Fleming McMaster has seen beet armyworm, some fall armyworm, and some velvetbean caterpillar in Barnwell County. Critical mass has not yet become odious with regard to exceeding threshold counts (8+ per row ft for rank and unstressed peanut), but eyes are on watch and the worms have been warned. Minor feeding has similarly been observed near Marion, SC, also below threshold. VBC is generally the easiest to control out of these, provided we are able to be timely in applying insecticide. When above threshold, armyworms generally require a specific worm chemistry. Applicable products are listed on page 59 of the production guide.

Jonathan Croft identified the appearance of late leaf spot lesions in Bailey II peanut outside of Reevesville in Dorchester County. Provost Silver with Microthiol Disperss sulfur was being deployed. This has been an excellent treatment in our experiments. It is good we have several effective options available. The vast majority of leaf spot disease in SC is late leaf spot. Occasionally, early leaf spot can be seen. Most of the fungicides applied for management of late leaf spot have activity against early leaf spot. Included pictures show sporulation on top for early leaf spot and on the bottom of the lesion for late leaf spot. Both LLS and ELS can have a yellow halo.

In Hampton County, a couple 06G peanut plants have become infected with white mold. Thankfully, an effective fungicide program combined with timely management and adequate wash in has kept the disease at bay, restricting hits to localized plants in the field. In the absence of effective management, white mold can spread to run down a row, which has potential to cause greater losses. The immediate weather outlook continues to be conducive for further development, perpetuating the importance of timely protection, particularly for susceptible varieties in fields with a history of this disease.

Clethodim and sethoxydim each have a 40-day PHI.

The upcoming Peanut Field Day at the Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville, SC is set for September 7 (a Thursday). Registration is from 8 to 9 am, with the field tour from 9 to noon, followed by a catered lunch. Topics will include varieties, weed control, maturity, precision agriculture technologies, economics, and more. Hope to see you there! Pesticide credits and continuing education units will be available.