Filtering by tag: pest alert ✕

2026 Fungicide Guide for Tomatoes in North Carolina

The fungicide spray guides for tomato and pepper are intended for commercial growers and are suggested products or programs that have been evaluated for efficacy against the disease listed. There are…

Reports of Late Blight on Tomato in WNC (8/8/2025)

Reports of late blight on tomato around McDowell and Rutherford Counties have been circulating, but not yet confirmed. Regardless, growers should monitor frequently for symptoms of late blight and…

Figure 1. Symptomatic concentric lesions on pepper fruits caused by Colletotrichum species.

Be on the Lookout for Pepper Anthracnose Caused by Colletotrichum Scovillei

Written by Lina Quesada-Ocampo, Sarah Cochran-Murray, and Inga MeadowsReports of pepper anthracnose outbreaks caused by Colletotrichum scovillei are increasing across the southeastern U.S., including…

Cucumber leaves showing yellow chlorotic spots and pronounced veining

Downy Mildew Confirmed on Cucumbers in Eastern North Carolina

Downy mildew, caused by the oomycete Pseudoperonospora cubensis, has been identified on cucumber crops in Eastern North Carolina as of June 10, 2025. Disease symptoms were observed in commercial…

Fig. 1: gummy stem blight leaf spots on watermelon leaves and cotyledons (Photo: Erin Eure, NC State Extension)

Gummy Stem Blight Detected in Watermelon Transplants in North Carolina

In the past couple of weeks we have seen a few cases of watermelon seedlings infected with gummy stem blight. This early detection is concerning, as transplant infections can serve as the initial…

2025 SE Vegetable Crop Handbook

The 2025 Southeastern Vegetable Crop Handbook can be purchased through UNC Press , Amazon, OR in open access format here.

Cucumber Downy Mildew Found, Haywood County, August 13, 2024

Cucumber downy mildew (CDM) has been confirmed on cucumber plant samples from a research plot at the Mountain Research Station in Haywood County, NC.Water-soaked lesions on the undersides of leaves…

Featured image: Cucumber leaf with downy mildew lesions and sporulation under a hand-held microscope for diagnosis (Photo credit: Lina Quesada)

Cucumber Downy Mildew Found in Sampson County in North Carolina

Pseudoperonospora cubensis is responsible for cucurbit downy mildew (CDM), which was detected in Sampson County on cucumbers on June 4, 2024, with a disease incidence of around 5%.On the upper side…

Credit: A. Dombrovsky, O. Batuman, Fidan et al. (2019) and Luria et al. (2017)

Virus-Infected Tomatoes May Be Prevalent at Grocery Stores

A recent study from the University of Florida discovered high incidences of two tomato viruses (ToBRFV and PepMV) in tomato fruit among 10 grocery stores surveyed in Florida. Tomato brown rugose…

Squash Downy Mildew found in Clayton N.C.

Written by Md Ziaur Rahman Bhuiyan and Lina M. Quesada-Ocampo.Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) is caused by an obligate oomycete, Pseudoperonospora cubensis. This disease was confirmed on squash in…