1. Insect
  2. Vegetable Seed Crops
  3. Pests of Radish Grown for Seed

Radish seed-Leafhopper

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Beet leafhopper (Circulifer tenellus)

Pest description and crop damage Beet leafhoppers transmit a phytoplasma, the beet leafhopper transmitted virescence agent (BLTVA), to radish crops in the arid regions of the Pacific Northwest. BLTVA-infected radish seed plants tend to bolt prematurely, and the flower parts can be malformed.

Management-chemical control

  • azadirachtin (Aza-Direct, Neemix 4.5)-This is a botanical insecticide with ingestion and contact action that kills immature pests by interfering with molting; also reduces damage by repelling and deterring feeding. Repeat in 7- to 10- day intervals beginning at the first sign of infestation when pests are immature. Repeated applications break the life cycle of the pest. Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • thiamethoxam (Actara) at 1.5 to 3.0 oz/A (0.023 to 0.047 lb ai/A) foliar application. PHI 7 days. REI 12 hr. Retreatment interval 7 days. Do not exceed a total of 4.0 oz/A (0.063 lb ai/A) per season. This product is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment on blooming crops or weeds.
  • thiamethoxam (Platinum) at 5.0 to 6.5 fl oz/A (0.078 to 0.1 lb ai/A) soil application. REI 12 hr. Apply at seeding or within 24 hours of seeding. Do not exceed 6.5 fl oz/A (0.1 lb ai/A) per season of Platinum or 0.063 lb ai/A per season of thiamethoxam-containing products. This product is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment on blooming crops or weeds.
  • zeta-cypermethrin (Mustang) at 1.9 to 4.3 fl oz/A (0.016 to 0.05 lb ai/A). PHI 1 day. REI 12 hr. Do not exceed 25.8 fl oz/A (0.3 lb ai/A) per season. Do not make applications less than 4 days apart. This product is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment on blooming crops or weeds. Toxic to fish and aquatic organisms. Do not apply by ground within 25 ft of bodies of water. Do not apply by ULV aerial application within 450 ft or by non-ULV aerial application within 150 feet of bodies of water. Maintain a minimum 10-ft wide vegetative filter strip between the field and down gradient aquatic habitat.