Potential onion pests

Cutworms and thrips are among the threats to your crop that you should guard against and address with appropriate measures, writes Bill Kerr.

- Bill Kerr

Cutworms are an ever-present threat to vegetable production. The first danger to transplanted and direct seeded crops comes from cutworms that have been living off weeds, however small the weeds that were present prior to land preparation. Cutworms can survive on just about any organic material, even when it is dry.

Having a land unplanted for a while before planting can lull you into complacency. The best and most cost-effective way to ensure that the land is cutworm-free is to spray it with a pyrethroid a couple of days before planting.

I apply a pre-emergence weedkiller at planting, then a post-emergence product to ensure a longer-lasting effect and eliminate any weeds that emerged but weren't affected by the earlier product.

MOTHS LAYING EGGS