The 2019 Virginia Cooperative Extension pest management and production guides, which provide current information on spraying, pest management, and field crop and vegetable production are now available for purchase and free download. The guides can be accessed at www.pubs.ext.vt.edu by selecting the “Publications for Sale” link.
Spray Bulletin for Commercial Tree Fruit Growers has been completely updated and provides resources for safe spraying practices, such as application, storage, appropriate clothing choices, laws and regulations, and other specific guidelines.
The latest version of the Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations replaces all of the previous editions from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. This guide is designed for the commercial vegetable grower and provides recommended selections for variety, pesticides, irrigation, fertilizer, and cultural practices.
The Virginia Cooperative Extension Pest Management Guides are divided into three different volumes: Home Grounds and Animals, Field Crops, and Horticultural Forest Crops.
The Home Grounds and Animals Pest Management Guide provides gardeners with the latest recommendations for controlling diseases, insects, and weeds with non-chemical control alternatives, while also integrating in the appropriate integrated pest management guidelines (IPM).
The Field Crops Pest Management Guide provides farmers and crop-protection professionals with new information on management tactics for major pest problems, while also referencing chemicals registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The Horticultural and Forest Crops Pest Management Guide gives growers current information on the controlling of diseases, insects, nematodes, and weeds; this is not an all-inclusive control plan for the pests in Virginia, yet it does provide a wide range of recommendations for growers.
These handbooks are intended only to be used as guides. Pesticide labels should be consulted for application methods, instructions, and precautions. Most of these guidelines will be updated yearly with new, relevant regulatory information.
For more information about these guides or other Virginia Cooperative Extension publications, contact Lori Greiner, VCE publications manager, at lgreiner@vt.edu or 540-231-5863.
— Written by Gabrielle Sanderson
