Tag: Pests

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Vermont Pasture Research Includes State’s First Dung Beetle Survey

A shiny, black dung beetle walking on grass.
Dung beetle. Photo credit: Bryony Sands.

Grazed pastures are complex ecosystems, and their functionality depends on interactions between plants, animals, soils, manure, and the people that manage them. Invertebrates in these ecosystems fulfill various ecological roles, such as decomposition, predation, and pollination, that we depend on for the productivity of our land and livestock. Management decisions aimed at controlling one aspect of an ecosystem are likely to affect the other components in complicated ways. Continue reading “Vermont Pasture Research Includes State’s First Dung Beetle Survey”

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New Leek Moth Information Center Provides Pest Management Tactics

A green, tiny leek moth caterpillar on the tip of a person's finger.
A leek moth caterpillar.

Not only is Tax Day right around the corner, mid-April also means the annual return of leek moths in our region. Leek moth is a pest of members of the allium family including onions, garlic, leeks, chives and shallots. The larvae feed on crop foliage, stunting plant growth and compromising the storage life of the crop. Continue reading “New Leek Moth Information Center Provides Pest Management Tactics”

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The 2023 VT Vegetable and Berry Growers Association Meeting

Many people are in a room with talking to conference exhibitors.
Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers conference exhibitors talking with attendees.

The 2023 annual meeting of the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (VVBGA) was held on January 24 at the Capital Plaza in Montpelier. The event was a collaboration between the VVBGA and UVM Extension, and it was attended by 198 people. Continue reading “The 2023 VT Vegetable and Berry Growers Association Meeting”

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Gardening Helpline Hits a Five-Year High

A basket full of colorful vegetables and fruit including zucchini, apples, strawberries, kale and carrots.

Since its start in 1991, the UVM Extension Master Gardener program has offered a Gardening Helpline, where trained volunteers respond to home and community gardening questions from Vermonters throughout the state.

Over the past few years, the helpline has pivoted from a telephone call-in service to going completely online during COVID-19, and in 2022, to a blended service. Vermonters can either call in or ask their questions online through Ask Extension (a national initiative created and maintained by the Extension Foundation). Continue reading “Gardening Helpline Hits a Five-Year High”