Hi all, Due to the beginning of classes and the loss of some integral undergraduate research support the past couple of weeks, we've been limited in our capacity to scout and monitor on farms. However, we were able to get a full scouting report this week and received some monitoring data from our partners at Cedar Circle Farm. Also, sadly, this will be the last scouting report for the season. We'd like to share a couple of current issues cropping up and provide a short list of some pests to look out for in the coming few weeks as we move into the cooler parts of the harvest season. First, we are seeing a high incidence of powdery<https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/cucurbits-powdery-mildew> and downy mildew<https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/cucurbits-downy-mildew> in cucurbits. This is no surprise, as the cool wet temperatures over the past few weeks have really aided in their propagation throughout our fields. Second, we've seen some isolated outbreaks of cabbage aphids<https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/aphid-cabbage> on late season brassicas, including Brussel sprouts, broccoli, kale and cabbage. These outbreaks were primarily seen during the days prior to the consistent rains that we've recently experienced. A good stand of buckwheat cover crop near brassicas can provide valuable resources that can recruit natural enemies, such has hoverflies, to reduce the impact of aphid infestations. Swede midge<https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/brassicas-swede-midge> damage has been building in some areas, usually in their preferred crops: collards, red Russian kale, broccoli, and cauliflower. At this point, much of the damage has been done, and any attempts to control the impact of swede midge populations is likely futile. To protect next year's crop, it may be useful to rotate a significant distance away from the current brassica field as swede midge overwinter (as pupae) right in the field, in the upper layers of soil. Owing to a shorter blueberry season and an overall low incidence of Spotted wing drosophila (SWD)<https://fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/> this summer, many growers have been spared from the usual concerning impacts of SWD infestations. In fact, our research team barely saw any SWD in our monitoring traps through mid-August. This is great news for growers, though it remains to be seen how this might affect next year's populations. Finally, a few pests that we are on the lookout for in the region as the temperatures cool are: winter cutworm, allium leaf miner, and potentially, leek moth. * Winter cutworms<https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/winter-cutworm> have become a concern in high tunnels and some field veggies over the past couple of years during the autumn season. Typically, we've been seeing the highest pressure in spinach, chard, lettuce and select brassicas. They can be voracious feeders and can be active well into the fall and sometimes the winter (hence their common name). They look similar to other cutworms and armyworms, but they are more active during the later times of the season and may be characterized by a series of black dashes that run down the sides and back of larger caterpillars. * Allium leaf miner<https://extension.umd.edu/resource/allium-onion-leafminer> are yet to be positively identified in Vermont, but with their presence in NY and MA, it is possible (or likely) that they are here. ALM are active during the early spring and then again in the fall. So, be on the lookout for a series of white dots on the foliage of any alliums that you might have growing this late in the season (e.g. leeks, scallions, etc.). * Finally, in the past couple of years we have heard from growers documenting leek moth<https://nysipm.cornell.edu/agriculture/vegetables/leek-moth-information-center/> damage in their leeks, though this tends to be a small proportion of growers, it is not unprecedented to see some late-season larvae. Typically, in leeks, you'll see some boring holes on the sides of the leeks. If you suspect that you may be seeing any of these pests, please let us know! Thanks to all of the growers and extension professionals that have supported our scouting work this summer. We could not have done any of this work without you. And we also want to send out a huge thank you to the whole Cedar Circle Farm team for their weekly reports that helped to inform us of what was going on outside of the Champlain Valley. We'll soon be sending out a feedback survey to help us better serve the VVBGA community with our scouting program. In addition, we'd love to hear from any farmers that may be interested in being a part of field trials or educational programs related to our pest management research. We are deeply committed to participatory methods and research that is grower focused. That includes a spectrum of different forms of farmer participation from sharing research ideas to direct partnerships. In fact, we're currently looking for growers interested in learning more about delayed potato planting as a low-tech strategy for dealing with Colorado potato beetle. Please reach out!! We'd love to get your perspective and shape our research focus. Cheers, The VEPART Team. Victor Izzo, Ph.D. Senior Lecturer & Educational Coordinator Agroecology and Livelihoods Collaborative Department of Plant and Soil Science & Environmental Studies University of Vermont http://www.uvm.edu/agroecology/vic-izzo-ph-d/ [he/him/his pronouns - why<https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/GLSEN%20Pronouns%20Resource.pdf>] cell: (802) 999-6906 "a great deal of chaos in the world occurs because people don't appreciate themselves" ~ Chogyam Trungpa "there is a crack in everything. that is how the light gets in" ~ Leonard Cohen