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Abstract

Tuskegee University has been providing various types of technical expertise to limited resource farmers who have been supplying Walmart with collard greens, watermelons and purple hull peas. A number of pests bedevil the cultivation of these crops; cost-effective management methods for these pests are needed. The objectives of this paper are to document the IPM activities associated with supplying produce to Walmart; summarize pest problems encountered on the afore-stated crops; recommend IPM methods suitable for limited resource farmers; and suggest other activities that ensure that farmers incur even less pest-related crop losses. Anthracnose was the major pest encountered on watermelons. Some purple hull pea growers had problems with purple hull pea curculio and downy mildew. The major pests encountered on collard greens were diamond-back moth and downy mildew. Pesticide residues on vegetables produced and consumed in the U.S. and possible pest management practices that are responsible for these residues are discussed.

Key Words: Pesticide Residues, Pesticide Resistance, Environmental Cost, Polar Vortex, Beneficial Insects

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