Root Maggots in Turnips

Root maggots often attack crop plants such as turnips, cabbage and onions.

Root maggots are common pests of crop plants, such as the turnip. Adult root maggots lay eggs in the soil and damage turnips by feeding on the roots of the plant.

Identification

Root maggots are small, legless and are white or yellow in color. This insect resembles a housefly and feeds on turnip roots for a period of three to four weeks. Root maggots reproduce by laying tiny eggs in soil cracks or on plant stems.

Effects

Turnips infested with high numbers of root maggots often turn a dull yellow color. The roots of turnips damaged by these small pests, often have tunnels running through the roots of the plant from maggot feeding.

Control

Home gardeners and commercial turnip growers often place predatory insects in turnip fields. Certain types of wasps and beetles feed on root maggot larvae, reducing their numbers. Applying insecticides to the soil may also reduce root maggot infestations.

References

• University of Illinois: Turnip/Rutabaga-Vegetable Directory-Watch Your Garden Grow
• University of Illinois: Root Maggots
• North Carolina State University: Turnips And Rutabaga