AHDB Horticulture’s popular Pest Bulletin is back for 2017 with new features and early forecasts. Additions to the bulletin this year include using UK and overseas information to predict infestations of diamond-back moth (DBM) and silver Y moth and more effectively. It follows exceptionally high levels of DBM infestation in 2016.
The Pest Bulletin, hosted by Syngenta, provides forecasts and up-to-date reports for most key field crop pests.
Keith Mawer, grower at Strawson Ltd, said: “The Pest Bulletin gives an insight into what’s happening at an early stage, it focuses attention and allows early intervention.”
What’s in store for 2017?
The first immigrant DBMs of this season were found in mid-March by moth enthusiast’s running light traps, primarily in the South West – possibly arriving from the Continent with south-westerly winds.
Project Lead Dr Rosemary Collier said: “It is probably too early for them to do major damage in the UK but large migrations later in the year are likely to have an impact.”
She added it was possible that some diamond-back moths overwintered in the warmest parts of the country.
For aphids, early forecasts from the Rothamsted Insect Survey suggest first flights by species such as Myzus persicae will be about a week earlier than average.
Dr Collier said: “The general message from the Rothamsted Insect Survey is if spring doesn’t throw any wildly abnormal conditions at us, aphids will be flying a little earlier than usual, especially in the north and west.”
Cabbage root flies and carrot flies are already emerging towards the South of the UK and cabbage root flies are starting to lay eggs. Bean seed flies have also been on the wing for some time.
To view the AHDB Pest Bulletin online, please go to: www.syngenta.co.uk/ahdb-pest-bulletin. For the latest observations and updates, head to blogs.warwick.ac.uk/rosemarycollier for the complementary AHDB Pest Blog.