A new study from WSU indicates that peas respond to herbivore damage differently depending on if they are attacked by pea weevil or pea aphid first. Transmission of the pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV) is also affected. These biologically relevant interactions have implications for management. A very interesting study, well done, Cougs! https://news.wsu.edu/2021/08/10/pest-attack-order-changes-plant-defenses/
Brevicoryne brassicae (cabbage aphid) Myzus persicae (green peach aphid) Lipaphis pseudobrassicae (turnip aphid) IDENTIFICATION Aphids are very small, soft-bodied pests. They have an oval to tapered body shape and two distinctive cornicles at the posterior end. The cornicles secrete different types of pheromones as well as a waxy substance that deters predators. Wingless cabbage aphids… Continue reading
We know they’re “ugly”… but this is one curious group that is not easily classified as good or bad. Earwigs can be considered either pests or beneficials depending on the situation. They are omnivorous, which means they eat anything. ‘Continue reading’ to learn more.
Doesn’t seem possible but we are in week 7 of the 2021 monitoring season. It has been a slow and rather uneventful start, compared to recent years, but predictions of extreme summer heat and drought could change that. Data tables are available for week 6 and week 7 Looper levels remain VERY low An early… Continue reading
*See map below for relative field site locations and codes Report Archive – 2022 WEEK 18 fall-active armyworms – soil health webinars for urban vegetable growers WEEK 17 data collected but no report issued WEEK 16 new corn earworm publication – diamondback suppression – PSEP program WEEK 15 12-spot graph – contamination concerns in brassicas… Continue reading
Lots of insects bug plants, but “plant bugs” (Order Hemiptera; Family Miridae) cause extensive damage in the home garden as well as commercial agriculture. In fact, more than 50% of all cultivated plants grown in the U.S. are host plants for the tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris). In the West, we are (un)lucky enough to… Continue reading
The DAMAGE done by adult pea weevils (Sitona lineatus) is characteristic; adults chew half-moon circles on leaf margins and also chew on growing points. When the notches line up, it looks like a scalloped edge on the leaf. Early infestation by adult weevils can cause up to 50% defoliation to seedling field pea, and part… Continue reading
Farmers love to talk about the weather, but do you realize just how much it influences crop pests? Intuitively, we know that temperature affects insect development. Tools such as growing-degree-day calculators are now common, and very useful, for estimating activity. But think bigger; think global! Many pest insects, especially aphids and moths, utilize spring low-level… Continue reading
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