Preventing Diamondback Moth Damage: Best Practices for Brassica Growers in Warmer Fall Conditions
Suterra
Oct 8, 2024 7:30:00 AM
In a recent Fresh Plaza article, the author suggests that the brassica supply chain could tighten due to diamondback moth damage, raising crop prices.
There are many environmental factors to consider in the production of a crop. Of those, temperature is one of the most important, as it not only dictates the development of the crop, but also the life cycle of the pests that infest it.
Brassica growers in California’s central coast (one of the nation’s most prolific cole crop production areas) are predicted to experience warmer temperatures for the next couple of weeks. With summer weather trends continuing into October, what does this trend of warmer fall temperatures mean for growers with known diamondback moth populations?
Insects cannot regulate their own body temperature. As a result, their development and biological processes are heavily dependent on the conditions of the growing region. Although each insect species has its own set of developmental thresholds, generally if weather conditions remain temperate for a sustained period of time, the population will continue to grow and reproduce.
Unfortunately, the beginning of October has not brought the colder temperatures we are accustomed to seeing in California’s central coast at this time of year. To the dismay of growers, this means that insect pests such as Diamondback Moth will continue to infest their crops for the time being.
What we’ve heard from growers recently is that with no reprieve from diamondback moth, they need to be on high alert to protect their crops. Those in the industry are aware of the leaf feeding, head damage, and reduced marketability that this pest inflicts on cruciferous crops like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Potential tactics growers are using to safeguard their fields are “bug vacs,” or strong vacuum tools placed over the plant canopy to pull pests from the crop. Although a tedious process, it’s also possible to remove layers of affected leaves from the crop post-harvest. As far as chemical treatments go, there are limited pesticide options available to treat diamondback moth due to increased resistance and regulations regarding maximum insecticide residue limits (MRLs).
In the past month, there has been a noticeable uptick in the use sprayable pheromones to disrupt the mating of Diamondback Moth. It’s evident that growers are quick to adjust to pest seasonality and are doing so with a product that can provide maximum coverage and flexibility.
Suterra’s sprayable microencapsulated formula is designed to have a consistent release over multiple weeks. CheckMate® DBM-F can even be sprayed at different intervals and rates with equivalent performance to best fit the needs of your operation. It has zero pre-harvest interval (PHI), zero re-entry interval (REI), and is exempt from MRLs, which means that harvesters can safely access the field at a moment’s notice and crops can safely enter the food supply chain.
With temperatures expected to hold firm for the time being, CheckMate® DBM-F is the right investment for growers to maintain the quality of their crop. If you have questions about mating disruption or want more information on CheckMate® DBM-F, our Suterra experts are happy to help. Contact us here or connect with your local representative.