Pest problems.

There are not many pests that affect buckwheat, and there is no remedy for those that do.

Animals

Deer and turkeys are fond of buckwheat and are the biggest pest problem. Deer can be quite damaging when they feed in fields of young plants or ripened grain.

Weeds

Summer-sown buckwheat grows fast enough to smother weed seedlings. It is the most effective summer smother crop, and is used by many buckwheat growers as part of their overall weed management program.

Cool or wet weather can result in weed problems when the buckwheat gets off to a slow start.  Excessive nitrogen will encourage the weeds more than it does the buckwheat and weeds can be severe.

Buckwheat is very sensitive to herbicides, and none are registered for use.

Diseases

Diseases are often seen but are seldom serious problems for buckwheat production in the Northeast.

Aster yellows makes the flowers sterile and green. In affected fields, it is rarely more than one plant in a thousand.

Powdery mildew is a seedborne disease that causes yellow-green blotches on the leaves. This disease grows inside the leaf, not on the surface. It is not a serious problem, and it is controlled by planting seeds from uninfested fields.

Penicillium stem rot is occasionally seen late in the season if the plant population is high and the stems are thin. It causes the plants to fall down. Immediate harvest is the only remedy.

See disease pictures (large file)

Insects

The insects that are seen (wireworms and aphids) usually do little damage in summer-sown buckwheat.  Buckwheat that emerges in May, whether volunteers, or an early cover crop, are at some risk of aphid infestation. Early aphids attract lady beetles that protect later crops. Buckwheat attracts many other beneficial insects once it begins to flower, so it may even reduce the insect pest pressure nearby.