aphids

In todays episode, Erin shares her experience seeing RNAi-based techonology for rootworm management in action.  She was not impressed. Erin describes her rootworm trapping network as the adult rootworms start to emerge. If you would like to participate, contact Erin's colleague, Ashley Dean at adean@iastate.edu. 

We talk about other insects including soybean gall midge, leafhoppers, flea beetles, and eventually soybean aphids.

Matt offers up a Fun (?) Insect Trivia question. After listening read this for more detials: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2021.1065

Matt is talking at the Iowa Honey Producers Association on 10 July. Check this for more details: https://www.iowahoneyproducers.org/

See you next week.

The Soybean Pest Podcast is alive and kicking again! Matt and Erin had a long winter's nap but started Season 9 with a good conversation about new students and research, Bt soybean in the U.S., some upcoming events and recent pest activity in Iowa. 

Monsanto not pursuing Bt soybean in the U.S.

2018 Pollinator Fest is 23 June!

Soybean aphid egg hatch in northern Iowa

Matt's latest F.I.T. (fun insect trivia) is related to the Little House on the Prairie.

Today, Erin is so excited to tell everyone about her new, 12-page publication called, "Getting to Know the Insects." This publication is geared to youth and new agronomists that want to learn more about how to identify, sample and management field crop insects. It's available for $2 in the ISU Extension Store. Next, Matt and Erin talk about corn and soybean switching to reproductive stages around Iowa and implications for pest scouting and management. In particular, hot and dry weather favors twospotted spider mites, but expected cooler temperatures can promote soybean aphid populations. Erin also mentions a rare pest, redheaded flea beetle, showing up in a cornfield this summer. Read Erin's blog to see feeding injury on corn leaves. Erin also mentioned some upcoming field days at the ISU FEEL demo lab located between Boone and Ames, Iowa. The first is the Crop Management Clinic (13-14 July), which features a number of different topics related to crop production and protection. The second is an all-day workshop on corn insects (29 July). We aren't sure why, but there are a lot of references to MMA fighters in this episode??

Redheaded flea beetle on soybean. Photo by Lewis Veith.

Although soybean aphid has been a relatively low threat this year, drought conditions have been a perfect storm for spider mites. We encourage people to scout fields now to fully protect yield. 

Soybean aphid populations reach threshold in Iowa and japanese beetles are becoming an increasing problem for both soybean and corn. In this episode we discuss both of these pests and the need to scout now to determine the need for an insecticide.  To learn more about Japanese beetles see Dr. Hodgson's latest article in the Integrated Crop Management newsletter (http://www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews/2011/0722hodgson.htm).