Soybean insect pests on the rise, while most plots have limited disease development
Weekly summary:
We have thirteen reports from eleven counties to share from the week. The reports indicate a mild increase in Japanese beetles and grasshoppers—nothing alarming, but an indication that these populations should continue to be tracked. These particularly pest species are rarely economically important in Pennsylvania because soybeans can withstand so much defoliation and plants are growing so quickly this time of year. Disease pressure remains low.
For insight on scouting fields and what you can expect to find in soybean fields this time of year, please view the soybean scouting video I made in collaboration with Pesticide Education Program of Penn State.
About the reports:
The Pennsylvania Soybean Promotion Board is funding a Soybean Sentinel Plot Program, which is being managed by Penn State Extension and The Dept. of Entomology at Penn State. In this effort, Penn State Extension Educators are regularly scouting twenty-two ‘typical’ soybean fields in sixteen counties across the state, reporting the populations of plant pathogens and insect pests that they find. In the reports below, pests that were found during scouting are listed with their severity, which is rated on a 1-10 scale with 10 being the highest. Growers should be sure to check their own fields to determine your local populations, but these reports will give you a sense of what pests are active in fields.
County Reports
21 July – McKean County
Nicole Santangelo Carutis / Rachel Eller
Growth stage: R2
Japanese beetles – Severity: 1
Grasshoppers, slugs and unidentified caterpillars present – Severity: 1
No diseases to report
21 July – Elk County
Nicole Santangelo Carutis / Rachel Eller
Growth stage: V5
Japanese beetle – Severity: 2
Grasshoppers, slugs and unidentified caterpillars present
Beneficial insects present: Bumble bees, others bees, lady beetles
No diseases to report
Click here to see more...