Although some other states in the US corn belt, and in Ontario, Canada are seeing higher moth flights, Indiana, like last year, is a “have-not” state for WBC this year.
Christian Krupke
We’ve received multiple reports of impressive rootworm beetle populations in cornfields. Most of these fields were continuous corn without rootworm larval protection. These fields seem to be the exception, but the increasing trend is troublesome. This article is a reminder that is pest is still alive and well. For years, high adoption of highly effective Bt hybrids for rootworm control has likely contributed to a decline in rootworm populations. Overall, Indiana producers have managed this pest through a combination of crop rotation and/or use of Bt-rootworm hybrids. This approach, over many years, drastically reduced rootworm populations compared to 20 years ago. More recently, as state-wide rootworm risks to corn damage declined, producers have used less rootworm protection on their corn. This was a combination of those wanting to save money and take a chance with no protection or those assessing their risks on a field-by-field basis with scouting[Read More…]
The western bean cutworm (WBC) trapping season continues, and after a slow start, moth flights have increased slightly in many northern Indiana county traps this past week.
With EPA’s recent revoking of chlorpyrifos (e.g., Lorsban, Tundra Supreme) tolerances in food/feed crops, we have lost an active ingredient that provided control of spider mites.
Some areas of Indiana remain very dry and concerns of spider mites moving into fields from parched field/road sides increase.
Pheromone trapping began for western bean cutworm moths this past week.
Grubs of the Asiatic garden beetle have been recently found damaging corn seedlings in northern Indiana counties.
Samples of timothy hay, with outward symptoms of drought stress, were sent to Purdue’s Plant & Pest Diagnostic Lab.
Over the past seven weeks, armyworm moth captures at the Purdue Ag Research Centers (see accompanying “Armyworm Pheromone Trap Report”) have been variable, certainly not eye-popping! This happens most years, as do localized outbreaks. It is a reminder to conduct timely scouting in high-risk fields when the larvae are actively feeding, mid to later May. The increased popularity of cereal rye as a cover crop presents new opportunities for egg-laying females to find attractive food sources. The timing of planting this year, where many cover-cropped or weedy fields may be “planted green” is not helpful to those trying to avoid hungry armyworms. Like every year, some (true) armyworm moths overwinter here, but some are also blown here from states to the south and west. Don’t confuse this annual pest with the fall armyworm (different species) that doesn’t arrive until mid-later summer. The fall armyworm caused a stir late last summer[Read More…]
Could this be a cutworm year? Black cutworm moth catches in many of our cooperator’s pheromone traps continue to be quite impressive (see “Black Cutworm Adult Pheromone Trap Report”).
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