Aug 23, 2022

Study seeks info on beet leafhopper, other pests in the Columbia Basin

Vegetable growers in the Columbia Basin can help researchers learn about beet leafhopper management practices.

As part of the Areawide Management of Insect Vectors in the Columbia Basin of Washington and Oregon, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Washington State University Extension are collecting information on beet leafhoppers, potato psyllids and aphids. The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service’s three-year project ends in May 2024.

The beet leafhopper survey takes about four minutes to complete, and responses are anonymous, according to the USDA.

Growers and managers of potato and other vegetable seed crops (carrot, pepper, squash, etc.) are encouraged to participate in the survey.

The study’s objectives include:

• Identify non-crop hosts of insect vectors and plant pathogens;
• Determine the non-crop sources of infective insect vectors that first colonize vegetable crops;
• Develop forecast models to predict vector and pathogen outbreaks; and
• Expand the areawide monitoring network to include the full diversity of vegetable crops grown in the region.