Field Crops IPM Podcast: What are your neighbors doing for pest management?

Welcome to the IPM Podcast for Field Crops for the 2021 growing season. Subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode on iTunes, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

This Podcast is sponsored by UMN Extension Integrated Pest Management (IPM). In this week’s podcast, we feature: Liz Stahl, Crops Regional Extension Educator based out of Worthington, MN.  

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Stahl discussed pest management trends seen in the annual IPM Assessment, a survey of growers across the state about their pest management use and concerns. This is an anonymous survey given to growers during winter Extension meetings. 

Perceptions on what neighbors are doing can influence grower decisions, and the IPM survey sessions allow growers to see overall results once polling closes. One farmer after seeing this survey data remarked, "Wow, and here I thought all my neighbors were using fungicide on their corn!" Often times, growers are using less pesticide than we might assume just looking over the fence line. The survey also highlights developing issues over time, such as increasing weed resistance to glyphosate before it was common place. 

Stahl also discussed trends seen with soybean aphid threshold adoption. While the 250 aphid threshold is well-known, the survey indicates there is sometimes confusion about what it means. At that population, economic damage is not yet occurring to soybeans, and treatment of populations below 250 will not significantly affect yield or give a return on investment. Instead, the 250 threshold is an action point where growers should consider arranging a pesticide application before populations reach economically damaging levels near 670 aphids per plant.

This podcast was hosted by Dr. Anthony Hanson (hans4022@umn.edu), an IPM Educator for Field Crops with University of Minnesota Extension based out of Morris, MN and Dave Nicolai (nico0071@umn.edu), Crops Regional Extension Educator based out Farmington, MN. 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.  

Click here to listen to the podcast