Small Horticultural Farm: Pest and Disease Identification Key
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Small Horticultural Farm: Pest and Disease Identification Key
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STRAWBERRIES
DEFORMED OR MISSHAPEN BERRIES.
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Photo
source: Minnesota Dept. of Ag.
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Cause: The tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris), a brown insect, roughly 1/4" long. Damage is caused by this insect feeding on the the developing seeds of the strawberry.
Treatment: When deformed fruit is noticed it is usually too late to control this pest. Remove weeds adjacent to strawberry fields to eliminate overwintering sites. Plants should be monitored while fruit is still green. Growers can check for this insect by holding a white paper under foliage and shaking the leaves. Immature tarnished plant bugs--which are often green in color--are easily spotted against the white background. When insect populations reach approximately 1 per plant, insecticides should be applied. Carbaryl, diazinon, malathion, and permethrin are all approved for this insect on strawberries. To protect honeybees and other pollinators, insecticides should not be applied during the bloom period.
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