February 1, 2006 (Vol. 26, No. 3)
URL:
http://www.aphidwatch.com
Rating:
Strong Points: Informative technical information
Weak Points: Needs broader focus
Summary:
Maybe it is the fact that I’m a poor gardener or the fact that I don’t know a lot about plant disease vectors, but the truth is that I had no idea that aphids were much more than pests for rose growers until I saw Aphid Watch. Indeed, roses aren’t even mentioned as one of the categories of plants attacked by these little annoyances. Funded by several governmental and commercial interests in New Zealand, Aphid Watch provides technical documents in PDF format to educate growers and help them to deal with and/or prevent aphid infestations. Biting by aphids helps spread many plant viruses, so the crop losses can be significant. If you want to be grossed out, look at the picture of the lettuce infected by aphids and think of it over your next salad.
