South Carolina Farm Bureau

SCFB Vegetable Advisory Committee membership is asked for research priorities in their areas of fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop production each year.  The committee looks at these suggestions and discusses their merit along with other topical issues and projects that are needed and apparent.  Cooperation between both the SCFB Committee and the SCDA Fruit Vegetable and Specialty Crops Association is an important part in our arriving at these results.

We will adapt this list annually as the needs of the industry in South Carolina change.  Currently the items listed below are considered research priorities by our committee.  No order of importance is intended.

1.        Management of the bacterial leaf spot complex on leafy brassica greens for fresh market.

2.       Pre- and post-emergent materials for weed control in lima beans.

3.       Diamondback moth management in both fresh-market and processing leafy brassica greens.

4.       Management of Phytophthora capsici crown and fruit rot on both pepper and cucurbits.

5.       Weed management systems research for small, mixed-vegetable farms.

6.       Grasshopper management in leafy greens for the processing industry.

Tomato Spotted Wilt Project:

Clemson is involved with NCSU, UGa, and UFl in a regional project to examine the currently recommended practices to control Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) in tomato and pepper.  We are looking at the effects of various mulch films (silver, black, Heat Stripe) and the use of Actigard, Admire, and a combination of these materials in tomato.  In pepper, we are looking at the utility of resistant varieties and seeking to determine the extent of the ‘resistance-breaking’ strains of TSWV.  Each state has on-farm trials with commercial growers.  Currently, the tomato trial is with Seaside Farms on St. Helena Island in Beaufort County and the pepper trial is with Titan Farms in Edgefield County.  We want to see which practices are the most effective as well gather biological data on the thrips population in conjunction with the tomato trial.  In the pepper trial, we have both of the genes for resistance to TSWV in pepper represented in the varieties and are looking to determine the geographical extent of strains that can overcome these genes for resistance.  It is a four-year project, so I will be looking for other cooperators down the road.

J. Powell Smith, Ph. D. 
Extension Associate - Vegetable Crops and Small Fruits
CUCES-Lexington County
605 W. Main St.  Ste. 109
Lexington, SC  29072  USA

Phone(s):  Office  -  803-359-8515 x: 122  -  Mobile:  803-300-1751  -  FAX:  803-359-4245