Cutworm threat increases in south of England and Scotland

UK - August 02, 2004

Despite some rainfall in recent days, the threat of cutworm to a range of crops has extended.

Dow AgroSciences’ latest warning is that growers need to consider treating both high risk crops and those that are moderately susceptible (including brassicas, carrots, celery, parsnips and sugar beet) in the following areas:

• Herefordshire, south Worcestershire and north Gloucestershire
  
• An area stretching along the south coast from East Sussex to Dorset up to the M4
  
• East Scotland, particularly around the Firths of Forth and Tay.

With temperatures likely to rise further in the next few days, Dow AgroSciences’ advice is to treat crops at risk as a priority to prevent damaging levels of cutworm developing.

“Rainfall over 10mm, or applying more than 20mm of irrigation, will control cutworm,” says David Roberts of Dow AgroSciences. “In the absence of sufficient water, we recommend applying Dursban* WG (chlorpyrifos) at 1.2kg/ha in 600 – 1,000 litres of water/ha.”