WSU Reports Increase In Beet Leafhopper

Washington State University is warning Potato Growers to be on the lookout for Beet Leafhoppers.  BLH numbers increased greatly last week, with 96% of traps reporting leafhoppers near potato fields.  In addition, the sticky cards with BLH average 25 per car, up considerably from the eight reported just a week earlier.  The numbers of BLH are highest in the western and south-central areas of the irrigated Columbia Basin.

WSU reports the last time BLH numbers were this high, was back in 2013.  At that time, researchers observed several crops affected by beet leafhopper-transmitted diseases, and more purple top in potatoes.

However WSU notes, the biggest problems occurred in beans (curly top) and some vegetable seed crops (purple top or curly top).  Potatoes, beans, tomato, and carrot are not the preferred hosts of BLH (they appear to like table beets, sugar beets, and radish more).  In non-preferred hosts the movement of BLH is often limited  to field borders and occurrence of purple top or curly top is spotty.  But, in years with larger populations the occurrence of these diseases can be more widespread, even in the less favored crops.

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