News and Stories
FROM THE FIELDS: PLANT VIRUS & DISEASE CONCERNS
July 28, 2021
In the late summer/early fall of 2020, the Salinas Valley experienced historic heat spikes, wildfires, and a virus called Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV) that spread throughout most of the valley. The INSV reduced harvestable yields from some iceberg lots by 50%, which in turn forced growers to plow down fields 100%, instead of trying to harvest any heads. Reduced yields and 100% plow down of lots pushed open-market pricing higher each week. Although INSV was not a new phenomenon in the Salinas Valley, it had never spread so fast nor affected so much acreage before.
Starting in early 2021 Salinas Valley growers have been aggressively working to control the population of the thrip insect, which is the main vector for spreading INSV. Host plants, where the thrip will feed and breed, need to be controlled/removed from within and around iceberg and leaf fields across the Salinas Valley to reduce the thrip population which in turn will reduce the spread of INSV.
Presently, and over the past three months, there has only been a minimal amount of INSV reported in the Salinas Valley iceberg and leaf crops. But, we are now in the second half of the Salinas season (July – October). This is the time of the year when temperature spikes are common, insect pressure increases, and soil health is weaker following the first half of the farming season. For these reasons virus and disease pressure is more prevalent. Markon’s Inspectors and our grower base have both started observing an uptick in insect populations, fungal pathogens, and diseases such as Verticillium Wilt and Sclerotinia. These issues are starting to causing a light die-off in iceberg and leaf crops at various stages of growth, impacting yields, but nothing significant enough to start driving the open markets.
Markon is monitoring the supply and market outlook closely, and will continue to update as more information develops.
Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.
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FROM THE FIELDS: PLANT VIRUS & DISEASE CONCERNS
