1. Insect
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  3. Vegetable Crops
  4. Hosts and Pests of Vegetable Crops

Pea, green and dry-Aphid

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Image related to Pea, green and dry-Aphid
Pea aphid
Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris
Female adult immature
© Ken Gray Insect Image Collection

Includes pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum)

Pest description and crop damage The pea aphid is a relatively large, green, somewhat shiny species. It is an efficient vector of plant viruses. Populations tend to build in spring, decline in summer, and build again in the fall. Aphids damage plants by sucking plant sap, which causes heavily infested leaves to curl and stunts plants; excreting honeydew, which causes sticky, shiny leaves to turn black because of a sooty-mold fungus growth; and spreading plant diseases (a large number of viruses are spread by aphids). Infestations frequently are localized, with heavily infested leaves curled downward. Aphids also feed on pea pods, reducing pod yields.

Management-cultural control

Plant enation-resistant peas. These varieties include 'Almoto,' 'Aspen,' 'Aurora,' 'Citation,' 'Corvallis,' 'Freezer 50,' 'Green Sugar,' 'Knight,' 'Mohawk,' 'Oregon Sugar Pod,' 'Perfected Freezer 60,' and 'Prospector.' Plant early, before March 31, to avoid aphid infestations. Controlling weeds late in the season may help reduce overwintering populations. Aphid populations tend to be higher in plants that are fertilized liberally with nitrogen.

Home gardeners: Use row covers or wash aphids from plants with a strong stream of water.

Management-chemical control: HOME USE

  • acetamiprid-Not for use on green peas.
  • azadirachtin (neem oil)-Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • bifenthrin (often as a mix with zeta-cypermethrin).
  • carbaryl
  • esfenvalerate
  • kaolin-Applied as a spray to foliage and stems it acts as a repellent to some insect pests. Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • imidacloprid
  • insecticidal soap-Some formulations OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • malathion
  • pyrethrins-Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • zeta-cypermethrin

Management-chemical control: COMMERCIAL USE

  • acetamiprid (Assail 30SG) at 0.044 to 0.1 lb ai/a. PHI 7 days. REI 12 hr. Retreatment interval 7 days. Do not exceed 0.3 lb ai/a per season. Succulent shelled peas only.
  • Beauveria bassiana (Mycotrol ESO) at 0.25 to 1 quart/a. PHI 0 days. REI 4 hr. OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • bifenthrin (Capture, Sniper) at 0.033 to 0.1 lb ai/a. PHI 3 days. REI 12 hr. Do not exceed 0.2 lb ai/a per season. Do not apply within 25 ft of an aquatic habitat, 150 ft if applied by air.
  • borate complex (Prev-Am) apply 0.8% solution to complete coverage. PHI 12 hr. REI 12 hr. OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • cyfluthrin (Baythroid 2, Tombstone) at 0.05 lb ai/a. PHI 7 days. REI 12 hr. Do not exceed 0.1 lb ai/a per season. Do not feed vines or hay. Do not apply within 25 ft of an aquatic habitat, 150 ft if applied by air.
  • dimethoate (numerous products) at 0.167 to 0.50 lb ai/a. Do not exceed 0.5 lb ai/a per season. PHI 5 days succulent at 0.167 lb ai/a, 14 days for succulent at 0.25 lb ai/a or greater, and 14 days for dry peas. REI 48 hr. Do not graze. 24c SLN ID-970008, ID-98008, ID-970011, ID-970012, ID-010002, OR-050019, WA-970029.
  • esfenvalerate (Asana) at 0.03 to 0.05 lb ai/a. PHI 3 days for green peas and 21 days for dry peas. REI 12. Do not exceed 0.2 lb ai/a per season for dry peas or 0.1 lb ai/a per season for green peas. Do not feed treated vines to livestock. Do not apply within 25 ft of an aquatic habitat, 150 ft if applied by air.
  • flupyradifurone (Sivanto) at 7 to 10.5 fl oz/a. PHI 21 days. REI 4 hr. Do not exceed 0.365 lb ai/a per year. Minimum of 10 days between successive applications.
  • imidacloprid (Admire) at 0.25 to 0.375 lb ai/a. PHI 21 days. Soil application only. REI 12 hr. Apply in-furrow or by chemigation. See label directions. Do not exceed 0.38 lb ai/a per season.
  • imidachloprid (Gaucho 480F) at 0.063 to 0.125 lb ai/cwt seed prior to planting.
  • insecticidal soap (M-Pede) at 1 to 2% solution. Potassium salts of fatty acids. See label for gal/a. PHI 0 days. REI 12 hr.
  • lambda-cyhalothrin (Warrior II) at 0.02 to 0.03 lb ai/a. PHI 7 days for succulent peas, 21 days for dry peas. REI 24 hr. Do not graze or feed to livestock. Do not exceed 0.12 lb ai/a per season. Do not apply within 25 ft of an aquatic habitat, 150 ft if applied by air.
  • malathion (numerous products) at 0.94 to 2.5 lb ai/a. PHI 3 days. Do not graze or feed to livestock. REI 12 hr.
  • methomyl (Lannate) at 0.45 to 0.9 lb/a. PHI 1 day for harvest, 5 days for forage, and 14 days for hay-green only. REI 48 hr. Do not exceed six applications per crop or 2.7 lb ai/a per season.
  • naled (Dibrom) at 0.94 lb ai/a. PHI 1 day. REI 48 hr. Processing peas only. Do not feed vines. Do not apply within 25 ft of an aquatic habitat, 150 ft if applied by air.
  • zeta-cypermethrin (Mustang, Mustang Max) at 0.04 to 0.05 lb ai/a (Mustang) or 0.2 to 0.25 lb ai/a (Mustang Max). PHI 1 day for succulent peas and 21 days for dry peas. REI 12 hr. Retreatment interval 5 days. Do not exceed 0.3 lb ai/a (Mustang) 0.015 lb ai/a (Mustang Max) per season. Do not apply within 25 ft of an aquatic habitat, 150 ft if applied by air.