What pests attack turnip?

Cabbage root fly, Cabbage white caterpillars, Chafer grubs, Flea beetles, Wireworms

What diseases affect turnip?

Bacterial soft rot, Clubroot, White mould (Sclerotinia), Common scab

Turnip pests and diseases: how to recognise them

Q: Which turnip problems need quick action?

Bacterial soft rot: Potato stems may turn black and rot from the base upwards (blackleg). Clubroot: Roots massively swollen and distorted into clubs, with few fine roots left. White mould (Sclerotinia): Roots, heads, pods and fruit can rot too, also in storage.

Brassica rapa

The pests, diseases and disorders recorded for turnip in our library, each with a photo and its first symptom. Every page has the full list of symptoms, organic and chemical treatment and prevention.

At a glance

Problems in total	10
Pests	5
Diseases	4
Nutrient deficiencies	1
Need quick action	3

How to grow turnip · All pests and diseases

Pests

Cabbage root flyOccasionally the maggots tunnel into Brussels sprout buttons.Also called: cabbage maggot, cabbage flyPhoto: James K. Lindsey, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Cabbage white caterpillarsSmall white caterpillars bore into cabbage hearts, so damage also shows inside when the head is cut.Also called: large white, cabbage butterflyPhoto: Schlaghecken Josef, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Chafer grubsIn lawns, yellowish patches and turf torn up by crows, magpies, badgers or foxes digging for the grubs, mostly from autumn to spring.Photo: Сарапулов, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Flea beetlesOn potatoes the larvae can bore narrow tunnels in the tubers.Photo: Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth!, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
WirewormsWorst in beds newly dug from lawn or grassland.Photo: Alton N. Sparks, Jr., University of Georgia, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Diseases

Nutrient deficiencies

Boron deficiencyLeaf-tip dieback on lettuce; small, puckered leaves and distorted fruits on strawberries; dimpled pear skin with brown patches in the flesh.Photo: Jan Hinrichs-Berger, LTZ Augustenberg, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Which turnip problems need quick action?

These spread or do lasting harm fast; check the plants and start treatment the day you see them.

Bacterial soft rot: Small water-soaked spots that quickly enlarge, sink and turn soft and mushy; the tissue underneath is cream to black.
Clubroot: Growth and yield are badly reduced, and severely affected plants may die.
White mould (Sclerotinia): A soft, wet rot on stems, often near soil level; plants suddenly turn yellow, wilt and collapse.

Plants with many of the same problems

Which plants each problem affects: sources

The links between these problems and the plant were checked against these pages.