Summer Squash Production in Miami-Dade County, Florida

Figure 11. Purple nutsedge emergence through plastic mulch in squash. Credits: Peter J. Dittmar
Summer squash is an important vegetable crop in Miami-Dade County. It is grown annually on about 6,000 acres and sold nationwide during the winter in the fresh market. This 16-page fact sheet describes the varieties of summer squash, land preparation and transplanting, what fertilizer to use, irrigation and freeze protection, disease management, insect management, weed management, harvest, and crop rotation. Written by D. Seal, S. Zhang, M. Ozores-Hampton, P. Dittmar, Y. Li, W. Klassen, Q. Wang, and T. Olczyk and published by the Horticultural Sciences Department.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/tr012

Pest Management of Peppers in Miami-Dade County, Florida

Figure 1.  Bacterial spot on pepper leaves. Credit: Shouan Zhang
Pest management of peppers in Miami-Dade County is challenging because of a climate favorable to pests. To assist local pepper growers in maintaining crop productivity and improving the quality of produce, this publication illustrates common pests including major diseases and insects and recommends Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques, including host resistance, cultivation, sanitation, and physical, mechanical, biological, and chemical approaches, for effective pest management. This 8-page fact sheet was written by Qingren Wang, Shouan Zhang, Dakshina Seal, and Teresa Olczyk, and published by the UF Department of Plant Pathology, February 2015. (Photo: Shouan Zhang)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp316

Pepper Production in Miami-Dade County, Florida

Figure 12. Bhut Jolokia pepper. Credit: Qingren WangPepper is an important vegetable crop in Miami-Dade County. Unlike other vegetable crops, peppers are relatively more adaptable to the environment, especially the heat, and are relatively easier to grow. But to be successful, careful attention must be paid to maintain healthy plants and high productivity with efficient management of soil and water for the particular needs of each variety or cultivar. This 7-page fact sheet provides general information and guidelines for pepper growers in Miami-Dade County, including major pepper varieties, and their horticultural traits, and fundamental soil and water management requirements. Written by Qingren Wang, Shouan Zhang, Yuncong Li, Dakshina Seal, Waldemar Klassen, and Teresa Olczyk, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, February 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/tr010

Bush Snapbean Production in Miami-Dade County, Florida

Figure 1. Snapbean production on calcareous, very gravelly loam soils in Miami-Dade County. Credit: Monica Ozores-HamptonMiami-Dade County is the primary production region for fresh-market bush snapbeans with 57% or 18,696 acres of the Florida bean acreage. Production costs vary from $16.53 to $21.87 per 30 lb. bushel or $4,046 to $4,711 per acre. Acceptable yields range from 185 to over 300 bushels per acre. Snapbeans produced in Miami-Dade County are sold nationwide for the fresh market starting just before Thanksgiving and continuing through the winter and spring months. This 9-page fact sheet was written by S. Zhang, D. Seal, M. Ozores-Hampton, M. Lamberts, Y. Li, W. Klassen, and T. Olczyk, specifically for growers in Miami-Dade County as a supplement to The Vegetable Production Handbook for Florida (SP170). Published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, July 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/tr005

A Wireworm Conoderus rudis (Brown) (EENY507/IN909)

Figure 2. Adult without eyespots and adult elytron with eyespotWireworms are the larvae of click beetles. These larvae are smooth, slender and round in cross-section. Wireworms are important pests of various crops and occur in all seasons at variable densities. Feeding damage is restricted to the seeds, seedlings and underground parts of the plants. Unlike foliage feeders, they are very difficult to detect due to their soil-dwelling habitat. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Dakshina R. Seal, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in909

A Wireworm Conoderus scissus Schaeffer (EENY509/IN911)

Figure 1. Adult Conoderus scissus Schaeffer, a wireworm. Conoderus scissus is the most abundant wireworm species found in sweet potato fields. Its preference for other crops is followed by peanut, cowpea, and corn. Learn more in this 4-page fact sheet written by Dakshina R. Seal, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in911

Milkweed Assassin Bug (Suggested Common Name) Zelus longipes Linnaeus (Insecta: Hemiptera: Reduviidae) (EENY489/IN883)

Commonly called the milkweed assassin bug, because it closely resembles the milkweed bug, it is also known as the longlegged assassin bug and the Zelus assassin bug. Members of the genus Zelus belong to the subfamily Harpactorinae and are diurnal in nature. They are generalist predators feeding on a wide range of soft-bodied prey in garden and fields, such as mosquitoes, flies, earthworms, cucumber beetles, and caterpillars (fall armyworm, rootworm, etc.) Learn more in this 7-page fact sheet written by Megha Kalsi and Dakshina R. Seal, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology Department, February 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in883

Parasitoids of Dipteran leafminers, Diglyphus spp. (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) (EENY484/IN877)

This 3-page illustrated fact sheet describes these promising biological control agents for agromyzid leafminers (Diptera: Agromyzidae) — distribution, description, hosts, and economic importance. Includes references. Written by Jian Li and Dakshina R. Seal, Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology as part of the Featured Creatures Collection, December 2010.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in877

EENY477/IN860 Common blossom thrips, Frankliniella schultzei Trybom (Insecta: Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

EENY477, a 6-page illustrated fact sheet by Garima Kakkar, Daksina R. Seal, and Vivek Kumar Jha, is part of the Featured Creatures collection. It describes this relatively new vegetable pest in South Florida which is a key pest in tomato and cucumber fields in South America — synonymy, distribution, description, life cycle, hosts, economic importance, and management. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, July 2010.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in860

EENY463/IN833 Chilli thrips Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Insecta: Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

EENY463, a 10-page fact sheet by Vivek Kumar Jha, Dakshina R. Seal and Garima Kakkar, is part of the Featured Creatures collection. It describes this new introduced insect pest that is an important pest of vegetable, ornamental and fruit crops — synonymy, distribution, identification, life cycle and biology, hosts, damage, disease transmission, management. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, November 2009.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN833