Pests

Lettuce aphid

Lactuca sativa L.

Aphids are among the most significant pests of lettuce, damaging both leaf and root parts of the plant. The most dangerous species is considered to be the currant-lettuce aphid (Nasonovia ribisnigri), which is capable of colonizing the inner leaves of the head.

In the reference 1 326 varieties crop Lettuce, where this is mentioned in the description.

Species such as the currant-lettuce aphid (Nasonovia ribisnigri), the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), the glasshouse potato aphid (Aulacorthum solani and Macrosiphum euphorbiae), as well as the lettuce root aphid (Pemphigus bursarius) parasitize lettuce crops. Nasonovia ribisnigri is the most dangerous, as it concentrates in the heart of the plant, which is difficult to reach for treatment.

The harmfulness manifests as leaf deformation, loss of the crop's marketability, and the development of sooty mold on aphid secretions. Furthermore, the pest acts as a vector for viruses. Breeding programs are focused on the use of the Nr gene, sourced from the wild species Lactuca virosa, which provides resistance to various biotypes (Nr:0, Nr:1).

General information about the subject — on the page Aphids.

Sources8

Varieties of Lettuce mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.