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How to Manage Pests

UC Pest Management Guidelines

| More pests | More crops | About guidelines |

Alfalfa looper.

Artichoke

Loopers

Scientific names:
Cabbage looper: Trichoplusia ni
Alfalfa looper: Autographa californica

(Reviewed 1/07, updated 1/07)

In this Guideline:

DESCRIPTION OF THE PESTS

Loopers arch their backs as they crawl. Cabbage loopers usually have a narrow, white stripe along each side and several narrow lines down the back. Eggs are dome-shaped, and laid on the undersurfaces of older leaves. Adult moths have brown, mottled forewings marked in the center with a small silver figure 8.

DAMAGE

Young larvae feed primarily on the undersides of lower leaves, skeletonizing them. High populations can damage seedlings severely enough to kill them or slow growth enough to inhibit uniform maturing of the crop. Older larvae may burrow into the head from the top.

MANAGEMENT

Primarily an early season pest in inland desert growing area where loopers are managed with treatments.

Biological Control
Loopers have many natural enemies that often keep populations below economic thresholds. Maximize the use of these natural enemies by limiting treatments, especially between thinning and heading.

Organically Acceptable Methods
Biological control and sprays of Bacillus thuringiensis are acceptable for use on organically certified crops.

Monitoring and Management Decisions
Look for signs of looper feeding: plants with holes in outer leaves, feces, caterpillars feeding on edge of hole. Check fields twice a week once seedlings emerge.

Treat seedlings or small plants if populations of medium-sized to large loopers are large enough to stunt growth. Treat well-established plants only if you find an average of more than one-half larvae per plant. For cabbage looper control, the best time to apply insecticide is in the afternoon.

Common name Amount/Acre R.E.I.+ P.H.I.+
(trade name)   (hours) (days)
When choosing a pesticide, consider information relating to impact on natural enemies and honey bees and to the environment.
 
A. BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS ssp. aizawai#
  (various products) Label rates 4 0
  MODE OF ACTION: A microbial (Group 11.B1)1 insecticide.
  COMMENTS: Apply when armyworms are small. Not harmful to natural enemies
 
B. DIFLUBENZURON*
  (Dimilin) 2L 8-16 oz 12 1
  MODE OF ACTION: An insect growth regulator/benzoylurea (Group 15)1 insecticide.
  COMMENTS: Use allowed under 24(c) regulation.
 
 
+  Restricted entry interval (R.E.I.) is the number of hours (unless otherwise noted) from treatment until the treated area can be safely entered without protective clothing. Preharvest interval (P.H.I.) is the number of days from treatment to harvest. In some cases the R.E.I. exceeds the P.H.I. The longer of these two intervals is the minimum time that must elapse before harvest.
* Permit required from county agricultural commissioner for purchase or use.
# Acceptable for use on organically grown produce.
1 Modes of action are important in preventing the development of resistance to pesticides. Rotate chemicals with a different mode-of-action Group number, and do not use products with the same mode-of-action Group number more than twice per season. For example, the organophosphates have a Group number of 1B; chemicals with a 1B Group number should be alternated with chemicals that have a Group number other than 1B. Mode of action is assigned by IRAC (Insecticide Resistance Action Committee). For additional information, see their Web site at http://www.irac-online.org/.

[Precautions]

PUBLICATION

[UC Peer Reviewed]

UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Artichoke
UC ANR Publication 3434
Arthropods
M. A. Bari, Artichoke Research Foundation, Salinas
W. E. Chaney, UC Cooperative Extension, Monterey County
E. T. Natwick, UC Cooperative Extension, Imperial County
Acknowledgment for contributions to the arthropod section:
W. L. Schrader, UC Cooperative Extension, San Diego County
L. Handel and T. K. Shannon, Kleen Globe, Inc., Castroville, CA

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Statewide IPM Program, Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California
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