Ed Sikora
@alabamaed1
Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist. I work with corn, soybeans, fruit and vegetables. I am also a freelance photographer.
Blossom end rot on tomato/pepper is a disorder causing dark sunken leathery patches on the bottom of developing fruit. It is triggered by a calcium deficiency often caused by inconsistent watering. Avoid BER by watering evenly & regularly during the season & using mulch 🌱 🧪 @vegplotter.com #Tomato
My first tomato from my one potted plant. Success! No blossom end rot because of a balanced water supply & proper management of calcium and fertility levels. My father would be proud. @learndirt.bsky.social @vegplotter.com
Butterflies-R-Free Saturday 🦋 #Butterfly #Insect #Lepidoptera #NaturePhotography
Taproot decline (fungal disease of soybean) symptoms often appear during pod fill but can be seen anytime during the season. Symptoms include interveinal yellowing of leaves & premature death of plant. If plants are pulled from soil, most of roots will snap off 🧪 🌱 @cropnetwork.bsky.social
Kudzu bugs are active in Alabama this summer and will be w/t us through fall.They feed on soybeans & kudzu damaging their hosts by sucking vital nutrients/moisture from the plant stem, petioles & leaves. They also swarm homes and white surfaces. They emit a foul odor when threatened or crushed 🌱 🧪
A barred owl (I think) flew silently into a neighbor’s tree last night. I saw a large shadow & thought it was a hawk or owl. This is the best picture I could get w/t my iPhone. Google says. “They are known for their silent flight and can occasionally be spotted perching in trees during the day” 🦉
Dragon fruit is a vibrant tropical fruit that grows on the Selenicereus cactus. It has bright pink or yellow leathery skin with leafy green scales, and its mild, slightly sweet flesh which can be white, red or purple. The flavor is often described as a subtle cross between a kiwi and a pear 🌱
Butterflies-R-Free Saturday: #Butterfly #Insect #Lepidoptera #NaturePhotography #Saturday @savebutterflies.bsky.social
How about a little help? Field corn in North Alabama. Symptoms appearing along field edges but also inside the field. Corn leaf aphids present; and plenty of Johnson grass bordering field. Could we be looking at a virus disease? 🌱 🧪 @cropnetwork.bsky.social @plantdisease.bsky.social
Bacterial blight is an early-season soybean disease favored by cool wet weather. It produces small angular reddish-brown leaf lesions with by a yellow halo. The disease rarely causes economic yield loss & ceases when temperatures exceed 80 °F 🧪🌱 @cropnetwork.bsky.social @apsbacteriology.bsky.social
A slug trail is the silvery glistening residue of mucus left behind a slug. It act as a lubricant to travel over rough surfaces and a glue to climb walls. It contains pheromones used for navigation, communication & finding mates. Slug damage appears as smooth-edged holes in leaves, flowers and fruit
Butterflies-R-Free Saturday: #Butterfly #Insect #Lepidoptera #NaturePhotography #Nature #Saturday science 🧪 🦋
Possibly Luxury Caps on this #FungiFriday. The frequent Alabama rains and the organic matter in this plant bed have made conditions more favorable for fungi than vegetables. These caps have been really popping in recent weeks 🧪 🌱 🍄 #Mushroom #Fungi @akbridgelake.bsky.social
Coming in low and fast! Airplane applicators spray fields with pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers or seed. Though called "crop dusters," they typically spray liquids & use technology like GPS to cover large areas quickly while flying just 10-30 feet above the ground 🌱 🧪 ✈️
Common rust on sweet corn is a fungal disease that favors warm humid weather. It causes powdery reddish-brown pustules that burst through both leaf surfaces. Plant resistant hybrids, avoid dense plantings & apply targeted foliar fungicides at 1st sign of pustule development @cropnetwork.bsky.social
Racing in Halifax this weekend great day for sailing ⛵️ #Halifax #Travel #Canada @sailgp.bsky.social
A silhouette of the common Raven in flight. It is a year-round resident across Nova Scotia. While traditionally associated with dense forests, wilderness areas & rural coasts, they have increasingly adapted to urban & suburban environments, becoming a familiar sight across the province 🦅 🧪
Enjoying the opening reception with friends at the Canadian Phytopathological Society in Halifax, Canada @cropnetwork.bsky.social
Root-knot nematode symptoms/signs on Southern peas. Nematodes feed on roots forming distinct galls or knots that help block nutrient/water uptake leading to stunted growth, wilting & yellow foliage. Damage can cause premature death & reduced yields @eurl-ppns.bsky.social @plantdisease.bsky.social
Butterflies-R-Free Saturday: #Butterfly #Insect #Lepidoptera #NaturePhotography #Nature #Saturday 🦋 🧪
The plantpot dapperling is a common, bright yellow mushroom that often appears in potted plants. It's also known as the flowerpot parasol or yellow parasol. It is mildly toxic to humans, so best to avoid eating 🧪 🍄🟫 🌱 #FungiFriday #Mushroom @akbridgelake.bsky.social
Corn smut is a fungal disease (Ustilago maydis) that creates large tumor-like galls on corn which are edible & considered a delicacy (huitlacoche) in Mexico. It’s managed by planting resistant varieties, crop rotation, avoiding plant injury and removing infected galls before they burst plant 🌱 🧪
Shepherds crook symptom typical of fire blight on pear. A bacterial disease caused by Erwinia amylovora. Prune out blackened twigs & branches with cankers during the dormant season. Pruning during the growing season may spread the disease 🌱 🧪 @plantdisease.bsky.social @apsbacteriology.bsky.social
Purple leaf sheath is an abiotic disorder that affects the leaf sheath in corn. Symptoms can be confused with other diseases typical of stalk rot. In this case in Alabama, no pathogens were isolated from symptomatic plants. The disorder does not impact yield 🌱 🧪 @cropnetwork.bsky.social