Below are the EFI values from weather stations located on the Eastern Shore August 25 September 1. Watermelon Fields should be sprayed with a fungicide when 30 EFI values have been accumulated by the weather station nearest your fields. Add 2 points for every overhead irrigation. After a fungicide spray, reset your counter to 0 and start over. If a spray has NOT been applied in 14 days, apply a fungicide and reset the counter to zero.
Moths continue to be found laying eggs in double cropped fields throughout the state.
A pyrethroid will provide your most cost-effective control. In addition, applications by air or ground will provide effective control, even if beans have closed their canopies. The grain markets have had great difficulty finding direction this past month. On August 31st we received a slight indicator of 'hope' in terms of seeing some positive price action, for 1999 corn and soybean contracts. Soybeans are called the one to watch after Tuesday's double digit gains, as weather forecasts aren't calling for much rain in the midwest and weekly crop condition ratings were said to catch commodity traders by surprise because of the slight drop in the ratings.