Show Alfalfa Threatened By Pea Aphid I IA A serious infestation of green pea aphid has developed in 3rd 1 crop alfalfa in the Gunnison f Valley warns Dennis Funk t county agricultural agent r. r The pea aphid is a tiny soft- soft t bodied light green insect Full i grown individuals are only about d 3 16 of an inch long and a are r e slightly more than a third as t wide They do not need to mate t to produce offspring They do donot donot not lay eggs on the plants in instead instead in- in x stead their eggs hatch within their bodies and they give birth r to living young In this way f twelve to fifteen generations are il generally produced in a single Z k 1 season All are females until r ti tithe the last generation in the fall This generation consists of pf males and egg laying females These f females males must mate before laying laying lay lay- t ing the eggs which carry the l species through the winter f The pea aphid can be controlled controlled con con- t trolled by spraying the alfalfa t with at the rate of 1 to 2 pints of the 57 per per cent con concentrate c e n t rat e per acre Where third crop growth f J is short 1 pint per acre will give good results The heavier rate 1 1 to 2 pints per acre cre t should be used where the plant growth is heavier states Mr t Funk F J |