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Matt and Erin wrap up a few loose ends before the holiday week. First, Matt shares DowAgroSciences sulfoxaflor insecticide got a renewed registration. This insecticide targets fluid-feeding insects and was an option for soybean aphid before it was canceled in 2015. Now, sulfoxaflor can be used in a number of crops, but not for corn or soybean; cotton and sorghum have emergency labels in some U.S. states. Over the weekend, a soybean aphid Biotype-2 colony died due to a bad compressor in a growth chamber. Aphids don't tend to do well in temperatures over 100 degrees, and these ladies got cooked. Our labs host all four soybean aphid biotypes plus a few other aphid colonies. Colony management is really important and the maintenance is ongoing to keep plants and aphids healthy. Iowa State University features a 3MT (Three-minute thesis) oral competition this week. Three people featured insect-related presentations (a long video of all the speakers can be found here).

Upcoming extension events:

ICM Conference (30 Nov, 1 Dec) in Ames

Crop Advantage Series (January 2017) in Iowa

CCA Online Review Course, (on demand)

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In this episode, Matt and Erin talk about managing twospotted spider mites in soybean. Considering other pests is important, given the non-target effects with an application. This is particularly true if soybean aphid is in the field because of recent reports of pyrethroid resistance. They discuss options, including using miticides to suppress mite populations. Implications of pest ecology and economics plays a part in managing soybean pests. 

Twospotted spider mites. Photo by Frank Peairs; www.ipmimages.org.

It's unusually warm this February episode. Like Bugs Bunny cartoon said - Gosh, it's hot! Matt and Erin talk about accumulating degree days for the state so far in 2017. Northern counties have accumulated between 16-22 degree days, while southern counties have accumulated 50-53 degree days. Erin uses the ISU Agronomy Mesonet to estimate temperatures. Matt also shared that the Toth Lab is noticed honey bee foraging already this year. There may not be much to feed on right now, which is concerning to beekeepers. Matt also shared some information on pyramided host plant resistance options for farmers in Iowa. Finally, Erin encouraged new agronomists to attend the Crop Scout School in Ames on March 25. 

It's a new beginning for the podcast - Season 8 starts today! Matt and Erin have a bit of random conversation at the beginning like usual. But they eventually provide a summary of the recent new of an organophosphate, chlorpyrifos. The EPA has been dealing with a petition to revoke tolerances for this widely-used insecticide. The EPA will not move forward with restricting chlorpyrifos in any crop; this could be important as farmers make product choices for 2017. Erin wrote a recent ICM Blog about it. Matt shared updates about his recent travels to the S1055 Soybean Entomology Working Group meeting in Memphis where he compares soybean production in the North Central Region to the South. Surprise - it's a lot different! Erin wraps up by providing overwintering mortality predictions for bean leaf beetle. The 2016-2017 winter was moderate and about half of the beetles are expected to survive. Read more in her recent ICM News article. 

Bean leaf beetle adult. Photo by Winston Beck, ISU.