Lettuce Pest Control
The most common species of aphids that attack lettuce are: Aphis fabae, Aulachortum solani, Hyperomyzus lactucae, Nasonovia ribisnigri, Macrosiphum euphorbiae, Myzus persicae, Myzus ornatus, and Aphis gossypii.
In addition to the direct damage caused by piercing and sucking the sap, aphids also cause damage to lettuce by transmitting numerous viruses. Aphids can be a significant problem. The tips of the leaves may turn brown and dry out, appearing burnt. This is caused by sudden moisture loss in hot weather. It is essential to water well, provide shade as needed, and prevent the lettuce from growing too large. If possible, grow resistant varieties.
Lettuce Root Aphid
(Pemphigus bursarius)
This pest overwinters on poplars and moves to the roots of lettuce, endive, and some weeds in late spring. The aphid feeds by sucking on the roots, causing the plant to lag in growth. The development of the aphid is favored by dry and warm weather. The root becomes covered with a whitish waxy coating. The lettuce has difficulty forming heads, the leaves turn yellow, and the plant may completely wilt. This problem is less severe in cooler, wetter conditions. It is necessary to remove and destroy affected plants or grow resistant varieties.
Soil-Dwelling Pests: Cutworms, yellow corn earworm, root-knot nematodes, grubs, and slugs.
Lettuce Weed Control
Various measures are used to control weeds in lettuce cultivation, such as inter-row cultivation and mulching.
If lettuce is grown without mulch, the soil surface should be maintained and loosened through inter-row cultivation as needed, until the lettuce rosette covers the ground. This measure also mechanically controls weeds. There are herbicides that are selective for lettuce, but they are rarely used in practice because lettuce has a short growing season, and long after harvesting, lettuce, other crops cannot be grown. The best way to control weeds in lettuce cultivation is to use black or black-and-white PE film mulch.
