What pesticide should be used to control peach tree aphids? Master the timing of application and get it done in 3 rounds

The quality of orchard management has a major impact on the yield of a whole year. Among these, the peach tree aphid is one of the main pests of peach trees. If early control measures are not in place, it will cause severe fruit drop in peach trees. So what pesticide should be used for peach tree aphids to control them well?

1. Types of peach tree aphids

There are three types of aphids that harm peach trees: the green peach aphid, the mealy peach aphid, and the peach leaf-curling aphid.

1. Green peach aphid: also called the peach red aphid, tobacco aphid, or cabbage aphid. It overwinters as eggs in the branch tips, bud axils, small branch forks, and bark crevices of peach trees. In early spring of the following year, from peach bud break to the flowering period, the eggs begin to hatch. The newly hatched nymphs damage young peach buds and flowers. As the new shoots grow rapidly, they shift to damaging leaves. Damage is most severe in May, and winged aphids begin to appear, flying to tobacco and vegetables to continue reproducing and causing damage.

2. Mealy peach aphid: also called the peach large-tailed aphid or peach mealy green aphid. It overwinters as eggs on peach branches and in bud crevices. In March to April of the following year, it begins to hatch and cause damage. After leaves are damaged, they curl longitudinally toward the underside, the leaves thicken, the color turns yellow, and they are covered with large amounts of white powder, causing defoliation. Reproduction is fastest and damage is most severe from May to June.

3. Peach leaf-curling aphid: also called the peach tuberculate aphid. It overwinters as eggs on peach trees. After peach trees sprout in mid-to-late March of the following year, it begins to hatch and cause damage. Newly hatched nymphs gather on the underside of leaves to suck sap and cause damage. Damage is most severe in May and June.

All three aphids above, when peach trees sprout and unfold leaves, gather as adults and nymphs on the underside of peach leaves and on tender shoots to suck sap and damage leaves. April to May is the peak outbreak period for peach tree aphids. After peach trees are damaged, the leaves become pale and curled, affecting photosynthesis. In severe cases, leaves fall off, affecting peach tree yield and flower bud formation. Therefore, timely control must be carried out.

2. The best period for aphid control

The best period for aphid control is when peach leaf buds show green and flower buds appear, that is, when the flowers show red. Pesticides should not be used during the full bloom period of peach blossoms. For controlling peach tree aphids, early control is advocated, before peach leaves and buds are damaged.

3. What pesticide should be used to control peach tree aphids well?

For controlling peach tree aphids, commonly used pesticides include acetamiprid, imidacloprid, and pymetrozine. Judging from applications in production in recent years, aphids easily develop resistance to many commonly used pesticides. According to relevant research data, aphid populations resistant to pesticides such as imidacloprid and pymetrozine currently exist in different regions. In areas where aphids have developed resistance, flonicamid, sulfoxaflor, and similar pesticides can be used according to local conditions, or these pesticides can be combined with imidacloprid and pymetrozine.

1. At the time of early spring sprouting and bud break, one normal application of lime sulfur mixture;

2. At the red bud stage of peach blossoms: sulfoxaflor (22.4%-4000 times or 50% 10000 times-12000 times);

3. At the late flowering stage (80% petal fall): spirotetramat (22%-4000-5000 times).

Be sure to grasp the application period well, use sufficient water, and spray evenly and thoroughly. The interval should be 7-10 days. When using, pay attention to alternating use to avoid aphids developing resistance. For the mealy peach aphid, laundry detergent solution can be added to the spray liquid to increase adhesion and remove the waxy powder on the insect body. Note that sulfoxaflor can be used at most twice in one growing season.

4. Other control methods for peach tree aphids

1. Strengthen orchard management

In combination with spring pruning, cut off damaged branch tips and burn them in a centralized manner.

2. Biological control

Protect the natural enemies of pests, mainly including the ladybird beetle Propylea japonica, the harlequin ladybird, the seven-spotted ladybird, green lacewings, hoverflies, velvet mites, spiders, parasitic wasps, and so on. When natural enemies can suppress aphids, spraying frequency can be reduced as much as possible.

3. Physical control

Aphids are sensitive to yellow. Fruit growers can control aphids by hanging yellow sticky traps in the orchard.

The above are the methods for controlling peach tree aphids. In fact, the key to control is still early prevention and control, which should be carried out before peach leaves and new buds are damaged.