Ed Sikora
@alabamaed1.bsky.social
Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist. I work with corn, soybeans, fruit and vegetables. I am also a freelance photographer.
Butterflies-R-Free Saturday: #Butterfly #Insect #Lepidoptera #NaturePhotography #Nature #Saturday 🧪 🦋
November 22, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Butterflies-R-Free Saturday: #Butterfly #Insect #Lepidoptera #NaturePhotography #Nature #Saturday 🧪 🦋
Butterflies-R-Free Saturday: #Butterfly #Insect #Lepidoptera #NaturePhotography #Nature #Saturday 🧪 🦋
November 15, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Butterflies-R-Free Saturday: #Butterfly #Insect #Lepidoptera #NaturePhotography #Nature #Saturday 🧪 🦋
Chicago at night #Chicago #Photography 📸
November 14, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Chicago at night #Chicago #Photography 📸
Blue-Crowned Motmot 🦅
November 13, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Blue-Crowned Motmot 🦅
November 11, 2025 at 4:28 PM
A different point of view on #MushroomMonday 🧪 🌱
November 10, 2025 at 3:28 PM
A different point of view on #MushroomMonday 🧪 🌱
NEMATODE MONDAY: A field of Sunn hemp in bloom is a beautiful site. It offers many benefits as a cover crop if worked into a crop rotation system. Sunn hemp suppresses weeds, slows soil erosion and reduces root-knot nematode populations 🧪 🌱
November 10, 2025 at 3:25 PM
NEMATODE MONDAY: A field of Sunn hemp in bloom is a beautiful site. It offers many benefits as a cover crop if worked into a crop rotation system. Sunn hemp suppresses weeds, slows soil erosion and reduces root-knot nematode populations 🧪 🌱
Butterflies-R-Free Saturday: #Butterfly #Insect #Lepidoptera #NaturePhotography #Nature #Saturday 🧪 🦋
November 8, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Butterflies-R-Free Saturday: #Butterfly #Insect #Lepidoptera #NaturePhotography #Nature #Saturday 🧪 🦋
I enjoyed participating in the Chilton County Strawberry meeting yesterday. Here I was surrounded by royalty and chose to “bend the knee”. 😂 🧪 🌱 🍓
November 7, 2025 at 4:36 PM
I enjoyed participating in the Chilton County Strawberry meeting yesterday. Here I was surrounded by royalty and chose to “bend the knee”. 😂 🧪 🌱 🍓
Corn smut (inside and out) is a disease caused by the fungus Ustilago maydis. It that forms tumor-like galls on corn plants. While it is a destructive plant disease, the immature galls are a culinary delicacy in Mexico $ other parts of the world, known as huitlacoche or Mexican truffle science 🧪 🌱
November 6, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Corn smut (inside and out) is a disease caused by the fungus Ustilago maydis. It that forms tumor-like galls on corn plants. While it is a destructive plant disease, the immature galls are a culinary delicacy in Mexico $ other parts of the world, known as huitlacoche or Mexican truffle science 🧪 🌱
Along the Gulf coast of Florida 🦅
November 5, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Along the Gulf coast of Florida 🦅
NEMATODE MONDAY Root-knot nematode (RKN) galls on tomato. Infected plants should be removed & destroyed after harvest. Roots left in soil can act as a shelter for RKN until the next season. Work soil to bring roots to surface so drying action of wind/sun can destroy the pathogen science 🧪 🌱
November 4, 2025 at 5:12 AM
NEMATODE MONDAY Root-knot nematode (RKN) galls on tomato. Infected plants should be removed & destroyed after harvest. Roots left in soil can act as a shelter for RKN until the next season. Work soil to bring roots to surface so drying action of wind/sun can destroy the pathogen science 🧪 🌱
Birds on a wire 🦉 🧪
November 1, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Birds on a wire 🦉 🧪
Butterflies-R-Free Saturday: #Butterfly #Insect #Lepidoptera #NaturePhotography #Nature #Saturday 🧪 🦋
November 1, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Butterflies-R-Free Saturday: #Butterfly #Insect #Lepidoptera #NaturePhotography #Nature #Saturday 🧪 🦋
Southern blight, a fungal disease of sunflower, starts with dark lesions at the soil line and leads to yellowing/wilting of plants. Management includes sanitation by removing infected plants a
& using crop rotation. Look for white fungal growth & small white-to-brown sclerotia at the stem line 🌱 🧪
& using crop rotation. Look for white fungal growth & small white-to-brown sclerotia at the stem line 🌱 🧪
October 31, 2025 at 5:07 AM
Southern blight, a fungal disease of sunflower, starts with dark lesions at the soil line and leads to yellowing/wilting of plants. Management includes sanitation by removing infected plants a
& using crop rotation. Look for white fungal growth & small white-to-brown sclerotia at the stem line 🌱 🧪
& using crop rotation. Look for white fungal growth & small white-to-brown sclerotia at the stem line 🌱 🧪
U.S. sunflowers are grown primarily in the Midwest, in states like North & South Dakota.The growing process is a little different in Alabama.The summers are hotter & longer, and can be wetter in some regions. Rain is important after planting sunflower seed. #Sunflowers 🌻 🌱 🧪
October 29, 2025 at 2:34 PM
U.S. sunflowers are grown primarily in the Midwest, in states like North & South Dakota.The growing process is a little different in Alabama.The summers are hotter & longer, and can be wetter in some regions. Rain is important after planting sunflower seed. #Sunflowers 🌻 🌱 🧪
Upper and lower surface of kudzu leaf infected with soybean rust. Kudzu acts as an overwintering host of the fungal pathogen in the southeast USA. Rust is a major disease of soybean in South America & Africa and a infrequent threat to soybean production in Alabama, Georgia & Mississippi #Rust 🌱 🧪
October 28, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Upper and lower surface of kudzu leaf infected with soybean rust. Kudzu acts as an overwintering host of the fungal pathogen in the southeast USA. Rust is a major disease of soybean in South America & Africa and a infrequent threat to soybean production in Alabama, Georgia & Mississippi #Rust 🌱 🧪
Crushed stalks of sugarcane, part of process to make sugar. Process includes extracting the juice; heating the juice to remove water & form crystals. Crystals are separated from the liquid molasses. For a raw sugar, cool the crystallized molasses mixture and process it #Sugancane 🌱 🧪
October 28, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Crushed stalks of sugarcane, part of process to make sugar. Process includes extracting the juice; heating the juice to remove water & form crystals. Crystals are separated from the liquid molasses. For a raw sugar, cool the crystallized molasses mixture and process it #Sugancane 🌱 🧪
The Ruby-throated hummingbird is a common bird in eastern North America, known for its rapid wing beats that create a humming sound. Males have a bright red throat, while females are green and white. 🦉 🧪
October 26, 2025 at 2:18 PM
The Ruby-throated hummingbird is a common bird in eastern North America, known for its rapid wing beats that create a humming sound. Males have a bright red throat, while females are green and white. 🦉 🧪
Butterflies-R-Free Saturday: #Butterfly #Insect #Lepidoptera #NaturePhotography #Nature #Saturday 🧪 🦋
October 25, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Butterflies-R-Free Saturday: #Butterfly #Insect #Lepidoptera #NaturePhotography #Nature #Saturday 🧪 🦋
Alabama Cooperative Extension System announces the 13th Alabama Row Crops Short Course to be held in Prattville AL on Jan. 21-22. This conference offers the latest information from researchers, industry representatives & Extension personnel about row crop management & production in Alabama 🧪 🌱
October 24, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Alabama Cooperative Extension System announces the 13th Alabama Row Crops Short Course to be held in Prattville AL on Jan. 21-22. This conference offers the latest information from researchers, industry representatives & Extension personnel about row crop management & production in Alabama 🧪 🌱
Mosaic virus symptoms on a Cucurbit crop in South Alabama. The dark green, light green, yellow mosaic pattern was observed in the youngest growth suggesting one of our aphid-transmitted viruses, possibly WMV, ZYMV or PRSV. Whitefly transmitted virus also common in area #Virus 🌱 🧪
October 24, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Mosaic virus symptoms on a Cucurbit crop in South Alabama. The dark green, light green, yellow mosaic pattern was observed in the youngest growth suggesting one of our aphid-transmitted viruses, possibly WMV, ZYMV or PRSV. Whitefly transmitted virus also common in area #Virus 🌱 🧪
I offer a few mushroom clusters from my Northern Wisconsin album on this #FungiFriday. 🍄 🧪
October 24, 2025 at 2:38 PM
I offer a few mushroom clusters from my Northern Wisconsin album on this #FungiFriday. 🍄 🧪
I suspect a Golden Pomegranate in the Napa Valley. The fruit is a striking yellow-golden color. The fruit has a tart slightly sweet flavor & is edible.The Golden Pomegranate is a relatively easy plant to grow and is adaptable to a wide range of soil types including poor, sandy or rocky soils 🧪 🌱 🍎
October 24, 2025 at 2:35 PM
I suspect a Golden Pomegranate in the Napa Valley. The fruit is a striking yellow-golden color. The fruit has a tart slightly sweet flavor & is edible.The Golden Pomegranate is a relatively easy plant to grow and is adaptable to a wide range of soil types including poor, sandy or rocky soils 🧪 🌱 🍎