• Getting a head start - The importance of scouting in winter

  January 31, 2025

  brown patches across the field at the end of the winter. Many insects can also potentially threaten seedlings and small crops during the winter and early growing [...] especially the undersides of leaves and new growth, where pests often hide. Look for signs of feeding damage, excrement, or the presence of live pests [...] s to the overall health of the agricultural ecosystem, promoting sustainable growing practices that minimise the need for chemical inputs. In the quest

• A good fruit set is the start of a good production!

  April 6, 2020

  flush. After pollination, when the pollen is brought to the stigma, the pollen tubes start to grow down the pistil and reach the ovule where fertilization then [...] contains a special mix of amino acids and seaweed extracts which supports the fruit set of the plant. Veni Calcium supplies the plant with readily available [...] quality and healthy yield. The flower buds, formed in fall, are swelling and ready to open. During the short flowering period the crop experiences a tremendous

• Downy mildew of Cucurbits

  brown. On the underside of the leave fluffy growth appears which is first white and later turns grey-brown. This is actually the sporulation of the pathogens [...] Inside the plant, the pathogens produce haustoria, small organs with which the pathogen can take up nutrients from the living plant cells. The pathogens [...] For most downy mildews, the optimum temperature is around 15 o C and the closer the temperature is to this, the shorter the leaf wetness period that is

• Bacterial canker of tomato

  potato, the disease usually only occurs in the second half of the season. The first symptoms are wilting of the lower leaves and subsequent expansion of the [...] tools. The bacteria infect the new plants by entering through wounds and then growing into the vessels of the plant. Plant growth is inhibited and the plant [...] has been proven to the authorities. Potato growers lose their entire crop of the affected field and potatoes from other fields on the farm, are labelled

• Pierce's disease of grapevine

  along the margin or the tip from early to midsummer. The necrotic area spreads over the leaf from the margin and is marked by a chlorotic band. In the beginning [...] extends to the rest. Eventually, the whole root system is killed and the trees die. Life cycle and appearance of Pierce's disease of grapevine The bacteria [...] depend on the location of the bacteria in the infected plants. For example, transfer from infected plum trees with high bacterial levels in the leaves to

• Foot rot of cereals

  above the point of infection around the milky ripe stage (GS 75). Later infections may result in infection of the grain without obvious bleaching of the [...] humidity, the conidia germinate and penetrate the host's tissues. Inside the plant, the fungus colonizes the root and lower stem, leading to the characteristic [...] becomes obvious from late stem extension onwards. It results in dark-brown staining of the lower nodes. Long dark streaks may also appear at the stem base.

• Loose smut of wheat

  wheat The seeds are infected during flowering and the infected seeds are the primary source of inoculum in the next crop. The fungus survives inside the seed [...] seed and when the seed germinates, the mycelium of the fungus grows upwards inside the plant into the growing tip and the seed primordia. It only becomes [...] appearance of a smutted ear. Instead of normal tissue, the ear contains a mass of olive-brown smut spores. Life cycle and appearance of Loose smut of wheat

• Loose smut of barley

  appearance of Loose smut of barley The seeds are infected during flowering and the infected seeds are the primary source of inoculum in the next crop. The fungus [...] survives inside the seed and when the seed germinates, the mycelium of the fungus grows upwards inside the plant into the growing tip and the seed primordia [...] until head emergence. The first sign of infection is the appearance of a smutted ear. Instead of normal tissue, the ear contains a mass of olive-brown smut

• Black root rot of cucurbits

  are mostly formed around the point of attachment of lateral roots and root hairs. The lesions may grow and encircle the root. The roots become yellow-brown [...] black stripes. The disease is usually restricted to a few of the roots but in severe cases all roots may be infected. At the final stage of the disease, only [...] infection in this stage may kill the plants. In case of a less severe infection, the vines may wilt at a late stage of the crop, but when water supply is

• Optimal placement of bumblebee hives

  advisable to position the hives at a height of 20 – 60 cm above the ground on the south side of the path. This location ensures that the hives receive adequate [...] Correct placement of hives The right placement of bumblebee hives can significantly enhance the pollination efficiency of bumblebees. The following steps [...] away from the crop, with a maximum of two hives grouped together. Protection of the hive To maintain hive efficiency, it is crucial to shield the hives