Pest of the Month

Medusahead Grass
Figure 1. Medusahead seed head, Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski (Photo credit: Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org)

Detecting Invasive Species: Medusahead

March 10, 2017
Growers are encourage to watch for Medusahead, an invasive weed species that is now in Wyoming and moving eastward. If it reaches the Pine Ridge area or Sandhills, it could cause devastating damage to the ecology and range production. The concept of early detection and rapid response, as described here, will be important to its containment.

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Japanese beetle
Figure 1. Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) (Photo by Jim Kalisch)

Nebraska Extension Pest of the Month: Japanese Beetle

February 1, 2017

Insects are a part of our environment. Most are beneficial, not problematic. In fact, only a small percentage — less than one percent of all insects — are considered pests. However, some pests can be very problematic because they are invasive insects that came here from another country and they came here without their natural predators.

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Horseweed plant stages
Figure 1. (Top left) Newly emerged horseweed seedlings in the cotyledon stage. (Bottom left) Seedling in the rosette stage with true leaves formed. (Right) Horseweed plants that are early in the bolting stage.

Nebraska Extension Pest of The Month: Horseweed

January 5, 2017

Horseweed (marestail, Conyza canadensis L.) is a unique weed species that can emerge in both fall and spring. In Nebraska, unlike the eastern Corn Belt, horseweed populations predominantly emerge in fall as a winter annual.

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Figure 1. Marestail seedling growing in a no-till field. Due to its small size in the fall, pay special attention during scouting, especially in no-till fields where residue can hide seedlings.during scouting.
Figure 1. Marestail seedling growing in a no-till field. Due to its small size in the fall, pay special attention during scouting, especially in no-till fields where residue can hide seedlings.

Fall is Optimal for Marestail Management

October 28, 2016
With corn and soybean harvest nearing completion in Nebraska this is a great time to begin scouting fields for winter annual weeds like marestail. Timing is critical to successful control of marestail, especially in no-till soybeans as many populations have evolved resistance to glyphosate and ALS-inhibiting herbicides.

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Figure 2. Cheatgrass seed heads (or panicles) as they mature. The panicles on the left are shattering, the second on the left is mature but not shattering, the two on the right are immature.
Figure 2. Cheatgrass seed heads (or panicles) as they mature. The panicles on the left are shattering, the second on the left is mature but not shattering, the two on the right are immature.

Nebraska Extension Pest of the Month: Cheatgrass

October 17, 2016
The winter annual weed species cheatgrass is competitive with crops, desirable forage, and native plants and will reduce productivity of crop and range land. Learn how grazing, mowing, and properly timed herbicide application can be integrated to provide effective control.

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