South west on cutworm alert

UK - July 23, 2004

High value vegetable crops in east Cornwall and South Devon are at high risk of cutworm attack, according to Dow AgroSciences.

The company has been monitoring pheromone traps around the country for turnip moths. In most areas, rainfall has kept numbers low. However, in east Cornwall and South Devon, there has been little rain and David Roberts, Technical Services Leader, Dow AgroSciences says the most susceptible crops — lettuce, leeks and red beet — need to be protected using Dursban* WG at 1.2kg/ha in 600 – 1,000 litres of water if no significant rain falls in these areas before the end of the weekend.

“Growers can monitor rainfall or irrigation to check larval survival,” says Mr Roberts. “10mm of rain or 20mm of irrigation, before the third instar growth stage, will kill cutworms.”