Sign up for aster leafhopper infectivity text messages
Print
EmailFollow this year’s aster leafhopper infectivity via text messages from the MSU Plant & Pest Diagnostics lab.
Aster yellows phytoplasma is a disease that infects vegetable crops such as carrots, celery and lettuce, making them unmarketable. The aster leafhopper is the primary vector of aster yellows and control of this plant disease depends on managing the leafhoppers (Figure 1). Once aster yellows phytoplasma enters the plant tissue, the plant cannot be cured and will eventually die.
Current control practices depend on insecticide sprays that target the leafhopper. Crop scouting for leafhoppers, combined with information on the percentage of leafhoppers carrying the phytoplasma is used to guide spray applications.
Leafhoppers are collected by crop scouts from commercial vegetable fields in Michigan and sent to the Michigan State University Plant & Pest Diagnostics lab for processing weekly. Results indicating the percent of leafhoppers infected with the phytoplasma and the action thresholds in carrots and celery are then texted to growers. Information on aster leafhopper infectivity is sent in a text message to growers’ cell phones throughout the growing season, usually two messages per week (Figure 2).
If you would like to receive this information via text message to your phone, you can opt-in by filling out the following form.
