Spinich Leafminer- Identification and Management
The spinach leafminer (Pegomya hyoscyami) is a common pest that causes unsightly leaf blisters and necrosis of spinach, beets, chards and host weeds like lambsquaters, nightshade, chickweed and plantain. Marketability of the leaf crops is significantly impacted. This is the case for beet greens and bunched beets.
The adult fly appears in early to mid- May after overwintering in the soil as pupae. It is a about 5 mm long and are gray in color. The adults can be seen flying near the ground between the plants. The females deposit eggs singly or in rows of two to five side by side on the underside of the leaves. In as little as three days but more commonly in four to six days the tiny legless, white to yellowish maggots hatch from the eggs and work their way into the leaf tissue. The maggots feed between the upper and lower leaf surfaces of the host plants mining out the tissue in between. It is not unusual for several larvae to be in the same leaf. As the maggot grows and continues to feed, the mines, which are at first thread-like, become blotch-like and are easily seen on the infected leaves. The larvae are full-grown in 7 to 16 days when they drop to the ground and burrow a few inches into the soil to pupate. Two to four weeks later the adult flies emerge and will soon lay eggs for another generation. In New York you can expect three to four generations each year.
Management- a preventive spray schedule beginning when the spinach is two true leaves and repeated every 7 days. Remove wild hosts like lambsquarter, nightshades, chickweed, and plantain. Deep plowing in the spring can reduce the overwintering population by burying existing pupae. In smaller stands, infected leaves can be picked before the maggots drop to the ground. Removing and destroying these infected leaves can lessen the leafminer pressure
-Ray Range
Upcoming Events
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March 27, 2024
March 29, 2024
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2024 Agritourism Webinar Series
January 9, 2024 : Agritourism For Maple Syrup Operations
The first agritourism webinar for 2024 will focus on Maple Syrup Operations.
February 13, 2024 : Grants for Agritourism Operations
Are there grants that can help you support or grow your agritourism business? Where do you look for funding?
March 12, 2024 : Staffing your Agritourism Business
Agritourism operations need employees who are good with the public. Where can you find a labor force for your agritourism enterprise? What different laws and regulations might you encounter as an employer for an agritourism workforce? How do you get your employees hired and trained effectively?
April 9, 2024 : Working with your local tourism office
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Virtual Orchard IPM Scout Training
April 15, 2024 : Virtual Orchard IPM Scout Training
Virtual Orchard IPM Scout Training
Monday April 15, 2-4PM
Join us for a live, virtual training on scouting of major insect pests of apple orchards. Anna Wallis (NYSIPM Program), Mike Basedow (CCE ENYCHP), and Janet van Zoeren (CCE LOFT), will broadcast from orchards in their region to discuss best practices for monitoring. We will review monitoring/scouting procedures for major economically significant pests. We will also share resources available for helping with identification of pests and forecasting pest activity.
This event is held on Zoom