With the delay in growing degree day accumulation and crop maturity, many fields are still in the ideal growth stages that put them at risk of some of our later season pests and diseases. Western bean cutworm (WBC) Peak moth flight for western bean cutworm has finally passed for all regions of the province. Central […]
Reports of fields in Eastern/Central Ontario with threshold levels of soybean aphids have been coming in this week. Chris DiFonzo, MSU has also alerted us to very high numbers showing up in Michigan, especially in the thumb which could migrate here into Ontario via any future storm fronts. It is very important to be out […]
Synopsis: Rainfall over the weekend varied from 0 – 40 ml (Brussels area). High armyworm numbers can be found in a number of areas, with highest populations in Niagara and SW Ont. More reports in forage stands, but cutting of first cut providing control. Weed control and respraying is nearing completion in corn and soy’s with […]
It has been a few years for some since they have had to worry about soybean aphids, let alone make a spray decision. So I want to cover off the key points you need to know through some of the repeat questions that have been coming in. Anyone with more questions after reading this, please […]
Reports are coming in late last week of fields in Eastern Ontario reaching well above threshold levels for soybean aphids. Just a few weeks prior, these fields had only 30 to 40 per plant. I suspect other fields in even Central and Southern Ontario will also experience this kind of rapid increase as daytime and […]
There is a lot happening out there. I am sure I am not aware of half of the infestations that are going on but at least I will report on what I do know. Western bean cutworm – Hot spot egg mass locations continue to be in the Bothwell area with now fields in the […]
I’ve been pondering our planting situation lately and what impacts it is going to have on some of our key insect pests. We’ve been anticipating this year to be a good soybean aphid year for Ontario. It was such an extremely low aphid year last year that natural enemies didn’t build up their populations. So […]
It hasn’t been since 2002 that we have experienced this low of levels of soybean aphids. Cross my fingers and knock on wood but I think we are going to get through the season without a problem. That said, spidermites are starting to pop up in fields, particularly where it is starting to get a […]
Anyone out there run some strip trials on soybean aphid this year in Ontario? If you have data you’d like to share with us, please send it to my email . Our research group has also run trials on some new chemistries and early season thresholds. Once the data is compiled, we will let you […]
I have had a few calls from some reps and growers who have been amazed and delighted and some who have been frustrated and frazzled this week. But I’m in it with you, believe me. Soybean aphids seem to be very active right now, developing winged generations and have been moving from one field to another for […]
The current threshold of 250 aphids per plant and increasing should be followed to the end of the R5 stage of soybeans. The R5 stage is known as the “Beginning Seed” stage, when the pods on the top 4 nodes of the plant have a tiny seed developing inside them. Once the soybeans start to […]
I have been getting more calls this week with people wanting to spray the aphids just to take care of them..even if they are not at threshold. Most realize that the natural enemies are going to get killed but they also assume 100% kill of the aphids and struggle to understand how the aphids can […]
A recent summer migration of soybean aphids in Ontario has resulted in many new fields having a fair number of aphids in them now. Fields that were scouted a week or two ago and were found to have very few aphids could now be closer to threshold than you think. Scouting is advised. Scout Cruiser […]
SPIDERMITES: I have a sneaking suspicion that spidermites are making their way into those fields that haven’t had rain in a while. We have had situations in the past where not only have they popped up in soybeans and were being disregarded as “drought stress” symptoms but also in seed corn, especially around or just after […]
A lot of calls are coming in this week from growers and reps who have fields that are hovering around the 250 aphids per plant range. With the poor weather and wheat harvest some are anxious to make the call if they need to spray. In fact, there are some rumours out there that some are spraying […]