Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri), a member of the "pigweed" family, is one of the most troublesome weeds in many southern row crops. Seed can germinate all season and plants can grow to over 6 feet in height. Plants have either male flowers that shed pollen or female flowers that can produce up to 600,000 seed per plant. One Palmer amaranth per 30 foot of row can reduce cotton yield by 6 to 12%.

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri), a member of the "pigweed" family, is one of the most troublesome weeds in many southern row crops. Seed can germinate all season and plants can grow to over 6 feet in height. Plants have either male flowers that shed pollen or female flowers that can produce up to 600,000 seed per plant. One Palmer amaranth per 30 foot of row can reduce cotton yield by 6 to 12%.

This quick guide is a tool to help Unit Coordinators navigate the process of onboarding a new agent in their local office. This resource clarifies the key responsibilities & roles a Unit Coordinator plays in the onboarding process, as well as tips for a successful experience when welcoming a new agent to the local unit office.

Globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) is an herbaceous perennial that is grown for its tender, edible, immature flower buds. The globe artichoke should not be confused with Jerusalem artichoke, another member of the composite family native to North America, which is grown for its fleshy tubers. Globe artichoke plants can become large: four to five feet tall and wide, with long, heavily serrated silvery green leaves (Figure 1a).

The pepper maggot, Zonosemata electa, is a significant pest of bell pepper in eastern North America, having transitioned from its native wild host, the horse nettle, to domesticated solanaceous plants like bell pepper and eggplant. Infestation levels can be alarming, with near-total crop loss possible from a single maggot per fruit. Control methods primarily involve insecticide applications, posing challenges for organic producers. The pest has a single annual generation, overwintering as a pupa in soil. Monitoring adult populations using yellow sticky traps and oviposition scars is essential for effective management. Cultural practices such as field sanitation, crop rotation, and the eradication of alternate hosts are crucial in mitigating damage. Additionally, trap cropping with hot pepper varieties and perimeter sprays have shown success in reducing damage to bell peppers. Various insecticides are available for pre-emptive control, emphasizing the importance of monitoring to optimize application timing.

The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), a pest from the Noctuidae family, originates from the tropical Americas and lacks diapause, allowing it to migrate north from Gulf Coast states. This moth has been reported in all U.S. states east of the Rockies and has become a significant pest in other parts of the world. Fall armyworm larvae cause severe defoliation to a variety of plants, especially grasses, and fruit damage to crops like sweet corn, tomatoes, and peppers. Management strategies include using pheromone traps for monitoring, scouting for eggs and larvae, and promoting biological controls. Insecticides are also used, though resistance issues can arise. Effective control requires timely interventions based on thresholds to mitigate economic impact.

Acid soil limits crop yields on many Virginia farms. This soil acidity can be directly toxic to plants, but more often it reduces the plants' efficiency at nutrient utilization.

This guide lists vegetable varieties that are available and are adapted to the mid-Atlantic region, gives an overview of cultural practices, and list chemicals recommended to manage pests, diseases and weeds in vegetable crops. New varieties of vegetables are constantly being developed throughout the world. While all efforts are made to have comprehensive lists, not all varieties that are adapted will be listed.

Seafood processors must practice strict sanitary procedures to reduce contamination sources, thus providing consumers with high quality, wholesome foods. A routine sanitation monitoring program in place demonstrates that processors are actively maintaining a sanitary environment during processing.

This handbook represents a joint effort among Extension specialists and researchers from 15 land-grant universities in the U.S. who work in vegetable production. These specialists and researchers represent a wide array of disciplines: agricultural engineering, agribusiness, entomology, food safety, horticulture (vegetable production), plant pathology, postharvest physiology, soil science, and weed science. This handbook comprises up-to-the-minute information from research and Extension projects conducted throughout the southeastern United States. The key idea behind this handbook is to provide you with a practical resource that conveniently fits on your dashboard. It contains the information that you need to manage your vegetable crops, including which varieties to plant, planting dates, fertilizer recommendations, cover crop selection and conservation tillage options, pesticide selection, grafting, fertigation, plasticulture, postharvest handling, alternative pest management tools, and suggestions, as well as many other topics.

The mature and dried stem, leaves, and chaff remaining after barley and wheat are harvested is known as straw. Many farmers around Virginia harvest straw by baling in small bales, large round bales, or large square bales that range in weight from 40 to 1,000 lbs. plus per bale.