Post by oxbowfarm on Jun 7, 2014 9:43:56 GMT -5
Swede Midge has arrived on the farm. I had suspected it was present last year but I've got lots of characteristic damage in my Russian Kale plantings. I have a bunch of yellow sticky cards out that are going to Cornell next week for the entomology dept to look at, but I'm basically already sure we've got it.
The maggots feed on the meristem of brassica plants. They exude some kind of enzyme that liquefies the plant tissues, so the plants turn into rotten grey snot from the center out, surprisingly rapidly. Smells really nice also. So far most of my damage has been on kale, but many local farms had close to total losses of fall broccoli last year.
The maggots feed on the meristem of brassica plants. They exude some kind of enzyme that liquefies the plant tissues, so the plants turn into rotten grey snot from the center out, surprisingly rapidly. Smells really nice also. So far most of my damage has been on kale, but many local farms had close to total losses of fall broccoli last year.
