Whitefly Return Signals Trouble for Crops
From Times Wire Reports
The whitefly, a pest that has done hundreds of millions of dollars damage to crops in the Imperial Valley, is still turning up in the region.
Farmer John Pierre Menvielle said the whitefly, which normally appears in late August, is wreaking havoc on alfalfa hay, the valley’s major crop.
“They’re about three weeks ahead of their normal schedule,” Menvielle said. “Hay has basically gone into survival mode. You’re nursing your stands through the heat until we get to some cooler weather.”
