The University of Missouri Extension will hold a meeting to discuss invasive insects and diseases of horticultural crops at the Trails Regional Library in Lexington on Thursday, March 27, at 2 p.m.
“Many new insects have been found in Missouri in recent years,” said MU Extension horticulturist Tim Baker. “Some of these have become established pests in horticultural and agronomic crops, including Japanese beetle, emerald ash borer and spotted wing drosophila.”
Others, such as the brown marmorated stink bug, have not yet become economic pests of crops in Missouri but have the potential to do so, based upon their history in the eastern United States, Baker said.
“Diseases have also become problems for many of our favorite horticultural crops, including bacterial canker of tomato and bacterial fruit blotch of watermelon,” he said. In addition, some diseases, such as the thousand cankers disease of black walnut, have the potential to kill trees.
Complete details on these invasive insects and diseases will be discussed, including potential control measures. For more information, call Tim Baker at 660-663-3232.