Search Results for: allium leaf

Allium Leafminer Update 3/24/2025- First oviposition scars spotted

The first Allium leafminer (ALM) oviposition scars were reported in Cape May this past weekend (38.9588N, 74.9082W), suggesting that adults are active in the southern part of the state. ALM are active around 250 GDDs. If you want to know how many GDDs have accumulated in your area, the NEWA website https://newa.cornell.edu/ has a helpful GDD calculator. From the NEWA home screen, select the nearest weather station from the drop-down menu at the center of the page.  Next, scroll down to “Weather Tools” on the right side of the page and select “DD Calculator.”  Select your start date (1/01/25) and end date, as well as Degree Day Type (39 F) from the menu at the left of the page.  The site will automatically generate the accumulated GDD base 39 F to the last day of your requested sample, and then offer a forecast of accumulated GDD for the next week.

ALM can cause injury to chives, scallions, garlic, onions and leeks, but leeks and scallions seem to be the most effected. Look for neat rows of white spots descending from the upper tips of allium leaves (see photo below). Initial injury often occurs on the tallest leaves. Adults may be seen in warmer conditions at the tips of the leaves- look for small flies with grey-black bodies and yellow heads (see photo below).

If you are concerned about crop injury due to Allium leafminer, you may want to prepare for control efforts. Floating row covers, kept on until the first flight ends (around the end of May) can restrict ALM’s access to vulnerable plants. Adults can be targeted through insecticide sprays. Appropriate materials that are labeled for ALM control include spinosyns (Radiant, Entrust (OMRI approved)), pyrethroids (Mustang Maxx, Warrior), neonicotinoids (Scorpion, Venom), and the insect growth regulator Trigard. The first application should be applied 2- 3 weeks after initial detection of ALM flies (if you see oviposition scars or the fly itself) and subsequent sprays should be completed in 1–2-week intervals. Two or three sprays should provide adequate control.

Field Scouting Guide: Allium Leafminer - Growing Produce

Notice the white oviposition scars and an adult female ALM. Photo: Brian A. Nault, Cornell AgriTech. 

If you have any questions/concerns, feel free to reach out to me at amanda.quadrel@rutgers.edu or 732-742-8441.

Allium Leafminer Update 3/20/2025

Happy first day of Spring! Many parts of New Jersey are close to accumulating 250 growing degree days (GDDs) base 39˚F, which is when the first emergence of Allium leafminer (ALM) adults is predicted to occur. In some areas of New Jersey, 250 GDDs are forecasted to be surpassed as early as this weekend. In Cape May, oviposition scars have already been spotted. If you would like to know how many GDDs have accumulated in your area, the NEWA website https://newa.cornell.edu/ has a helpful GDD calculator. From the NEWA home screen, select the nearest weather station from drop down menu at the center of the page.  Next, scroll down to “Weather Tools” on the right side of the page, and select “DD Calculator”.  Select your start date (1/01/25) and end date, as well as Degree Day Type (39 F) from the menu at the left of the page.  The site will automatically generate the accumulated GDD base 39F to the last day of your requested sample, and then offer a forecast of accumulated GDD for the next week.

ALM can cause injury to chives, scallions, garlic, onions and leeks, but leeks and scallions seem to be the most effected. Look for neat rows of white spots descending from the upper tips of allium leaves (see photo below). Initial injury often occurs on the tallest leaves. Adults may be seen in warmer conditions at the tips of the leaves- look for small flies with grey-black bodies and yellow heads (see photo below).

If you are concerned about crop injury due to Allium leafminer, you may want to prepare for control efforts. Floating row covers, kept on until the first flight ends (around the end of May) can restrict ALM’s access to vulnerable plants. Adults can be targeted through insecticide sprays. Appropriate materials that are labeled for ALM control include spinosyns (Radiant, Entrust (OMRI approved)), pyrethroids (Mustang Maxx, Warrior), neonicotinoids (Scorpion, Venom), and the insect growth regulator Trigard. The first application should be applied 2- 3 weeks after initial detection of ALM flies (if you see oviposition scars or the fly itself) and subsequent sprays should be completed in 1–2-week intervals. Two or three sprays should provide adequate control.

Field Scouting Guide: Allium Leafminer - Growing Produce

Notice the white oviposition scars and an adult female ALM. Photo: Brian A. Nault, Cornell AgriTech. 

If you have any questions/concerns, feel free to reach out to me at amanda.quadrel@rutgers.edu or 732-742-8441.

Allium leaf miner update: 04/29/24

Allium Leaf Miner (ALM)

As of last week, allium leaf miner (ALM) adults were still being captured on sticky cards placed in chive plantings in Mercer and Hunterdon counties, and in a garlic planting in Morris County.  Numbers had declined somewhat from catches the week of 4/15.  There is a possibility that damaging levels of ALM adults remain.  Once we cease to capture adults, another update will follow.

Deceased tree branch

Photo: Sabrina Tirpak. Allium leaf miner oviposition scars on onion

Growers should consider initiating the control method of their choice at this time, if any allium crops are in the field.  Affected crops include chives, scallions, garlic, onions and leeks.  Look for neat rows of white spots descending from the upper tips of allium leaves (see photo at left).  Initial injury often occurs on the tallest leaves.  Under warmer, less breezy conditions, adults may be seen near the tips of leaves (see photo of adult at lower right).  Perennial chive beds are often the first, and most heavily infested alliums of the spring season, so this makes chives an ideal crop to confirm ALM adult activity.

Floating row covers, kept on until this flight ends will help minimize access to plants.  Insecticide applications targeting adults may be helpful as well, although frequency of applications is uncertain.  Spinosyn materials (Radiant, Entrust (OMRI approved)), pyrethroids (Mustang Maxx, Spider on leafWarrior), neonicotinoids (Scorpion, Venom), the diamide Exirel (section 2ee recommendation) and the insect growth regulator Trigard are labeled for miner control.

 

 

 

 

Allium leaf miner update: 03/25/24

Allium Leaf Miner (ALM)

Many weather stations on the NEWA network except for typical colder sites in northern New Jersey have surpassed 250 growing degree days (GDD) base 39˚F.  39˚F is close to the lower developmental temperature (38.3˚ F) which our colleagues at Penn State recommend for predicting the first emergence of ALM adults.    In recent years, initial feeding/egg laying scars have been detected within a few days of local weather stations recording the 250 GDD threshold.  Growers who feel they may be impacted by this pest should check the accumulated GDD from local weather stations.   Growers in southern counties may reasonably assume there will be ALM activity in their area soon, if not already happening.  To determine GDD from local weather stations, the NEWA website https://newa.cornell.edu/ is very helpful.  From the NEWA home screen, select the nearest weather station from drop down menu at the center of the page.  Next, scroll down to “Weather Tools” on the right side of the page, and select “DD Calculator”.  Select your start date (1/01/24) and end date as well as Degree Day Type (39 F) from the menu at the left of the page.  The site will automatically generate the accumulated GDD base 39F to the last day of your requested sample, and then offer a forecast of accumulated GDD for the next week.   If you should select 1˚C, then the DD accumulation should be 350.

Deceased tree branch

Photo: Sabrina Tirpak. Allium leaf miner oviposition scars on onion

Growers should consider initiating the control method of their choice at this time, if any allium crops are in the field.  Affected crops include chives, scallions, garlic, onions and leeks.  Look for neat rows of white spots descending from the upper tips of allium leaves (see photo at left).  Initial injury often occurs on the tallest leaves.  Under warmer, less breezy conditions, adults may be seen near the tips of leaves (see photo of adult at lower right).  Perennial chive beds are often the first, and most heavily infested alliums of the spring season, so this makes chives an ideal crop to confirm ALM adult activity.

Floating row covers, kept on until this flight ends will help minimize access to plants.  Insecticide applications targeting adults may be helpful as well, although frequency of applications is uncertain.  Spinosyn materials (Radiant, Entrust (OMRI approved)), pyrethroids (Mustang Maxx, Spider on leafWarrior), neonicotinoids (Scorpion, Venom), the diamide Exirel (section 2ee recommendation) and the insect growth regulator Trigard are labeled for miner control.

Adult activity and observations of feeding will be reported on in the IPM Update as they occur.

 

 

 

Allium leaf miner update: 04/06/23

Allium Leaf Miner (ALM)

Allium leaf miner feeding and egg laying injury was discovered on chives and garlic near Milford in Hunterdon County on Wednesday.  All weather stations on the NEWA network except for a few in the highest elevation sites in northern New Jersey have surpassed 250 growing degree days (GDD) base 39˚F.  39˚F is close to the lower developmental temperature (38.3˚ F) which our colleagues at Penn State recommend for predicting the first emergence of ALM adults.    In recent years, initial feeding/egg laying scars have been detected within a few days of local weather stations recording the 250 GDD threshold.  Growers who feel they may be impacted by this pest should check the accumulated GDD from local weather stations.   Growers in southern counties may reasonably assume there will be ALM activity in their area soon, if not already happening.  To determine GDD from local weather stations, the NEWA website https://newa.cornell.edu/ is very helpful.  From the NEWA home screen, select the nearest weather station from drop down menu at the center of the page.  Next, scroll down to “Weather Tools” on the right side of the page, and select “DD Calculator”.  Select your start date (1/01/23) and end date as well as Degree Day Type (39 F) from the menu at the left of the page.  The site will automatically generate the accumulated GDD base 39F to the last day of your requested sample, and then offer a forecast of accumulated GDD for the next week.

Deceased tree branch

Photo: Sabrina Tirpak. Allium leafminer oviposition scars on onion

Growers should consider initiating the control method of their choice at this time.  Affected crops include chives, scallions, garlic, onions and leeks.  Look for neat rows of white spots descending from the upper tips of allium leaves (see photo at left).  Initial injury often occurs on the tallest leaves.  Under warmer, less breezy conditions, adults may be seen near the tips of leaves (see photo of adult at lower right).  Perennial chive beds are often the first, and most heavily infested alliums of the spring season, so this makes chives an ideal crop to confirm ALM adult activity.  At the Milford site this week, chives had feeding/egg laying scars on nearly 30% of leaves.  The garlic field, which was approximately a half mile away, exhibited only 2% infested plants.  A primary reason for this lower infestation rate in the garlic is that allium crops had not been grown in that field for several years.

Floating row covers, kept on until this flight ends will help minimize access to plants.  Insecticide applications targeting adults may be helpful as well, although frequency of applications is uncertain.  Spinosyn materials (Radiant, Entrust (OMRI approved)), pyrethroids (Mustang Maxx, Spider on leafWarrior), neonicotinoids (Scorpion, Venom), the diamide Exirel (section 2ee recommendation) and the insect growth regulator Trigard are labeled for miner control.

Adult activity and observations of feeding will be reported on in the IPM Update as they occur.

 

 

 

Allium leaf miner update: 03/09/23

Allium Leaf Miner (ALM)

Allium leaf miner feeding and egg laying injury was reported on chives in southern Cape May County on Thursday.  The West Cape May weather station (closest station) has recorded 295 growing degree days (GDD) base 39˚F as of Thursday.  39˚F is close to the lower developmental temperature (38.3˚ F) which our colleagues at Penn State recommend for predicting the first emergence of ALM adults.  295 GDD at this temperature is in excess of the 250 GDD base 38.3˚ F that is the threshold for adult emergence and activity.   In recent years, initial feeding/egg laying scars have been detected within a few days of local weather stations recording the 250 GDD threshold.  Growers who feel they may be impacted by this pest should check the accumulated GDD from local weather stations.   Growers in southern counties may reasonably assume there will be ALM activity in their area soon, if not already happening.  To determine GDD from local weather stations, the NEWA website https://newa.cornell.edu/ is very helpful.  From the NEWA home screen, select the nearest weather station from drop down menu at the center of the page.  Next, scroll down to “Weather Tools” on the right side of the page, and select “DD Calculator”.  Select your start date (1/01/23) and end date as well as Degree Day Type (39 F) from the menu at the left of the page.  The site will automatically generate the accumulated GDD base 39F to the last day of your requested sample, and then offer a forecast of accumulated GDD for the next week.

Plant stem

Photo: Sabrina Tirpak. Allium leafminer oviposition scars on onion

Growers should consider initiating the control method of their choice at this time.  Affected crops include chives, scallions, garlic, onions and leeks.  Look for neat rows of white spots descending from the upper tips of allium leaves (see photo at left).  Initial injury often occurs on the tallest leaves.  Under warmer, less breezy conditions, adults may be seen near the tips of leaves (see photo of adult at lower right).

Floating row covers, kept on until this flight ends will help minimize access to plants.  Insecticide applications targeting adults may be helpful as well, although frequency of applications is uncertain.  Spinosyn materials (Radiant, Entrust (OMRI approved)), pyrethroids (Mustang Maxx, Spider on leafWarrior), neonicotinoids (Scorpion, Venom), the diamide Exirel (section 2ee recommendation) and the insect growth regulator Trigard are labeled for miner control.

Adult activity and observations of feeding will be reported on in the IPM Update as they occur.