Root and Seed Maggots – Vegetable Crops Hotline

Root and Seed Maggots

​The cool, wet weather we have been having is perfect for the root and seed maggots in early planted vegetables. I have already received calls about onion maggots. If you are planting early vegetables, check out the article in the March 17, 2015, issue of the Hotline for 2015. So, how do we define early planted vegetables? With regard to root and seed maggots, anything that you plant before the soil temperatures reach about 70°F is subject to attack from the flies. Of course, not every field will suffer damage but the potential is there. The use of black plastic mulch will heat up the soil more quickly and may help to reduce root and seed maggot damage.

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