In many areas that produce lettuce, aphids are considered the most economically important insect pest found on the crop. There’s over 4400 species of aphids, about 250 of which are destructive on most common garden plants. However, the presence of winged aphids on a lettuce or celery crop does not necessarily mean you should expect an aphid infestation to eventually develop. When sampling for aphids, inspection of the whole plant is important. In iceberg lettuce, it is recommended foliar sprays be applied based on a nominal action threshold; sprays should be initiated when an average of 10% of lettuce plants sampled have at least a single aphid colony (four to five nymphs) present. In head lettuce types such the crisphead and butterhead varieties, aphids are found almost exclusively at the heart of the plant. In the greenhouse, aphid and cabbage looper infestations often give problems. Insecticide performance in the field varies from product to product, but can also vary depending on the aphid species you are targeting. Then drain, rinse them off, and dry them. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Stack Exchange network consists of 176 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. The content on BrownThumbMama is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice. Damage occurs when aphids suck the juices from lettuce leaves. Pay close attention to windward edges of fields. lettuce aphid infestations within heads, hearts and other protected leaf areas on leafy vegetable crops. The best way to remove the aphids is to submerge the vegetables in cold water for at least 10 minutes. Please consult with a qualified health care professional before acting on any information presented here. Contamination of leafy vegetables with just a few aphids will often downgrade quality, or even render the product unmarketable. Aphid colonization begins with the movement of a few winged females into fields that give birth to live nymphs. This is particularly challenging for growers of leafy vegetables where damage by aphids can seriously reduce yield and quality. Aphids all have similar life cycles… Some have black markings on the abdomen as well, and may be winged or wingless. Most aphids can’t fly and are terrible climbers. One of the best ways to organically control … Aphid Identification is Important Insects. They can also get inside, ruining your planters, containers, and boxes. Isopropyl alcohol (also called isopropanol or rubbing alcohol) works fine and is easy to find, but be sure it doesn’t have additives. This closeup shows winged adult males along with wingless nymphs.Photo by John Palumbo. 3. Symptoms: Lettuce aphid likes to feed deep inside the plants, preferably toward the centre on the new leaves. Because aphids have the potential to rapidly contaminate plants, preventing their establishment is critical for the production of quality crops. Destruction and removal of crop residues immediately after harvest can minimize the spread of aphids to adjacent plantings. Once wingless aphids are found colonizing plants, aphid identification can also be important for determining control measures. Caterpillars attacking the fall crop are usually the most troublesome field pests of lettuce. The green peach aphid is pale green with three dark lines on the back. Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening, 8 Vegetables to Plant in December {Zone 9}, 5 Best Container Vegetables for Beginning Gardeners, 15 Vegetables to Plant in November {Zone 9}, Download my favorite free homestead guides. Editor’s Note: We’d like to welcome John C. Palumbo as a regular contributor to American Vegetable Grower® magazine. Aphids feed on the sweet sap inside of plants, robbing the stems of the ability to transport nutrients. The majority of aphids in a colony do not have wings. For vegetable growers to successfully compete in the fresh market, they must be able to produce high-quality, insect-free crops. Stack Exchange Network. The adults have black markings on their leg joints and antennae. Aphids Aphids pose a quadruple threat. Understanding the distribution of the aphids also can aid in their identification. Disclaimers: As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Finally, aphids deposit significant amounts of honeydew on the leaves, which foster the growth of sooty mold. Similarly, Versys and PQZ, two new insecticides have good aphid activity, but are not likely capable of controlling lettuce aphid within heads. No products mentioned are intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Aphids on leaves may cause curling or stunting, but in general aphids are a problem because of contamination of marketed heads. Scout Fields Thoroughly It shouldn’t be. I tried very hard to avoid chemical pesticides in my container garden, so I turned to neem … Aphids. The green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) may also spread lettuce mosaic virus, a disease that dwarfs lettuce plants, rendering them unproductive. However, these same insecticides are generally not very effective against foxglove and lettuce aphids. (Or, on plants with tightly-packed leaves like those of day lilies, aphids may take root at the base of the plant instead.) Being inside the lettuce head protects these aphids from predators and parasitoids; and their presence is considered a contaminant when heads are harvested. Monitoring and Treatment Decisions. Start With Prevention After these winged aphids determine that lettuce is not an acceptable host, they will move on and growers need not worry about controlling them. Cultural management and natural enemies can’t always prevent aphid colonization though, and insecticides may be required to prevent contamination. You did not say what lettuce you grew with aphids. However, it is the contamination of harvestable plant material (e.g., lettuce heads, celery hearts) by the aphids themselves that makes them economically important. Secondly, they are often parasitized and the dead aphids dont rinse off the leaves. A number of aphid species are known to infest and damage leafy vegetables. Garlic and chives repel aphids when planted near lettuce, peas, and rose bushes. Aphid infestations tend to develop quickly, and the insects are highly mobile: they rapidly travel from one plant to another. Proper identification can save growers money and prevent unnecessary insecticide applications. When cultural practices and natural enemies alone are not able to prevent aphid infestations, insecticides can be a reliable option for controlling aphids. Leave the greens in the cold water for a few minutes, swish them around, drain and rinse the greens. By feasting on young growth, they'll create stunted and disfigured plants in your garden. Like we mentioned above, you can also spot the sticky honeydew the aphids secrete on your plant stems and leaves. Firstly, they suck out the lettuce tissue’s nutrients and water, which will kill young lettuce plants. Aphids also can be abundant on weeds, so proper sanitation and thorough weed control in and around crops may help prevent aphid buildup and dispersal. Statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug administration. Third, aphids act as virus vectors often assisting in the introduction of diseases like lettuce mosaic. Inspect Your Plants Regularly. Secondly, aphid corpses are usually covered in parasites, and they can’t be rinsed off of the lettuce. John C. Palumbo is an Associate Research Scientist of vegetable crops at the University of Arizona’s Yuma Agricultural Extension Center. Its shiny black eggs spend the winter on the bark of fruit trees. This method also has been used successfully in other leafy vegetables. Lettuce is easy 'food' for aphids but rarely will you see aphids on lettuce unless there is nothing else available and/or they've been PUT there by ants! 1. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Salad spinners are perfect for this. … Some aphid species are inherently less susceptible to certain classes of insecticides. Naturally occurring predators of the lettuce aphid include syrphid fly larvae and green lacewing... Organically Acceptable Methods. Potential aphid problems can sometimes be avoided with preventative cultural practices. What is the best solution to removing aphids from harvested lettuce. All Rights Reserved. Lettuce aphid information informs us about their prolific reproduction, which is definitely no boon to the gardener. There’s tiny black bugs. These young aphids aggregate closely, and their feeding activity crumple the … See all author stories here. Lettuce Aphid Information. On leafy vegetables, the aphid complex will consist primarily of green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae and turnip aphid, Lipaphis erysimim. Plant lice ) pose multiple threats to your lettuce I would aphids on lettuce harvest a salad and the. New Zealand days following sprays and re-treated if the threshold is exceeded again generally not very effective foxglove. 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