insect

This podcasting episode provides a short recap of some early-season pests, like grubs, caterpillars and beetles. Matt is a fan of the Bug Eaters Nebraska soccer team, and lets everyone know their upcoming schedule. 

Matt and Erin just got back from the Annual Entomological Society of America meeting in Denver and their brains are full! They summarize some of their favorite presentations and other highlights from the meeting. Specifically, Matt enjoyed a presentation by Cornell student Maxwell Helmberger who used entomopathogenic nematodes to manage grubs in turf. Maxwell has a YouTube channel with some fun animations!

Matt and Erin took May off from podcasting, but had a lot to talk about in the third episode of season 8. The cool, wet spring resulted in delayed planting for some; however, many of their research plots went in the ground this week. There have been a number of black cutworm and true armyworm reports throughout Iowa the last two weeks. Treatment decisions are based on plant growth stage, pest density and injury. Read more about their biology and management in ICM News articles:

Armyworms in southeastern Iowa

Black cutworm monitoring for 2017

Scouting for pests in cover crops

Erin also reported common stalk borer is moving to corn and soybean, particularly in the southern counties. Fields with stalk borer injury should scout now. Also, some fields are experiencing slugs - injury is most noticeable in fields with high residue. Finally, Matt and Erin got a USDA Challenge Grant and are looking for an extension program specialist that can work with farmers, beekeepers and conservationists. Find the job description here. 

Ashley Dean, new graduate student, helping plant her soybean research project at the NW Research Farm near Sutherland. Photo by Greg VanNostrand.

Black cutworm. Photo by Adam Sisson.

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.

Soybeans are going into the ground, and Matt and Erin have started a new podcasting season. They talk about early-season soybean pests, like black cutworm and bean leaf beetle, and the likelihood of seeing injury this year. Read more about the predicted cutting date for black cutworm here:
http://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/2016/05/black-cutworm-scouting-advisory-2016. They also spend some time highlighting some new people and research projects going on this summer. Finally, Matt talks about a recent publication that looks at the probability of breaking even with different inputs.