Root Aphid
(click image to enlarge) Symptoms:
• White, waxy material surrounding aphids and roots
• Aphids restrict nutrient and water uptake
• Yellowing and wilting under drought stress
Epidemiology:
• Overwinter as eggs on cottonwood trees or as adults in the soil
• Aphids migrate to beet crops and produce up to 7 generations
Description:
• Root feeding aphids are yellowish white with broad, oval bodies
• Surrounded by white, waxy material to protect them against water
Control:
• Resistant varieties
• Irrigation management to avoid water stress
• Crop rotation and management of weedy hosts (e.g. lambsquarters)