RAYMOND — Commercial vegetable growers have a new mobile-based resource to help manage crop pests and diseases.
MyIPM for Vegetables app is the latest version of the MyIPM app series. MyIPM for Vegetables currently offers resources for tomatoes and cucurbits. This includes cucumbers, pumpkins, pumpkins, and watermelons.
Rebecca Melancon, a plant pathologist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service who served as principal investigator on the project, said the app allows growers to access integrated pest management information and make informed pest management decisions. He said it will make it easier to make decisions in a timely manner.
“Unlike traditional publications, which often take a long time to produce, you can update existing app content or add new content and make it available to users at any time of the year. ,” said Melancon, who is also an associate professor in the department. Biochemistry, molecular biology, entomology, plant pathology.
Growers can find photos and descriptions of diseases and insects, as well as information on chemical, biological and cultural management methods.
This app contains active ingredients, product names, potencies, application rates, pre-harvest intervals, restricted access intervals, and codes established by the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) and the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC). Contains a table of labeled fungicides and insecticides, including: , for each disease or insect, where chemical control is a practical management tool.
FRAC and IRAC codes help growers choose the best products to manage diseases and insects and prevent the development of resistance.
This app is free and can be downloaded to your Apple or Android device.
The collaborators plan to include additional disease and insect profiles for tomatoes, cucurbits, and other crops in the future.
The MyIPM app series also includes resources on row crops, fruits and nuts, and Hawaii’s important crops. For more information about the MyIPM app series, please visit https://myipm.app.
A Southern IPM grant through the Southern IPM Center funded activities supporting app content and database development by members of the Southeastern Vegetable Extension Workers Group (SEVEW).
The primary grant collaborator was Thomas Kuhar of the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech and State University. Tom Bilbo, Clemson University Coastal Research and Education Center, and Inga Meadows, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University. Several people from universities within the Southeast also contributed.
SEVEW collaborators are also responsible for developing the Southeastern U.S. Vegetable Crops Handbook.