Trap Catches June 26, 2026.
It's been a slow start to the aphid trapping season. It's been a slow start to the aphid trapping season. With 5 sites reporting since mid-June, aphid vectors have been recovered at 4 locations. Aphids have started flying and so it's time to start scouting. Vector species were limited but included soybean, cotton-melon, pea and cotton-melon aphids. There were a few non-vector species recovered, but aphid captures / trap remain low. Still, vector species are flying, so start scouting and checking the trap and predictive data.
The usual reminders:
- vector flights have started, so start scouting; aphids can establish early after potatoes are up. Field scouting is less effective at finding aphd vector species that don't colonize potatoes. While these species will enter potato fields and probe plants, they cannot survive on potatoes. Consequently, they'll keep moving through the field, sampling more plants and potentially moving inoculum already in the field to uninfected plants. Consult risk assesment sites (like this one) and check weather-based predicitve models like University of Wisconsin's Vegetable Disease & Insect Forecasting site (https://agweather.cals.wisc.edu/vdifn).
- the research literature reports that the use of crop oils is the most consistent post-planting technique in preventing transmission of PVY and it can be improved with the addition of the insecticide Lambda-Cyhalothrin.
- most of the research indicates that insecticides on their own are not effective enough at suppressing PVY transmission, but are still useful parts of your management program. Treating fields with one of the anti-feeding insecticides such as Sivanto Prime, Sefina or Transform to control colonizing aphids, such as green peach, potato, or cotton melon aphids, can be beneficial
- if using a border crop, it's a good idea to use treated seed to prevent the development of potential vector species in that border.
Happy scouting and have a great upcoming week.
Click on any image below for full-scale version.
Aphid Species Capture and PVY Vector Risk Index for the week ending 6/27/2025
