Welcome to the 1st IPM Podcast for Field Crops of 2020.
Subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode on iTunes and now, Stitcher.
Subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode on iTunes and now, Stitcher.
This Podcast is sponsored by the UMN Extension Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program. In this week’s podcast, we feature Dr. Robert Koch, University of Minnesota Associate Professor of Entomology and Extension Entomologist. Dr. Koch gave updates on soybean aphid and other insects to keep an eye out for as we head into August.Soybean aphid continues to be a perennial pest in Minnesota with outbreak severity varying each year. Problem fields can also be scattered across the state, so someone the next county over or even a neighbor treating for aphids is not a guarantee you have an issue in your own field. So far this year, most areas of the state have not seen treatable levels of soybean aphids, but growers should continue to monitor for aphids as soybeans mature.
Dr. Koch stressed the importance of scouting to determine if you have enough aphids to consider any insecticide application while discussing the continued validation of soybean aphid economic thresholds. Soybean aphid does not cause economic damage to justify the cost of treatment until approximately 670 aphids per plant on average (i.e., the economic injury level), so the economic or action threshold of 250 average aphids per plant is already a conservative trigger point to prepare an insecticide application in order to prevent populations from reaching 670 aphids. Soybeans can tolerate smaller aphid populations without affecting yield, so treating at levels near 50 to 100 aphids is unlikely to produce any yield benefit.
 |
| Soybean aphid nymphs and winged adults feeding on a soybean leaf. Photo: Anthony Hanson |
Dr. Koch also discussed tools available to manage soybean aphid. Pyrethroid resistance issues are a concern across the state, and remaining insecticide groups need to be used wisely to prevent the loss of another insecticide group. Research is ongoing in Koch’s lab with other collaborators to examine pyrethroid-resistant populations and deliver other management tools, such as aphid-resistant soybean, to growers.
 |
| Soybean aphid on susceptible (left) and resistant (right) soybean. Photo: Anthony Hanson |
Other insects such as thistle caterpillar, Japanese beetle, and other defoliators have not been a widespread issue this year, but growers should continue to watch for them through August. As with aphids, soybean plants can tolerate what at first glance may appear to be heavy defoliation, and Dr. Koch outlines how to assess defoliation damage in soybean.
This podcast was hosted by Dr. Anthony Hanson, Extension Post-Doctoral Associate. The purpose of the IPM podcast is to alert Growers, Ag Professionals and Educators about emerging pest concerns on Minnesota field crops. We also review recent pest trends and research updates.
For IPM Program updates, visit the UMN Extension IPM website.
Comments
Post a Comment