This is one of those years where disparity and differences abound. Some fields haven’t been planted yet; others appear normal. Some areas are rather wet; others could use rain. And so it goes.
The one aspect of managing crops that doesn’t change too much from year to year is the need to manage pests. The trick is that the pests can differ significantly from year to year. Thus, now is the time for farmers to get out into the fields and start their pest scouting regimens, or make sure their crop consultants are doing so.
Proper scouting can prevent a pest problem from becoming a devastating loss in a field or crop, or can prevent a problem from even occurring. Farms always have to be on the lookout for new weed species, so they can change their weed management programs to properly account for what is present. Finding a small patch of a new weed and eradicating is much cheaper and simpler than changing your entire system.
The other pests that need to be monitored are insects and diseases. At this time of the year, armyworm caterpillars can completely mow down oats, wheat or corn fields if they move into a field or get started and are not noticed. Diseases can become extremely damaging in winter wheat fields as the plants are blooming and filling their seed heads, especially since we’ve had quite a bit of humidity in recent weeks.
Other insect pests that farms will be watching for in upcoming weeks on corn will be western bean cutworm, European corn borer and stalk borer. In soybean fields, serious infestations of spider mites and/or soybean aphids can cause serious losses if not managed when necessary. Alfalfa fields don’t escape insects, either, as potato leafhoppers (they’ll feed on soybeans, too) can infest fields and cause damage. The worst situation for leafhoppers is when they infest newly planted fields, in which case they can literally stunt the field for its entire life, cutting total yield by up to 50 percent for the next three to four years.
Corn diseases of concern include rusts, leaf spots, and stalk or ear rots, although these are later-season problems. Soybeans can get hit with lots of diseases, but the worst pair in our area are white mold and brown stem rot.
Nearly all crops can have issues with root rot fungi in poorly drained soils, especially in moister years such as this.
Inherently, there is always something to be looking at while managing crops. There are good websites available to assist you in identifying pest problems and to learn how to scout for certain pests. In addition, the University of Wisconsin-Extension is planning a couple of field days in the area to help with this.
You can always call me at the Marinette County UW-Extension office, 715-732-7510, or email scott.reuss@ces.uwex.edu to get help with scouting, identification or management issues relating to any crop pest.
Categories
