Producers Should Scout For Aphids And Corn Borer

Jul 29, 2015

Soybean aphids are starting to show up in Manitoba fields. The levels are still very low, and the economic threshold is high, at 250 aphids per plant on average. Provincial entomologist, John Gavloski, says the odd aphid isn't a huge concern, but soybean-growers should keep an eye on them.

"What we suggest is just scouting the fields, turning over some leaves, looking for aphids. Don't get freaked out if you see the odd one on an odd leaf, that's normal," he says.

Right now is also the time to be scouting for European corn borer, as eggs and young larvae are being noted in some fields. The larvae can burrow into the corn stocks, with about two or three surviving from each egg mass.

"The thing to be doing in cereal corn is to be turning over leaves, especially leaves near the ears, looking for egg masses and larvae, and seeing if you're above about one per plant on average," Gavloski says.

Source : PortageOnline

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.