Ed Sikora

[image] Gibberella ear rot is a fungal disease of corn. It can be identified by the pink color of the mold which was more noticeable in the lab in this case. It almost always begins at the tip of the ear. Gibberella is common when conditions are cool & wet during grain fill @CropNetwork

[image] Adult stink bugs are shield-shaped insects with piercing sucking mouthparts. They damage tomatoes by piercing the skin and sucking out juices, and injecting enzymes that create cloudy, yellow or white discolored spots with hard, spongy or corky tissue underneath #Tomato #Bugs

[image] Maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV) detected in AL. Causes mosaic patterns, stunting & yield loss in corn/sorghum. Spread by aphids & overwinters in Johnsongrass. Symptoms include yellow streaks/mottling of leaves & poor seed set. Plant resistant hybrids @CadeGrace64 @CropNetwork

[image] Soybean rust disease in field plots in Oromia, Ethiopia. The fungal disease is a minor problem in the USA but can be a significant problem in parts of Africa in some years. Developing resistant varieties is the best method of control @HarunMuthuri #Rust #Soybean #SIL

[image] Blossom end rot on tomato/pepper is a disorder causing dark sunken patches on the bottom of tomato & peppers. It is triggered by a calcium deficiency often caused by inconsistent watering. Avoid BER by watering evenly & regularly during the season & using mulch #Tomato #Disease

[image] Corn smut is a fungal disease that forms tumor-like galls on corn. While it is a destructive plant disease, the immature galls are a culinary delicacy in Mexico and in other parts of the world, known as huitlacoche or Mexican truffle #Corn #Fungi @CropNetwork

[image] I was surprised to receive this picture of snails crawling over end-of-the-season soybeans. It was near a drainage ditch so I assume the area was a snail haven. They disappeared when I returned and the temperature was up to 99 degrees. @CropNetwork #Soybeans #Snails

[image] Just about that time of year again in Alabama #Corn @CropNetwork @ACESedu

[image] Concentric cracking on tomato occurs due to wide fluctuations in soil moisture typically after heavy rain after a dry period. This can cause fruit to expand too quickly leading to cracks in the skin. Water regularly & avoiding sudden changes in soil moisture #Tomato #Garden

[image] Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) can cause stunting, reduced seed size and pod number. Symptoms can include severely mottled & deformed leaves. Infection late in season results in little damage. SMV is transmitted by aphids & thru infected seed @CropNetwork #virus #soybean @soydisease

[image] Taproot decline (fungal disease of soybean) symptoms include yellowing/interveinal chlorosis of leaves and premature plant death. Most of roots of plants pulled from soil will snap off with the root system remaining displaying a black fungal growth @baldpathologist @CropNetwork

[image] Powdery mildew on butternut squash. Yellow spots on upper leaf surface & talcum powder-like fungal growth on lower leaf surface. Disease is favored by hot, dry humid weather. Improve air flow & spray with organic fungicides like baking soda or neem oil #Disease #Gardening

[image] Corn 🌽 harvest has begun in west Alabama @CropNetwork #Farming #Corn

[image] NEMATODE MONDAY: Symptoms of root-knot nematode (RKN-Meloidogyne incognita) on peppers in garden. Severely wilted plants (but not dead) suggested a possible nematode problem. RKN does not disappoint; Galls on roots symptomatic of the pathogen @SON_nemaweb @UFcropnematodes

[image] Tomato stem infected with Southern blight (Athelia rolfsii) which causes wilt & death of infected plants. The images include a freshly dug infected stem w/t sclerotia and after incubating 6 days in a humidity chamber. The white mycelium quickly advancing on the tissue #Tomato

[image] Virus-caused symptoms on yellow squash. Likely watermelon mosaic virus (a potyvirus). This virus is primarily transmitted non-persistently by species of aphids & can affect most Cucurbit crops. Control by planting resistant varieties, insecticides and through avoidance #Virus

[image] Genetic chimera in soybean looks like asymmetrical patches of different-colored tissue on an otherwise normal-looking plant. It appears when a spontaneous mutation creates 2 genetically distinct types of cells growing adjacent to one another @CropNetwork @SoybeanScience1 #Soya

[image] NEMATODE MONDAY: Stunted plants in a row showing signs of stress suggested a possible nematode problem. Digging up one of the plants and looking at the roots revealed galls of root knot nematode. Plants unlikely to die but will produce poorly @CropNetwork @SON_nemaweb ##Soybean

[image] I suspect Cercospora leaf spot on blackberry. Common in warm humid southern regions. Spots often become angular growing against leaf veins & develop gray centers. Can be confused with Septoria leaf spot. Several fungicides are available for sites with repeated severe infections

[image] A friends image of tomatoes splitting/cracking. This occurs due to inconsistent watering or a sudden heavy rainfall. When the plant absorbs a surge of water after a dry spell, the inside of the fruit swells faster than the outer skin can stretch causing it to rupture #Tomato