Wheat blossom midge control is urgent, growers need to act in time
The wheat blossom midge is a highly concealed and devastating pest. Once it breaks out over a large area, it takes 5 to 7 years to bring it basically under control, so doing a good job of controlling the wheat blossom midge is very important. For this reason, a reporter recently made a special trip to interview Chen Xinhong, researcher at the College of Agriculture of Northwest A&F University and wheat breeding expert.
The occurrence pattern of the wheat blossom midge
The wheat blossom midge, also called the wheat maggot. Its larvae suck the sap from wheat grains, causing shriveled grains, and can cause wheat yield losses of about 30 percent, and in severe cases total crop failure, making it a devastating pest. Because its body is small, its occurrence and damage are concealed, and the key control period is short, the best control period is easily missed. Chen Xinhong pointed out.
The wheat blossom midge has one generation per year. Overwintering midges form cocoons in the soil to oversummer and overwinter, and from late March to mid-April of the following year the larvae pupate in the shallow soil layer. At the wheat heading stage, the midges pupate and emerge from the soil, then choose wheat ears that have headed but not yet flowered to lay eggs, generally hatching after 3 days. After hatching, the larvae bore through the gaps in the glumes into the wheat grains to suck the sap, causing shriveled wheat grains and leading to reduced yield. After 15 to 20 days of damage they mature, then drop into the soil and form cocoons at a depth of about 10 cm to oversummer and overwinter. The larval hatching period basically coincides with the wheat flowering and grain-filling period; this egg-laying habit is the main reason why damage differs in severity between different plots and varieties in the same place. Chen Xinhong said.
Grasp the influencing factors for effective control
Chen Xinhong said that many factors affect the occurrence of the wheat blossom midge, such as climatic conditions, wheat variety, rotation and cultivation methods, and soil. Controlling it according to the factors that affect its occurrence is more effective. Generally speaking, we can use three methods of control:
1. Choose insect-resistant varieties. Generally, varieties with long awns, many spines, neatly arranged spikelets, thick glumes, a short and uniform flowering period, and thick grain skins are unfavorable to the egg-laying of adult midges, larval invasion and damage. Choosing these varieties can effectively prevent the occurrence of blossom midge damage.
2. Crop rotation. Rotating wheat with crops such as rapeseed, beans, cotton and rice deprives the blossom midge of its host and has a clear effect on reducing the pest population.
3. Chemical control. Chen Xinhong said that around May 1, the one-spray multi-control technique should be promoted, implementing combined control of wheat diseases and pests, that is, mixing insecticide, fungicide and foliar fertilizer and spraying together, which can achieve the goals of disease prevention, pest control and yield increase. For insecticides, choose beta-cypermethrin, phoxim, imidacloprid, etc. For fungicides, choose diniconazole, tebuconazole, triadimefon, etc. For foliar fertilizer, choose 0.2% monopotassium phosphate or other foliar fertilizers. According to the actual situation of disease and pest occurrence, follow the product instructions, mix and spray in proportion, and at the same time micronutrients and others can be added to mix into the liquid.
Finally, Chen Xinhong advised the broad community of growers that at each stage of wheat blossom midge occurrence, corresponding control measures should be taken according to the specific situation, so as to detect it early and control it in time, to avoid causing serious wheat yield losses.