The adult of the soybean gall midge, a new pest in north central US soybean production, has now been verified, allowing growers to add a new photo to their "Most Wanted" list for spring scouting.
A relatively new insect in soybean, the orange gall midge has now been confirmed in 15 eastern Nebraska counties.Growers and consultants are invited to submit reports of orange gall midge in counties where it hasn't previously been identified.
High populations of soybean stem borers may predispose your field to lodging and complicate harvest. Fields with higher levels of injury should be harvested first to minimize lodging losses.
Reports of orange gall midge in soybean increased in Nebraska this year and researchers have initiated in-field and laboratory studies to help learn more about its potential to reduce yield as well as best practices for its management.
Defoliation injury is being reported in soybeans and often can look worse than it is. This illustrated guide to assessing injury can help you get reliable scouting numbers on which to base sound treatment decisions.
Corn rootworm beetles started emerging in southeast and south central Nebraska and scouting is recommended. An average of 5-10 beetles per ear usually can seriously affect pollination.
Figure 1. Japanese beetles will first feed on the leaves of soybean (left) and corn. In corn they'll move to the silks (right) when they become available. (Photos by Justin McMechan)
Japanese beetles are emerging in eastern Nebraska and will continue to emerge for the next couple of weeks. As numbers will be highest in field margins, growers are advised to scout across the whole field before determining the need for treatment.
By using a degree-day model, growers can account for the effect of temperature on insect development and approximate when certain insect stages will occur. See predicted cutworm flights and recommended scouting periods for 14 Nebraska locations.
