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Pest Management

Men and women look at soybean plant near field — Attendees gather in the field for discussion during the 2023 Soybean Management Field Days in Dewitt. (Department of Agronomy and Horticulture photo)

New Format for Nebraska Soybean Management Field Days

July 23, 2024

New in 2024, three of the four Soybean Management Field Days will be hosted during evening hours at sites across eastern and central Nebraska.

Photo collage of insect on plant leaf and hand holding bisected plant stem — Figure 1. Adult soybean stem borer, Dectes texanus texanus (left) and larval tunneling in soybean petioles (right) at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center in June 2024.

Dectes Stem Borer in Soybean

July 10, 2024

A difficult insect to manage, soybean stem borer has expanded its reach in Nebraska. This extension article reviews considerations for scouting and control options, plus resources for producers to learn more on this crop pest.

Alfalfa windrow being collected by harvester — To minimize nutrient loss from rain events during alfalfa harvest, spread windrows as wide as possible and condition at harvest, which can reduce dry down from two days to half a day.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Considerations for Alfalfa Disease, Harvesting During Wet Summers and Weevil Feeding on Regrowth

June 25, 2024

Recommendations for alfalfa producers on managing windrow disease, navigating rain issues during harvest, and estimating alfalfa weevil thresholds when regrowth feeding has been observed.

False chinch bugs en masse on ground — Figure 1. False chinch bugs. (Photo by Ron Seymour)

False Chinch Bugs Found in Nebraska

July 1, 2024

False chinch bugs are usually considered an incidental pest, but wilting and feeding damage is occasionally noticed when a large number of the bugs feed on plants.

Grasshopper on plant leaf — While grasshoppers are considered damaging to rangeland and crops, only a handful of Nebraska’s species have been known to cause damage. Correct identification of these species’ nymphal developmental stage will improve results from insecticide applications. See the Grasshopper Pest Management page for identification resources.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Management Considerations for Grasshopper, Poison Hemlock and Yucca

June 20, 2024

Economic thresholds of grasshoppers have been observed in some Nebraska pastures — review the square foot method and insecticide options to begin scouting and control measures.

Western bean cutworm on corn

Degree-days for Prediction of Western Bean Cutworm Flight in 2024

June 19, 2024

Measuring the amount of heat between an upper and lower threshold to which an insect has been exposed, degree-days models can provide a high level of precision in predicting western bean cutworm peak flight.

Insects in a line on flat surface — Figure 1. Wheat stem sawfly adult (left) and the two species of Bracon parasitoids (middle and right) that are commonly found parasitizing wheat stem sawfly larvae in Nebraska. (Photo by Jeff Bradshaw)

Wheat Stem Sawfly Flights Peaked, New Reports of Range Expansion

June 12, 2024

In addition to confirming the presence of wheat stem sawfly in new Nebraska counties this year, Nebraska Extension anticipates fairly high pressure from the crop pest this growing season.

Soybean gall midge larvae on stem

Soybean Gall Midge Adult Activity Detected in Nebraska

June 5, 2024

Soybean gall midge has been detected recently in several locations across eastern Nebraska. This article provides information to growers on how to determine if an application is necessary.