The cabbage maggot (Delia radicum) is the larvae stage of the cabbage root fly which can cause severe damage to all Brassica crops. The adult cabbage maggot is a fly that is about half the size of a house fly and is grey in colour.
In the early spring, cabbage maggot flies emerge from the soil and the females lay small, white eggs ~2-10 cm below the soil line. Depending upon the temperature, eggs hatch 3-7 days later as larvae that immediately start boring Continue reading Cabbage Maggot; An old pest with limited options→
The module is a great educational tool with information for the common insect pests, diseases, viruses and disorders of potatoes in Ontario. For each pest or disease, summarized information can be found in the Beginner tab and more detailed information can be found under the Advanced tab. In the “often confused with” section of the entries you can view side-by-side photos of insects/disease/disorders that cause similar symptoms. You can also find more information on soil diagnostics, weed identification, herbicide injury, and links to additional resources.
Dennis Van Dyk, OMAFRA, Guelph; Manju Chandran and Mary Ruth McDonald, University of Guelph, Muck Crops Research Station.
For the first time in Ontario, feeding damage caused by flea beetle larvae has been confirmed in a commercial carrot field. The damage is characterized by irregularly shaped cavities along the length of the taproot (Figure 1). A trail of smaller feeding sites can sometimes be seen travelling down the length of the carrot (Figure 2).
Figure 1. Large amounts feeding damage caused by flea beetle larvae
The 2016 Ontario Potato Field Day will be held Thursday, August 18 at HJV Equipment, 5900 Simcoe Road 10, Alliston.
The event starts at 3 pm with What is New in Potato Equipment, a display of new varieties, and a trade show. All of this learning is followed by a barbeque (sponsored by Syngenta) at 5:30 pm.
Growing potatoes is always a challenge for Ontario potato producers. Mother Nature dictates crop development from planting until harvest, and whatever she decides is beyond growers’ control.
April was a relatively quiet, spring-transition month. There were, however, a few typical storm systems that brought moderate amounts of rain. Planting started in Leamington just before Easter; by April 15, the sprouts of early varieties such as Dakota Pearl were looking healthy and vigorous.
Planting was delayed a bit by cool weather and the occasional rain shower in other areas of Ontario. May was very dry which resulted in non-stop planting. A large potato producer in Shelburne told me that he finished planting in May, something he had not done in years. Continue reading The 2015 season: how is the potato crop doing?→
In the past couple of weeks, we have observed this individual feeding on sweet potato plants in the Simcoe area.
Sweet potato producers who used to grow tobacco will likely recognize this as a hornworm, however it is not the same species as the more common tobacco or tomato hornworm. This is likely a sweetpotato hornworm.
