We are beginning to see some yellowing of leaves in peanuts caused by potato leafhopper. This insect injects a toxin as it feeds. Leaves generally do not shed but photosynthesis for a leaflet is decreased due to the burn. Several insecticides can be applied to suppress potato leafhopper populations and prevent hopper burn. The threshold for yield loss is relatively high, in the 25% to 40% range. What often happens is people apply insecticide after the insect population has crashed because there is a lag time when the insect feeds and the symptoms of burn are present.

Use caution, especially in a dry year (it’s still relatively dry even though we have picked up some showers) in making applications of pyrethroids if you are in an area where spider mites can flare.