Figure 1. Rye cover crop planted in small sections of field for erosion control. Center photo shows a section of ground where cover crop did not establish with normally developing plants. Damaged corn plants were primarily restricted to areas where cover crop was present.
Wheat stem maggots were an issue for some eastern and southern Nebraska farmers planting corn directly into a growing cover crop, leading to questions about how to best manage this scenario in 2018. Learn why entomologists don't recommend adding an insecticide to the herbicide when terminating the cover crop.
When it comes to buying corn seed, avoid investing in GMO insect protection you don't need. This guide looks at available traits and which proteins are effective on which pest species to help growers select the product best suited to their fields.
Reports of painted lady butterflys have been numerous in rural areas, including in soybeans, causing growers to ask if there's likely to be an increase in their soybean leaf-eating caterpillars. Entomologists discuss this question and the insect's life cycle, and offer a "how-to" on estimating leaf defoliation.
Dropped leaves in soybean fields indicate soybean stem borers are feeding and causing leaf damage. These insects are expanding their range as a pest of soybeans in Nebraska and now can be found in several counties north of I-80.
Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) problems have been extensive throughout the western Great Plains this year, significantly reducing the yield potential of many fields. A critical key in managing this threat in the next crop is elimination of volunteer wheat. Tillage or chemical weed control should occur at least one month before planting to allow host plants time to dry up and cease being a host.
Growers are reporting finding painted lady caterpillars and silver spotted skipper caterpillars in soybeans. This guide can help estimate leaf defoliation in soybean, key to determining whether treatment is necessary.
Timely control of volunteer wheat and other weeds is key to managing yield loss risk in your 2018 crop. Yield-limiting risk factors affected by weed control include wheat streak mosaic and other diseases, insects (wheat stem sawfly and disease vectors), moisture loss, and increased weed seed production.
