Parsnip

Symptoms: mushy water-soaked decay of fleshy tissue; slimy soft rot of heads, bulbs, roots, or fruit; foul odor from rotting tissue; rapid collapse after wounding or in warm wet conditions; rot spreading in storage

• CulturalRemove rotting plants and produce (manage, not cure)●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Soft rot can't be cured once tissue breaks down; promptly remove and discard affected plants and produce so the bacteria don't spread to neighbors or other stored vegetables.

  Source: Cornell NYS IPM

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• CulturalAvoid wounds and excess moisture●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Harvest in dry conditions, handle gently to avoid bruising, control insects that create entry wounds, and improve drainage; cure and store bulbs and roots cool and dry.

  Source: Cornell NYS IPM

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• CulturalDon't overwater and rotate●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  Avoid waterlogged soil and overhead watering that splashes bacteria, and rotate away from previously affected fleshy crops to lower disease pressure.

  Source: Cornell NYS IPM

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Symptoms: sudden wilting in hot weather; yellowing then collapse of whole plant; white fan-like mold mat at the stem base and soil; tan-brown mustard-seed-sized sclerotia near soil line; girdled rotted lower stem

• CulturalRemove infected plants and surrounding soil (manage, not cure)●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Once a plant collapses it can't be cured; dig out the plant plus the top few inches of nearby soil containing sclerotia and dispose of it, avoiding spread on tools.

  Source: Clemson Land-Grant Press; UC IPM

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• CulturalBury residue and rotate●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  Deep-turn soil to bury sclerotia, remove crop debris at season end, and rotate susceptible solanaceous and legume crops with grasses for several seasons.

  Source: Clemson Land-Grant Press

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• CulturalAdjust soil pH and plant early●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  Maintain soil pH at the level recommended for the crop, since the disease is worse in low-pH soils, and time plantings so harvest begins before peak summer heat favors the fungus.

  Source: Clemson Land-Grant Press

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Symptoms: water-soaked stem or branch lesions; fluffy white cottony mold on stems and pods; sudden wilting of part of a plant; hard black sclerotia inside or on stems; collapse during cool wet bloom periods

• CulturalRemove infected plants (manage, not cure)●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  There's no cure for an infected plant; cut out and bag affected plants including the black sclerotia, and don't compost them, since sclerotia survive years in soil.

  Source: UMN Extension; UC IPM

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• CulturalOpen the canopy and rotate●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Space plants widely, control weeds, orient rows to prevailing wind, and avoid overhead watering at bloom to dry the canopy; rotate to non-host crops (corn or other grasses) for several years.

  Source: UMN Extension; UC IPM

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• CulturalWater at the base, not overhead●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  Use drip or soaker irrigation to keep foliage and the soil surface drier, which discourages the sclerotia germination and mycelial growth that drive white mold.

  Source: UC IPM

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Symptoms: rusty brown tunnels through carrot roots; stunted reddish foliage

• CulturalRow cover + delay sowing●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Cover the bed with insect netting from sowing, and avoid the spring egg-laying peak by sowing a little later. Crop rotation helps.

  Source: UMN Extension

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Symptoms: stunted yellowing plants that wilt despite wet soil; soft brown mushy roots; sloughing root outer layer leaving thread-like core; poor growth in low or compacted wet spots; seedlings collapsing at the soil line

• CulturalLet soil drain and water less●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Water root rots like Pythium thrive in saturated soil, so cut back watering, let the surface dry between irrigations, and water at the base rather than keeping soil constantly wet.

  Source: UMN Extension; Missouri Botanical Garden

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• CulturalImprove drainage and aeration●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Use raised beds, loosen compacted soil, and add organic matter to improve drainage; remove plants that are already rotted since affected roots won't recover.

  Source: UMN Extension; Missouri Botanical Garden

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Symptoms: deformed or puckered new growth; pitted or scarred stems and leaves; aborted or misshapen buds and fruit; catfaced or dimpled strawberries; small bronze-green bugs with triangular back marking

• CulturalManage surrounding weeds●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Keep broadleaf weeds mowed or removed around the garden, since lygus build up on flowering weeds and move to crops as those weeds dry down; avoid mowing large weedy areas right beside fruiting crops at bloom.

  Source: UC IPM

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• CulturalVacuum or shake plants to monitor and reduce· every 5 days●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  Tap plants over a light-colored tray to check for nymphs; a handheld vacuum used once or twice weekly can hold low to moderate numbers down on small plantings.

  Source: UC IPM

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• OrganicTreat nymphs if damage is building· every 1 wk●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  For active nymph infestations, azadirachtin or a Beauveria bassiana product can give some control per the label; preserve the parasitic wasps and other natural enemies that help suppress lygus.

  Always follow the product label — it is the law.

  Source: UC IPM

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Unusual this time of year.

Symptoms: reddish-brown to black rough rot on the shoulders or crown of the root (canker); cracked sunken lesions; roots that split, fork, or grow hairy and distorted; stunted misshapen harvest

• CulturalImprove soil and rotate●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  Root canker is a fungal rot worsened by wet soil and exposed root shoulders, so grow in well-drained soil, draw a little soil over the crowns, avoid excess nitrogen, and rotate the carrot family. Forking comes from stony, compacted, or freshly manured ground, so loosen and destone the bed deeply and do not add fresh organic matter just before sowing.

  Source: RHS: How to grow Parsnips; Harvest to Table: Carrot and Parsnip Growing Problems

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Symptoms: clusters of tiny soft-bodied insects on new growth and undersides; sticky honeydew or sooty mold; curled distorted new leaves; ants tending them

• CulturalBlast off with water· every 3 days · ~2 wks●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Knock colonies off with a strong jet of water in the morning; repeat every few days. Light infestations rarely need more.

  Source: UC IPM: Aphids

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• OrganicInsecticidal soap - label use only· every 1 wk · ~3 wks●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  For persistent colonies apply insecticidal soap to undersides per label. Avoid open flowers.

  Always follow the product label — it is the law.

  Source: UC IPM

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