer leaves and stems, but they may also occur underneath the crown of the fruit and even inside the fruit

• Citrus mealybug

  breadth. Seen dorsally, they have an oval form; they are soft and covered with a fine waxy material. They move very little. They can be distinguished from [...] filaments’ . The tail filaments are always shorter than 20% of body length. They produce little wax, so that the light yellow to pink body is visible through [...] running over the body. The adult males are short lived and can be hard to spot. They are smaller than the females, have two pairs of wings and two long tail filaments

• Orius laevigatus

  initially, turning darker (orange to brown) as they mature. They have piercing-sucking mouthparts with which they feed on thrips and other small insects. Adult [...] average). Adult females can kill up to 20 nymphs or six to seven adults per day. They are also cannibalistic. In pollen producing plants, younger Orius nymphs [...] usually laid singly within plant tissues such as leaves, stems, or flowers. They are typically white or translucent and are difficult to see without close