Leafy greens, primarily collards, turnips and mustard greens, constitute a $29 million annual commodity in Georgia alone, the major of which is processed. Insect pests of leafy greens reduce profits by approximately 10% annually through increased damage to the plant and pesticide costs for the control of foliage feeders. Plutella xylostella, Trichoplusia ni, and Pieris rapae are the major species of foliage feeders. Resistance to insecticides is currently a major concern for P. xylostella in Georgia. Since processed greens are mechanically harvested, insect pest contaminants, such as grasshoppers, also have become an important problem to be addressed in the integrated pest management program for these crops. Studies have shown that various grasshopper and katydid species can occur in the foliage at the time of harvest. Certain hard- bodied Acrididae are particularly troublesome as contaminants in the processing line. Also, the majority of the field population of grasshoppers occur outside of the leafy greens field in various surrounding habitats. Movement of the grasshoppers into the field can occur late in the season and within-field insecticide applications do not appear to reduce the contamination problem. Preventive management of grasshopper populations surrounding the leafy greens field is recommended.
Keywords: FQPA, vegetables
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