Fire Blight of Ornamental Pears

The wheat curl mite (WCM) is one of the most significant pests affecting wheat production globally. WCM are microscopic arthropods about 0.2 mm long. Besides wheat, several other grass species are also infested by WCM-including the cereal crops corn, barley, oat, rye, pearl millet, as well as cultivated (i.e., pasture) and non-cultivated grasses. (3 pages)

Since the discovery in Harris County, Texas, in 2002, tawny crazy ants (Nylanderia fulva Mayr) have expanded their invasive range to include 43 Texas counties (Fig. 1). These ants have also been confirmed in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. After an introduction to a new location, these ants can reach extraordinary densities within a year or two and become significant pests in urban, rural, and unmanaged natural areas. It is imperative that people remain diligent with regard to the potential transport of these ants across Texas and the United States.

Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula White) is a sap-sucking insect with many known plant hosts, native and non-native alike. Human-assisted movement poses a significant threat, as this insect is capable of hitchhiking at any life stage.

Dollar spot occurs from late spring through fall and is most active during warm and humid days (70 to 85 degrees F) and cool nights (60 degrees F), which leads to heavy dew formation. Early symptoms on fine-textured and close-cut turf include round, sunken patches of bleached-out or straw-colored grass, which measures 1 to 2 […]

While downy mildew is a frequent issue in warm-season turfgrasses, the symptoms and effects can vary greatly between grass species, as is the case with St. Augustine grass and zoysia grass.