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Insects lurk in sugar beets
The first beets have been sown, and after last week's precipitation and storm it seems to be getting drier again. It means that the sowing work will resume. The change in the crop protection product package does make tackling (soil) insects more difficult.
Using pill seed with 'Force 20 SC' or applying 'Vydate 10G' when sowing are just the only options to tackle especially harmful soil insects; examples include the millipedes, wireworms, root centipedes, subterranean beet beetle and subterranean springtails.
Tips for sowing:
- Do you want to know which harmful insects are present on your plot? Then rinse some soil from the beet plot, that will quickly provide more clarity.
- Do not sow too deeply (about 2 centimeters), but of course in moist soil. As a result, the plant rises earlier and the risk of damage by insects is smaller.
- Be careful with too loose soil. Insects are mobile and the looser the soil, the more mobile they can be. As a result, they can cause more damage.
- Sowing early (depending on weather conditions) can be detrimental. If the plant takes longer to emerge and continue to grow, the risk of insect damage is greater.
beet beetle
Once the beets are on the top, the chance that soil insects will cause damage is smaller. However, then the next problem is just around the corner. The above-ground insects become active as soon as the first beets have sprouted and emerge. The (above-ground) beet beetle, for example, can cause damage as soon as the seedling emerges.
Recognizing this beet beetle is essential, because it is barely visible and no larger than 1 to 1,5 millimeters. Knowledge from the past also shows that the damage can be considerable. Tests from Belgium (2017) show that the beet beetle has never left. Usually beet beetle occurs more often on heavier soils, but that is not an absolute certainty. The beet beetle is mainly active in the head of the plant towards evening; spraying in the evening gives the best control.
Springtails and flea beetles
In addition to the beet beetle, springtails and flea beetles can also cause damage to the leaves; they mainly show window feeding on the leaf. However, a herbicide can cause damage. To prevent this, control is again essential. Is any feeding damage to the leaf observed? Then tackle the insects first, and then start with the weeds.
Aphids and beet flies
Later in the cultivation, aphids and beet flies also come into the picture, but they are certainly not unimportant. these insects can also cause a lot of damage. The beet yellowing virus, which causes the green peach aphid can carry can cause a lot of damage. The damage threshold of 2 aphids per 10 plants is therefore so low for a reason. Spraying on green peach aphids should therefore be carried out in good time.
The black bean aphids are generally only harmful when large colonies are formed. With the beet fly, especially the first flight is harmful to the beets. In general, the beet fly eggs can be observed from the beginning of May and then a spraying can be useful.
Options for tackling above-ground insects:
In any case, read the label before spraying. This is because the number of applications, the conditions and the total quantity per hectare can differ per product. The conditions for good insect control are:
- Make sure you check the lots carefully.
- Make sure you recognize the harmful insects. The new Bieten Koerier, which will be published soon, contains a recognition poster.
- Make sure you fight the insects first, and then the weeds.
- Remember that the damage threshold for green peach aphid is 2 aphids per 10 plants.
- Be sure to carry out beet weevil control in the evening.
