Beet Armyworm Mobilizing in Ohio Vegetable Crops
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Beet armyworm mobilizing in Ohio vegetable crops
A new pest first identified in Ohio last summer may be bugging growers' tomatoes and peppers.
The beet armyworm, a key pest throughout the southern United States, has been showing up on Ohio vegetables and could spell economic trouble if left unchecked.
Celeste Welty, an Ohio State University Extension entomologist, will educate growers on the caterpillar, how to identify it and control methods, during a presentation at the 2003 Ohio Fruit and Vegetable Growers Congress. The Congress takes place Jan. 15-17 at the Toledo Seagate Centre in Toledo, Ohio.
"The beet armyworm looks similar to the corn borer," said Welty, who will give her presentation from 1:50-2:10 p.m. Thursday (1/16). "It's about the same size, but it's green rather than cream-colored. Some beet armyworms have stripes and others do not. If left unmanaged, we are talking at least 50 percent yield losses."
The key to controlling the beet armyworm is to monitor the leaves on the plant beginning midsummer, Welty said. The caterpillar will feed on the leaves first before boring into the fruit.
"You have to kill them when they are still on the leaves," she said. "Once they get inside the fruit, they are protected."
Controlling the pest may be a little tricky, because the beet armyworm tends to be resistant to most common pesticides.
"Pyrethroids like Baythroid and Warrior, which are what growers most commonly use, don't even touch these guys," Welty said. "There are products out there that work. They are just a lot more expensive."
Very little is known about the beet armyworm in Ohio. Welty encourages growers who spot anything unusual in their tomato or pepper garden to contact Ohio State Extension's C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic at (614) 292-5006 for assistance with diagnosis.
In addition to the beet armyworm, Welty's presentation will include information on the fall armyworm, another Southern pest that shows up in Ohio most years and is similar to the beet armyworm; the tomato pinworm, a pest sometimes found in tomato fields; and the Swede midge, a pest new to Canada that causes severe plant deformities in cole crops. The Swede midge has yet to be found in the United States.
The Ohio Fruit and Vegetable Growers Congress and trade show is intended to educate and inform vegetable growers, marketers, consultants and others in the industry on the latest research, legislation, production and marketing of fruits and vegetables throughout the region and Canada.
For more information on the Congress, log onto http://www.ohiovegetables.org or http://www.ohiofruit.org, or contact Jennifer Hungerford at (614) 246-8292 or by e-mail at growohio@ofbf.org.
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