Insect and Disease Control Recommendations 
for the Truck Crop Grower in F lorida. 
For your guidance we have prepared a Dusting and Spray- 
ing Chart covering the more economically important insect and 
disease problems facing the Florida truck crop grower. It is 
suggested that the following chapters be read thoroughly be- 
fore consulting the chart. 
A few of the more important diseases of vegetable crops, as 
Mosaic, Root Knot and Damping off have been excluded 
from the tables for specific crops, as the symptoms as well as 
the control measures broadly apply to most vegetable crops. 
aay are discussed separately in the section preceding the 
tables. 
ROOT KNOT 
The disease is caused by minute roundworms or nematodes 
in the soil. These worms bore into the roots of plants and are 
responsible for the swellings which develop on affected roots. 
These swellings are commonly called knots or galls. Such 
galls should not be confused with nitrogen nodules commonly 
found on small rootlets of leguminous crops. Nitrogen nodules 
appear as growths on the sides of small rootlets, while in nema- 
tode galls, the swellings extend all around portions of roots, 
regardless of their sizes. Plants seriously affected by root knot 
usually show a stunted condition and do not produce a normal 
crop. Because of their weak condition, they are extremely sus- 
ceptible to secondary diseases. 
Nematodes develop and multiply most rapidly during warm 
weather. It is then when they are most troublesome. As most 
of the vegetable crops, particularly okra, tomatoes, eggplant, 
cucumbers and beans, are susceptible to root knot, it is advis- 
able not to plant such vegetables during warm weather months 
—-generally from April to October—in soils that are known to 
be infested. Such soils should be kept free of all susceptible 
plants, including weeds, and the ground should be left fallow, 
turning the soil over as often as possible. Flooding for a period 
of several months or the planting of non-susceptible cover crops 
are other alternatives. Such practices will reduce the nematode 
population considerably, and as a result, most crops can be 
grown during the winter months—from November to March or 
April—with reasonable assurance of fair success. 
Chemical treatment of infested soils is expensive and is not 
recommended except for seed beds or small garden plots. For 
this purpose, calcium cyanide (Cyanogas) can be used at the 
rate of 2% pounds per 100 square feet. Application should be 
made three or four months before planting time. 
MOSAIC 
Mosaic disease is caused by organisms (virus) in the sap of 
the affected plants. The viruses, as infectious principles, may 
be transmitted from diseased to healthy plants in various ways. 
Insects undoubtedly play an important part in the transmission 
of the disease, although it may be spread by other means, such 
as pruning operations, bruising of plants by workers or mechan- 
ical equipment, picking fruit, etc. 
The symptoms of mosaic vary slightly in different plants, but 
in general, certain broad characteristic indications can be noted 
in most all infected plant types. There is usually a stunting 
or dwarfing of the plants, with accompanying pattern of light- 
yellowish areas merging with green patches, giving them a 
“mottled” affect. Usually there is a roughening of the surface, 
producing in some cases a warty appearance. Edges of leaves 
often cup downward. The fruit also may be mottled and warted. 
In the light of what has been said as to how mosaic may be 
transmitted to healthy plants, at least some control measures 
are quite obvious. Sick plants should be carefully removed 
from the garden and burned. If pruning of certain plants 
is desired, as in the case of staked tomatoes, particular caution 
should be exercised to prevent transmission of the virus. In 
general, when working in vegetable plots, refrain from injuring 
plants. 
As insects play such an important part in the transmission of 
the disease, every effort should be made to keep them at a 
minimum throughout the growing period of the plants. This 
is particularly true of the sucking type of insects, such as aphids, 
stink bugs, etc. For the control of such insects, consult tables 
under specific crops. 
Areas adjacent to planted plots should be kept free of weeds, 
especially Wandering Jew and Nightshade. 
DAMPING OFF 
Damping off is primarily a disease affecting plants in seed 
beds, although they may be attacked after transplanting. A 
number of fungi and bacteria may be the cause, but one fun- 
gus, called Rhizoctonia, is the prime factor of infection. 
Seedlings are attacked by the fungus at the soil line, where 
it penetrates the outer layer of the stem, destroying the cells. 
Wilting of the seedling is usually the first indication to the 
grower, that seedlings are damping off. As the fungus grows. 
the seedling collapses and dies. The fungus continues to de- 
velop and eventually covers the dead seedling as well as thie 
surrounding soil, thus coming in contact with nearby seedlings, 
which it will also attack. 
The prevention of damping off in seedbeds can best be 
accomplished by treating beds with an appropriate compound. 
Wettable Spergon and Semesan are highly recommended for 
this purpose. If the disease does appear in seedbeds, the soil 
should be disinfected immediately with Wettable Spergon at 
from 1] to 2 lbs. per 50 gallons, or Semesan at | lb. per 50 gallons. 
CUTWORMS AND MOLE CRICKETS 
No doubt every grower is thoroughly familiar with the large, 
fleshy, greasy looking cutworm. There are a number of species, 
some of them differing in feeding habits. The subterranean 
variety never appears above the soil, but feeds on roots and 
other vegetative matter underground entirely. A very destruc- 
tive type is the cutworm that feeds by cutting off young plants 
near or at the surface of the soil. The third type is the so- 
called climbing cutworm because of its habits of climbing up 
into plants, feeding on foliage and often boring into fruit. All 
three types are nocturnal, that is they confine their feeding 
activities almost entirely at night. 
Common control measures consist of the broadcasting of 
poison baits late afternoons or evenings. We recommend Kil- 
gore’s Poison Bait No. 3-S. Baits will not control the subter- 
ranean cutworm, as it does not come to the surface to feed. 
Mole crickets, in some sections of the State, present a serious 
problem to the commercial grower. These insects are rather 
flat and of a dirty brown color. Their front legs are enlarged 
and shovel-like, permitting them to burrow in the soil with 
great speed and ease. During the day-time they remain deep 
in the ground. At night, they work just below the surface of 
the soil, making runways, which resemble those made by moles, 
except that they are much smaller. In seedbeds, relatively few 
of the mole crickets can be extremely destructive. 
For their control, use Kilgore’s Poison Bait No. 3-S, broad- 
casting the bait late afternoons, as these insects are also noc- 
turnal. If practical, apply bait immediately after a rain. 
RATS AND MICE 
Control of rats and mice in large fields in certain sections 
of the state is a necessary and important function. Baiting has 
proved the most economical, if not always the most satisfactory 
method of control. To be effective, baits should be palatable, 
contain enough of the toxic agent to destroy rats eating rela- 
tively small amounts and should remain attractive long enough 
for suspicious animals to overcome their timidity and feed on 
them. Various poisons, such as thallium sulphate, strychnine, 
zinc phosphate, barium carbonate, arsenic and phosphorous 
preparations are common toxic agents in baits. Recently, a 
new type of activated and standardized red squill powder has 
made its appearance on the market, which deserves considera- 
ay _ any rat control program. (See page 53 under “Vermi- 
cides’). 

48 
For Best Results Plant Kilgore’s ‘“Bred-Rite”’ Seeds 
