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Wheat Bulb Fly
Delia coarctata (Fallen)
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General Description
Wheat bulb fly is a serious pest of wheat crops.
Biology
The female lays eggs during the summer months (July - September), and bare soil is the preferred site. Consequently, wheat sown after potatoes, peas, oilseed rape, field vegetables, fallow and set-aside are particularly at risk.
The eggs begin to hatch in January/February and may continue through to mid March. Severe damage is only caused tocrops that have yet to form multiple tillers. As a general rule, crops sown before mid-October will be less affected by this pest. Later sown crops which may only have a single shoot at egg hatch, may be completely killed by the grub feeding in the single shoot.
Advice
Treatment thresholds for wheat bulb fly are based on egg counts in soil from fields planned for winter wheat or spring barley. The threshold for late sown wheat crops is 1.25 million eggs/hectare.
Winter barley is usually sown early enough to withstand any damage.
Diary
October
Check for wheat bulb fly. In recent years egg counts have been at record levels. Seed treatments can help protect crops.
In 2006, we found egg counts as high as 12 million/ha, and no counts less than 1 million eggs/ha. More...
February
Wheat bulb fly hatch delayed due to cold weather
The colder weather has delayed wheat bulb fly egg hatch at our monitored sites to a great extent, and whilst there are some eggs hatching, it is still in its very early stages. More...