Critical periods for diseases and pests

Sunflower

Emergence – 4th–5th leaf – weevils (grey corn weevil Tanymecus dilaticolis, black beet weevil Psalidium maxilosum)

Emergence – bud formation – downy mildew Plasmopara halstedii

Germination – emergence – flowering – grey mould Botritis cinerea

Cotyledons – beginning of flowering – rust Puccinia helianthi

5th–6th leaf – bud formation – grey leaf spots Diaporthe helianthi, brown leaf spots Alternaria sp., charcoal rot Macrophomina phaseolina, verticillium wilt Verticilium sp.

Flowering – yellow ripeness – sclerotinia Sclerotinia sclerociorum

Flowering – seed filling – dry head rot Rizopus sp.

Maize

Before sowing – during sowing – 6th–7th leaf – wireworms from the family Elateridae

Germination – seed and seedling rot Fusarium sp., Aspergilus sp., Nigrospora oriza

Emergence – 5th–7th leaf – weevils (grey corn Tanymecus dilaticolis and grey beet Tanimecus paliatus), cutworms from the family Noctuidae

From the beginning of vegetation – aphids Aphis evonymi, Rhopalosiphum maidis,

1st–9th leaf – viral diseases (maize dwarf mosaic Maize dwarf mosaic virus and wheat streak mosaic Wheat streak mosaic virus)

5th–6th leaf – flowering – common smut Ustilago zeae

6th–8th leaf – tasselling – European corn borer Ostinia nubilallis, cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera

Flowering – milk ripeness – stalk rot Fusarium sp., leaf blight Helminthosporium turicicum

Milk ripeness – full ripeness – ear fusariosis

Oilseed rape

Cotyledons – rosette formation – crucifer flea beetles of the genus Phyllotretа: black cabbage flea beetle (Phyllotreta atra L.), wavy-striped flea beetle (Phyllotreta undulatа Kutsch.) and others, rape stem flea beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala L., rape leaf sawfly (Atalia rosae Christ.), rape beetle (Entomoscelis adonidis Pall.).

Stem elongation – formation of flower stalks - cabbage bug (Eurydema ornata L.), turnip bug (Eurydema oleraceum L.), large white butterfly (Pieris brassicae L.), small white butterfly (Pieris rapae L.), cabbage moth (Mamestra brassicae L.), seed weevils of the genus Ceutorhynchus.

Bud formation – flowering - rape blossom beetle (Meligethes aeneus F.), hairy beetle (Tropinota hirta Poda,), seed weevils of the genus Ceutorhynchus: rape stem weevil (Ceutorhynchus napi Gyll.), cabbage stem weevil (Ceutorhynchus pallidactylus  (Marsh.) (synonym Ceutorhynchus quadridens).

Pod formation – pod weevil (Ceutorhynchus assimilis Payk.), cabbage aphid (Brevicorynae brassicae L.), pod midge (Dasyneura brassicae Winn.).

Monitor the crops and take measures in good time!