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Greenbugs in Sorghum
Greenbugs can sometimes be found in large populations in sorghum. These aphids can be identified by a light green body color with a dark green stripe down their back. Their cornicles are green with black tips.
Green bugs feed by sucking juices from the sorghum plant and injecting a toxin into the plant which causes a characteristic yellow to light-red leaf color. As feeding continues the outer edges of the leaf will turn brown and the leaf may eventually die.
Economic threshold for the treatment of greenbugs vary by the growth stage of the plant.
| Emergence to 6" in Height | Visible damage (plants beginning to yellow) with greenbug colonies present |
| 12 inches to pre-boot | If greenbug colonies are causing red spotting or yellowing of leaves and before any entire leaves are killed. |
| boot to heading period | before the death of one functional leaf |
| heading to hard-dough | When greenbug numbers are sufficient to cause death of two normal-sized leaves |
Di-Syston and ethyl-parathion are insecticides labeled for greenbug treatment in sorghum.
For more information see the Field Crop Insect Management Guide at http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/pests/e1143w1.htm
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