Sprout creamis a small, gray fly, the larvae of which can damage the seeds and seedlings of cucumbers, beans and other vegetables. Adult flies feed on nectar and are not harmful to crops. In this article, we describe in detailthe symptoms of feeding trashin cucumbers and on beans, and we also suggest how tofight germination creamand what spraying can be helpful in getting rid of this pest.
The sprout cream mainly attacks cucumbers and beans
Fig. pixabay.com/Wikimedia Commons
Sprout cream - description and symptoms
Sprout cream(Delia florilega) is a small, gray fly, 4-6 mm long. Adult flies appear in spring, at the turn of April and May. They feed on nectar and are not harmful to plants. The problem, however, islarvae emerging from the eggs laid by the flyThey damage germinating seeds and seedlings, hence the name sprout cream. The larvae of the creamers do not have legs, are pale yellow and reach 6 to 8 mm in length.
Female cream sprouts lay their eggs under lumps of freshly shaken soil in the vegetable beds. The larvae that hatch from the eggs initially eat the decaying organic matter, but over time they move onto the germinating seeds.The pest eats the center of the seed so that the seeds do not germinate
Garbage larvae also bite into the seedling stemsand into the cotyledons, as a result of which plant growth is inhibited and the seedlings die.Sometimes you can seewhitish larvae and corridors gnawed by theminside the germinating seeds and sprouts Then we can be sure that the damage is caused by debris.
Specimens of the first,of the spring generation, sproutscause the greatest damage in areas where legumes and squash vegetables, mainly cucumbers and beans, are constantly grown, but can also damage the emergence of other vegetables. The larvae of the larvae are favored by the longer time that passes from sowing beans to emergence.
It is worth knowing that identical losses in the crops of cucumber, beans and other vegetables are also caused bysoil cream( Delia platura). The appearance and life cycle of both pests are almost identical, and both pests are often present at the same time. Therefore, in practice, they are not distinguished - they cause identical losses and are fought in the same way.
During the growing season,a few generations of garbagemay appear, which means that new vegetable crops happen damaged until the end of summer.
Cream sprout - adult fly
Fig. Janet Graham, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sprout cream - combating
Both types of creamour crops are attracted by the smell of organic matter, especially little processed (after all, this matter is the first food for larvae after hatching from eggs). Therefore, after spreading manure or compost on the vegetable beds, they should be thoroughly dug with the soil. Digging in organic fertilizers a little deeper will make their smell less appealing to laundries. It is also worth applying organic fertilizers in the fall, in the year preceding sowing, and not just before sowing.
It is also worth dressing the seeds of cucumbers and other vegetables before sowing.Treated seeds are less likely to be attacked by garbage larvae
We should not sow cucumbers in the vicinitylong flowering crops (e.g. clover) and avoid for mass flowering of weeds in the vicinity of vegetable patches, as nectar from flowering weeds will be an excellent food for adult flies.Removing weeds from vegetable patches and their immediate vicinity is thereforea very important procedure in combating sprout cream
Remember also to follow the rules of vegetable rotation. Cucumbers should not be grown year after year in the same beds, as well as in positions of perennial plants, meadows and pastures, and after crops that leave a lot of post-harvest residues.
The beds with cucumber seeds should be covered with foil or non-woven fabric , which prevents female litter from laying eggs in vegetable beds, as well as accelerates emergence, which gives a chance for seedlings to emerge before they are damaged by the creamer.
It will be even more effectivegrowing cucumber from seedlings , which will be planted permanently in the phase when it becomes not very interesting for creamers.
It is also worth growingaround the beds with cucumbersbasil and tansy, which produce substancesrepellant flies
Watering plants with tansy extract is also helpful.To prepare such an extract, pour 300 g of fresh herb or 30 g of dried tansy with 10 liters of cold water and leave it for 24 hours. A slight foam may form during this time, but don't worry. After 24 hours, the extract obtained is strained and diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 2. If, however, we cannot prepare the extract ourselves, it is worth using the ready-made preparation Wrotycz ProBio Ogród available in gardening stores, which is designed to fight various soil pests.
If, despite these treatments, the seedlings become visibledamage caused by sprout creamand soil debris, it is necessary to spray the seedlings to combat these pests.
Sprouting cream - spraying
Spraying against sprout sproutis performed preventively or after noticing the first symptoms of sprout feeding.Usually, the need to spray may arise in the period from April to August, because the pest does not appear outside of these dates.
The preparation recommended for spraying against sprout wastein cucumbers and beans is Mospilan 20 SP. We spray the germinating plants in the period from the moment the sprouts appear on the ground until the end of the phase, when the first true leaf is fully developed. Spraying can be repeated after 7-10 days. A maximum of 2 sprays can be done.
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