Pepper plants having brown ring and turning yellow

Question: Hi,
  Some not all of my pepper plants have these brown ring on the stem (complete theory here: seems to be suffocating the plant’s uptake of nutrients given the yellowing and lack of growth). 

Any idea what’s causing this and how I can fix it

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 30, 2023, 5:07 PM EDT
response: Hi- Wow- that's interesting. There's a disease, Rhizoctonia, that is called "wirestem" because it causes the stems of young plants to be pinched near the soil line. It causes stunting and wilting for the reason you mentioned and plants usually die.  http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/IPM/english/peppers/diseases-and-disorders/damping-off.html (top photo)  The fact that your root systems and lower stem tissue look fine and the brown, pinched area is high up on the stem, makes us think that it may have been caused by something rubbing against the stem or by insect feeding.   There is no fixing the problem. We'll be curious to know if your plants somehow outgrow the injury. Jon

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 01, 2023, 9:12 AM EDT
response: Thanks for the response! Maybe this could provide additional insights. Spotted two of these insects on different plants right by the brown stem. Any idea what this is and what can kill and prevent them from coming

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 01, 2023, 11:20 AM EDT
response: Hi- we no longer have an entomologist on staff (lost to budget cut at the beginning of the pandemic) and cannot ID the insect. It is possibly the larva of a type of tortoise beetle. In any case, the insect in the photo is not a serious pest and probably did not cause the pinched stem issue. Jon

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 01, 2023, 7:24 PM EDT
response: Thank you for the quick response. I reached out to my entomologist group I joined after you responded . Someone was able to identify it and it looks just like what I saw and the damage is the same.  Here’s the pest and additional details. Will have to treat the garden I believe . Need to identify any commercially available products for it  https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/FIELD/Threecornered_Alfalfa_Hopper_Spissistilus.htm

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 02, 2023, 10:11 AM EDT
response: Very interesting. That's the first time I have seen that particular leafhopper and that type of leafhopper feeding on a vegetable crop. Here's a Maryland Biodiversity Project map showing the MD counties that have reported this insect: https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/view/21542  Insecticidal soap, pyrethrum, and spinosad are effective organic controls. Spinosad may be the most effective and longest-lasting of these. Jon

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 02, 2023, 9:35 PM EDT
response: Thank you! For what it’s worth, I did a closer inspection of my other vegetables that were seemingly dying (I thought I wasn’t watering them enough) and I found more of these insect on the stems. I found multiple around the stem and within the soil of my sugar snap peas and also my watermelon. Tomorrow I go to war in the garden with spinosad. I plan to find a way to drench the soil and plants with it.  Thanks for your help

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 03, 2023, 9:57 AM EDT
response: Good luck.  We'd be curious to know if the pepper plant grows out of the injury and how you make out battling this pest. With climate change, this may become a bigger pest in MD. Jon