Pests and diseases of bunching vegetables

• Bunching vegetables – an overview
• Key pests of bunching vegetables
• Pest management
• Source of information and related tools

This page provides an overview of the key pests and diseases of bunching vegetables in Australia. The related tools provided at the end of the page can be used by growers and crop consultants to assist in the identification of insect pests, mites, diseases, beneficials, and disorders. They include photographs and detailed information about specific pests. For unknown pests, it is important to have an expert identify them so that they can be managed appropriately.

Bunching vegetables include the Asian leafy brassicas such as buk choy/pak choy; beet; Dutch carrots; parsley; kangkong; radish; spinach (also known as English spinach); and spring onions. Bunching vegetables are affected by the pests that commonly cause damage to other vegetable crops from their family of vegetables.

Use a combination of chemical, cultural, and biological strategies to keep weeds, insect pests, mites, diseases, and other crop production problems low enough to minimise economic crop loss. Monitor the crop regularly using all available monitoring tools and encourage beneficials to control pest problems.

The following management strategies are recommended to prevent diseases in bunching vegetables:

• Wherever possible, avoid watering plants in the evening as this may provide long hours of leaf wetness. Most spores need to germinate and wet leaf surfaces infect plants.
• A short, heavy watering is preferable to a long, light watering. If possible, overhead irrigation should be avoided.
• Maintain good air-movement in the environment to lower humidity and thus reduce spore production and infection. This may mean running the rows in the direction of the wind and increasing plant spacing.
• Maintain a balanced program of nutrition to avoid nutrient disorders.
• Implement good hygiene practices to avoid moving pests between properties.
• Rotate bunching crops with non-host crops and do not replant infected sites.
• Avoid sequential planting as fungi can move from older crops to younger crops.
• Avoid damage to the plant, as it may provide a point of entry for fungi and bacteria.
• Combine management practices with a registered fungicide spray program.
• Implement disease resistance management strategies – Alternate fungicides from different groups of chemicals to avoid fungi developing resistance to fungicides.
• Removal of weeds within and around the seedlings nursery.
• Discard any seedlings showing viral symptoms and promptly remove and destroy them.
• Introduce natural thrips predators regularly and only apply insecticides that are ineffective against these predators.

• Guide to common diseases and disorders of bunching vegetables
• Guide to common diseases and disorders of parsley
• Brassica Best Practice – Integrated Pest Management Guide
• Vegetables
• Vegetables A-Z
• Globe artichokes (Agriculture WA)