Month: April 2023

HAL 9000 Meets Insect Monitoring: Introducing Trapview Camera Traps

Delta style Trapview trap in apple orchard with solar charger, humidity sensor and antennae.

Jim Jasinski, Frank Becker (Extension); Ashley Leach (Entomology)

Well, not quite HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The Ohio State University IPM Program and Department of Entomology have maintained an insect pest monitoring network for over three decades. Typically, pests are monitored using either sticky traps, scent-based traps or pheromone traps.

As trapping technology has evolved, OSU is now experimenting with Trapview camera traps that purport to identify pests captured internally on sticky film using Artificial Intelligence (AI) software. Each AI identified pest is then reviewed and verified by a trained employee for accuracy. While the camera based traps are relatively expensive compared to traditional monitoring traps ($650 apiece), they require very little maintenance except pheromone lure replacement. The cost savings will come from time saved physically inspecting the trap every few days or weekly throughout the season. The number of pests identified by the AI is tallied per day and shown on a website and app, along with a picture of the pests on the sticky panel inside the trap.

Trapview representative shows trap setup features.

Through a grant from Ohio Vegetable and Small Fruit Research and Development Program, five Trapview traps will be evaluated at three locations (Wooster (3), Celeryville (1), South Charleston (1)) on three different pests (Corn earworm (2), Grape berry moth (1), Codling moth (2)) compared to the standard trap for each pest. Updates on how well these AI based traps compare to standard traps will be reported at various times throughout the season.

Image capture inside Trapview trap. Insects caught are non-targets, otherwise they would be highlighted by green box indicating positive ID.

Maintaining Soil Productivity/Health in High Tunnels: What’s the Problem?

Soil health or productivity is important to all growers who rely on soil. This is very clear to high tunnel growers who, by definition, have covered a piece of ground with a structure they look to rely on in many ways and must also maintain. Natural forces working on the soils and the general nature of many high tunnel cropping programs can make it difficult to maintain the health or productivity of the soils involved. Click on the “video seed” below for a perspective on the big question of high tunnel soil productivity — what can go wrong and components of a productivity/health maintenance program.

Southern Ohio Specialty Crop Update 4.28.23

Ohio Specialty Crop Update 4.28.23: Spring arrived early March and has been a roller coaster ride with March weather in February, February weather in March, May and March weather combined in April. GDD’s have been running above average since end of February which triggered early bloom in peaches, nectarines, plums, apples with freeze controls such as row covers, smudge fires, wind machines, frost control sprays, being implemented to protect crops as recent as Tuesday 4/25 when morning lows dipped into the mid 20’s, which damaged southern Ohio pawpaw bloom. A 7.5 acre Ohio greenhouse tomato operation at I-75/U.S. 33 in Auglaize county Ohio was destroyed by a tornado on April 1. Other recent high wind events in April destroyed and damaged high tunnels, barns, and brought up to 2 inches of rain in less than an hour at some locations. Field conditions have been great for most of the area since early February and field activities include plowing, working ground, lime, gypsum, compost, manure, P & K applications, fertigation, fungicide/insecticide applications, drain tile installation, laying plastic mulch, bedding, herbicide applications, frost protection, planting of potato, sweet corn, cole crops, lettuce, peas, greens; and pruning, training, tying in vineyards, orchards, hop yards and berries. High tunnel tomatoes planted end January/early February are being harvested along with tunnel squash, lettuce, radishes, spinach, strawberries and cucumbers with strong market demand. Strawberry harvest in tunnels began on March 17 in southern Ohio. Asparagus harvest began around the first week of April and demand has been strong. No disease or insect pressures being observed or reported only remnants of freeze and cold damage from freeze/frost events going back to Christmas.

Freeze protection has been a common practice in April with Pawpaw bloom damaged on 4.25.

Plastic sweet corn was planted mid-March and bare ground was planted early April. Spring cover crop planting began in March.

Ohio State strawberry nutrition trials at Piketon began harvest on March 17 and harvest continues.

Greenhouses and high tunnels were damaged by a tornado and winds on 4.1.23

Potato planting began in the Scioto River Valley on March 8 and continues.

March and early April field conditions were ideal for activities.

Brad R. Bergefurd
Retired, Assistant Professor Emeritus

 

QUICK SURVEY: Do you use the OSU insect pest scouting network?

 

We are in the process of reevaluating and determining the monitoring needs of fruit and vegetable growers in the state. For awhile now, OSU extension educators and specialists have monitored for specialty crop pests.  We know there are a lot of different crops in Ohio and many different insect pests, but we’d like to know which pests are the most important to monitor.  This survey should only take 5 minutes and your thoughts and opinions are very important to us.

Click here for the survey link.

Thank you,

Ashley Leach and Jim Jasinski

Plant Biostimulants: What They Are and Including Them in Your Cropping Toolbox

Plant biostimulants are a large, diverse, popular, and enigmatic category of inputs. Many growers rely on them while others are skeptical. Most agree that more farmer-friendly information is needed to help ensure growers receive consistent and adequate returns on their investments in plant biostimulants. Click on the “video seed” below to refresh your understanding of plant biostimulants or help become more familiar with them as you consider their possible role on your farm.

A Potential New Nemesis for Garlic Mustard? Identifying and Reporting a Newly Arrived Garlic Mustard Specialist Aphid- Lipaphis alliarae

Join Holden Arboretum’s Natural Areas Biologist Rebecah Troutman to learn more about a newly discovered enemy of the invasive garlic mustard.  This webinar will teach participants how to find and identify Liaphis alliariae, a garlic mustard specialist aphid native to Europe. This aphid was found during the 2021 field season.  Affected plants produced twisted seed pods and puckered/wilted leaves. Given the importance of controlling garlic mustard, the novel nature of the newly discovered aphid in the United States, we are trying to better understand the impact this species has on garlic mustard- could it be a desperately needed biocontrol agent? The objective is to quantify the impact of this novel aphid on garlic mustard and map its current distribution.

Registration is now open here.

Farm Office Live

In this month’s webinar, the Farm Office Team will present the following topics:

Legislative and Case Law Update​ (Peggy Hall)

  • Farm Insurance Issues​ (Robert Moore)
  • “What is a ‘Taxable Gross Receipt’ under Ohio’s Commercial Activity Tax?”​ (Jeff Lewis)
  • Inflation and Interest Rates: An Update Including a Closer ​Look at Agricultural Machinery and Equipment​ (Barry Ward)
  • Crop Budgets/Income Outlook for ‘23​ (Barry Ward)
  • Avoid Chance by making 2023 Record Keeping Goals (Bruce Clevenger)

There is no fee to attend this webinar.  However, registration is required at go.osu.edu/farmofficelive

Ohio Fruit News

Ohio Fruit News (OFN) was developed by a team of The Ohio State University small fruit and tree fruit State Specialists, Extension Educators and staff, with support from The Ohio Vegetable and Small Fruit Research and Development Program and the Department of Plant Pathology-Fruit Pathology Program.  Ohio Fruit News provides fruit growers with the most current and relevant information for managing diseases, insect pests and weeds affecting all fruit crops produced in Ohio.  To subscribe to the newsletter please contact Melanie Ivey at ivey.14@osu.edu or 330-263-3849.

The March issue of Ohio Fruit News is now posted (and attached).  Thank you to all the contributors this month!

Online at: https://u.osu.edu/fruitpathology/fruit-news-2/

PDF: OFN_MARCH_2023 FINAL

OSU Extension Seeks a Next Assistant Director for Agriculture and Natural Resources

Ohio State University Extension is seeking applicants for our next Assistant Director, Agriculture and Natural Resources. The Assistant Director is responsible for the leadership of Ohio State University Extension’s Agriculture and Natural Resources program area. This includes overall direction of educational programming within and across Ohio’s 88 counties. The summary of duties is listed below and a complete listing of the position description can be found at https://osu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/OSUCareers/job/Columbus-Campus/Assistant-Director–Extension-Agriculture-and-Natural-Resources–Associate-or-Full-Professor_R74003.

The Assistant Director reports to the Director of OSU Extension and serves as a member of OSU Extension’s Administrative Cabinet. Specifically, the Assistant Director provides leadership and direction for Agriculture and Natural Resources programming with emphasis on program and curriculum development; applied research; identifying potential collaboration and partnerships with universities, colleges, departments, peer agencies and industry partners; securing funding to support related activities; administrative leadership for the state Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources  office; and professional development of faculty and staff.

Education Required:  an earned Master’s Degree required, Ph.D. preferred, in an agriculture or natural resources related field.

Faculty Position (1.0 FTE)

Posting number: R74003

Location:  Statewide and Columbus based

Deadline Date:  April 30, 2023

 

Questions about the position can be directed to:

Elizabeth Hawkins, Field Specialist, Agronomic Systems

(937)286-4849, Hawkins.301@osu.edu