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| Green peach aphid - Myzus persicae (Sulzer) | ||||
| In the spring, as the first leaves appear, green peach aphid (GPA) nymphs appear and begin to feed on flowers, young foliage, and stems. Large numbers of GPA can develop quickly on new terminal growth, causing leaves to curl, turn yellow, and wilt or drop from the tree. Aphids also produce honeydew and can be a vector of viral diseases such as plum pox. Chemical treatment for GPA in July may not be needed because GPA produces a winged generation in July that migrates to summer host plants, returning to tree fruit hosts in the fall to overwinter. Monitoring and thresholds: GPA prefer to feed on the underside of leaves. Starting at petal fall until about 1 month after shuck fall, examine 50 spurs from 10 trees (5 spurs/tree) weekly. Focus early efforts on root suckers or on leaves in the lower center of trees. Treat if there are more than 30-50% infested terminals on peach (mature, vigorous trees can withstand higher pressure than young trees); 1 colony/tree on nectarine. Monitor also for the presence of GPA predators (e.g., larvae of ladybird beetles, lacewings, and syrphid flies). Large numbers of these predators can help control aphid populations, delaying or eliminating the need for a chemical control. |
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Additional information
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| This information was developed from A Pocket Guide for IPM Scouting in Stone Fruits by David Epstein, Larry J. Gut, Alan L. Jones and Kimberly Maxson-Stein. Purchase this in a pocket-sized guide for reference in the orchard from MSU Extension (publication E-2840). |
09/05/08