Among farmers, the reed glass-winged cicada has become a kind of celebrity. But not in a positive sense. When asked about the insect, farmers often have a worried expression on their faces. The insect is spreading rapidly and causing trouble for sugar beet, potato, and vegetable growers. The reed glass-winged cicada transmits two pathogens, Candidatus Phytoplasma solani and Candidatus Arsenophonus phytopathogenicus, which have serious consequences for the affected crops. These crops are at risk of damage, including sugar beets, potatoes, and chard. Carrots, parsnips, root parsley, beets, certain legumes, and chicory may also be damaged by the cicada and the pathogens. In sugar beets, the combination of both pathogens leads to different symptoms, depending on which pathogen the plant receives more of. The disease complex consists of a combination of the diseases SBR and Stolbur. Affected beets show different symptoms, such as lance-shaped heart leaves, browned vascular bundles, yellowed or wilted leaves. The rubbery beet bodies are particularly noticeable. The losses caused by the pest can be significant. In sugar beets, the effects are already devastating: in 2023, 40,000 hectares were affected. Last year, 2024, at least 75,000 hectares were affected. Yields can drop by up to 50 percent. Drought also exacerbates the symptoms of the disease. Controlling the cicada is currently very difficult. Initial attempts with insecticides approved in Germany have shown some effectiveness, but there have not been any significant successes yet. Scientists are currently working to determine the best timing for the use of insecticides. The larvae of the cicadas, also known as nymphs, also live in the soil and must be controlled there. Various institutions are currently investigating how this can be achieved through soil cultivation and crop rotations. SBR disease in beets: How farmers recognize reed glass-winged cicadas Reed glass-winged cicada on a beet leaf: It transmits bacteria and phytoplasmas while feeding. The development cycle begins with the adult cicadas flying into the beets. They feed on the sap flow and lay their eggs around the beet body in the soil. In late summer, the nymphs develop and continue to feed on the roots of the beets.
