Onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) feed on more than just onions; they also feed on cabbage, leaf lettuce, a variety of other vegetables and fruits, field crops, and many weed species. Thrips are unique from other insects as they have rasping-sucking mouthparts that allow them to scratch the cell walls of leaves, suck up the cell contents including the chlorophyll, and leave behind a shiny, translucent trail on the leaf. A single female can produce Continue reading Scouting for onion thrips
Tag Archives: Insects
Insect pests of pepper fruit
There is a long list of insects that can damage field pepper fruit in Ontario. Many cause significant damage on their own, but they also provide a means of entry for rot organisms. For more on pepper rots, see Pepper fruit rots.
European corn borer
Cabbage Maggot; An old pest with limited options
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
Lassoing Loopers: why you NEED to care about caterpillar control
Adapted from ONfloriculture by Sarah Jandricic, Greenhouse Floriculture IPM Specialist, OMAFRA
This article was originally written for the floriculture industry, but I have adapted it, with permission, as an awareness article for vegetable growers. — Janice
At this point, most field vegetable growers are focussed on getting the crops in and juggling early season field activities. If you’re thinking about caterpillars right now, it would probably be black cutworm. But recent alerts put out by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), bring a new emphasis to caterpillar control. Read on to understand what’s happening, and — for those with US customers — how to control occasional pests like cabbage looper, and avoid potential issues at the border. Continue reading Lassoing Loopers: why you NEED to care about caterpillar control
Preventing Yield Loss from Flea Beetles
Flea beetles are a common crop pest of crucifers in Ontario and overwinter as adults near the soil surface in debris and stubble from the previous crop. They typically become active with the first extended period of warm weather in the early spring as the leaf litter begins to thaw. The beetles feed on weeds throughout the field and have the ability to fly on calm days and will attack brassica seedlings as they emerge or transplants as they are planted.
Females will begin laying eggs in soil for about 30 days. Flea beetle larvae will hatch from eggs 12 days later and feed on the root hairs and taproots of seedlings. Left unchecked, adults will feed on leaves of transplants and the larvae will burrowing into the plant near the juncture of the root and stem. Continue reading Preventing Yield Loss from Flea Beetles
Consultation for the Plant and Animal Health Strategy for Canada
Learn, participate and have your say
The proposed Plant and Animal Health Strategy for Canada was drafted together by governments, industry and others who play a role in safeguarding plant and animal health.
The strategy will protect plants and animals from new and emerging risks by focusing efforts more on prevention and increasing partner collaboration and coordination.
You are invited to join the conversation this month and contribute your ideas on the draft strategy. Continue reading Consultation for the Plant and Animal Health Strategy for Canada
Pepper fruit rots
Field peppers are susceptible to a number of pests and disorders that can lead to fruit rots. This can make managing rots quite difficult. This article outlines some key points to understand about the variety of pests, disorders, and contributing factors that lead to fruit rots. Continue reading Pepper fruit rots
