Supermarkets will have to get used to 'ugly' vegetables as global warming increases the number of crop blighting insects, experts have warned.

Growers are bracing themselves for an early onslaught of peach potato aphids - also known as Myzus persicae - following the mild winter.

The insects, which are flying a month earlier and in greater numbers than ever before, have the potential to cause widespread crop damage to potatoes and other outdoor vegetables.

Retailers would have to broaden their fresh vegetable specifications and even accept produce that had been insect damaged if they wanted to maintain supply, said aphid expert Richard Harrington of Rothamsted Research.

"Obviously, everyone wants to see produce in pristine condition but with the spread of aphids, it might be a case of accepting less cosmetically pleasing products," he said, blaming global warming for the rise in numbers.

To add to the problem, crop plantings are getting later, according to British Potato Council figures, leaving immature vegetables susceptible.

"Crops will be at a younger stage when Myzus populations invade, with new growth more vulnerable to damage," said Harrington.

Though growers have been introducing insecticides to combat the threat, Myzus is the only potato aphid species to have developed insecticide resistance, so chemicals have to be rotated.

Organic crops would not be hit any harder than their conventional counterparts, however, predicted Harrington, because their environment contained a greater number of insect enemies to aphids.

Warmer temperatures were also expected to increase the occurrence of Mealy Cabbage aphid, Cabbage Root fly, Diamond Back moth and Colorado beetle, which could all cause significant damage to crops, warned Harrington.

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