Category Archives: Infestations

2011 Corn Earworm Trapping in Kansas

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Mark Ellis (Kansas)

Trapping Corn Earworm in Kansas Offers Keys to 2011 Disease Issues In 2011, Syngenta cooperated with Kansas State University to collect data on Corn Earworm (CEW) moth activity throughout eastern Kansas. The CEW moth trapping project utilized the KSU protocol. Trapping started in June with 11 CEW traps placed across eastern Kansas at the following locations: Marysville, Centralia, Winchester, Atchison, Wamego, Girard, Yates Center, Ottawa, Thayer, Coffeyville and White City. Each CEW team member checked the trap weekly, replacing the … Continue reading →

Posted in Corn Earworm, Infestations, Insects, Kansas, Pests, Syngenta | View Comments

You Knew They Were Coming – Soybean Aphid Alert

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Gary Prescher (Minnesota)

Soybean aphid season in Minnesota is upon us once again in 2011. This year is a real testament to the effectiveness of CruiserMaxx® Beans insecticide/fungicide seed treatment from several angles.   This seed treatment continues to perform as we have come to expect by protecting seedlings early on from disease and by delaying aphid establishment. Fields planted with untreated seed are quickly reaching economic thresholds of 250 aphids per plant. Fields where CruiserMaxx Beans seed treatment was used normally delays aphid thresholds … Continue reading →

Posted in Aphid Management System, Infestations, Insects, Minnesota, NK, NK Soybeans, Pests, Profitability, Scouting, Syngenta | View Comments

The Invasion of the Corn Earworm!

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Mark Ellis (Kansas)

As we go through the corn crop growing season, we see a multitude of insects. We generally start with black cutworm and end the season with corn earworm. This insect is tough to scout for and to control because the actual damage is done inside the husk to the corn ear kernels during and after tassel stage. Unless you get out in your fields, you may never see the damage until the corn is harvested and in the truck. Even … Continue reading →

Posted in Agrisure Corn Traits, Agrisure Viptera, Corn, Corn Earworm, Disease, Infestations, Insects, Kansas, Minnesota, Mycotoxin, Ohio, Pests, Profitability, Scouting, State, Syngenta, Texas | View Comments

An Eye on the Crop: Evaluating Seedling Growth

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Gary Prescher (Minnesota)

Yield preservation starts when the planter rolls and ends when the combine stops at the end of harvest. I have found that an extended planting season is often very distracting. Heading into the end of May, it will be time to monitor stand emergence and track several early season pests. Planting the crop over a long period of time can set up extended scouting and response windows. Good record keeping becomes more important when monitoring the crops progress as well … Continue reading →

Posted in Corn, Emergence, Infestations, Insects, Minnesota, Northern Plains, Pests, Scouting | View Comments

Be Aware of Black Cutworm This Spring

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Mark Ellis (Kansas)

Black cutworm (BCW) is typically the most damaging species of cutworm to infest corn fields in Kansas. Black cutworm infestations are often characterized as random and unpredictable. Light infestations of black cutworm are common, but often go unnoticed without scouting. Heavy infestations can devastate a corn stand, and generally the problem is not identified until the major damage has already occurred. These untimely infestations may result in stand reductions of greater than 70 percent in some areas of the field. … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Cutworm, Corn, Emergence, High Plains, Infestations, Insects, Kansas, Multi-Pest Complex, Pests, Planting, Profitability, Syngenta, Uncategorized | View Comments

National Farm Machinery Show Recap

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Mark Lawson (Indiana)

It’s been a busy two weeks on and off the farm.  Snow came, snow went, and then snow came again.  The National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky also came and went as it has been doing for 46 years now.  It’s been a tough winter, we are all suffering from a bit of cabin fever, and the NFMS must be a proven cure for that particular ailment – which would account for the record attendance this year. Our Syngenta … Continue reading →

Posted in Agrisure Corn Traits, Agrisure Viptera, Great Lakes, Herbicides, Hybrid selection, Indiana, Infestations, Insects, Kentucky, Pests, Weed Control | View Comments

Supercool Soybean Aphids

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Gary Prescher (Minnesota)

Are soybean aphids keeping you up at night in January? Well, maybe they shouldn’t be. From time to time I remind myself about the benefits of a long, cold winter. Take insects, for example. A good wind chill really slows them down and we seldom have issues with the really nasty bugs found in many tropical winter getaway paradise locations. Teeth-chattering temperatures exterminate many seasonal invaders from the south. Unfortunately, cold weather doesn’t destroy many of the most damaging insects … Continue reading →

Posted in Infestations, Insects, Iowa, Minnesota, Northern Plains, Pests, Profitability, Soybeans | View Comments

The Good, Difficult and Different of 2010

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Mark Lawson (Indiana)

We haven’t seen the ground since December 5th and we’re already into 2011, so now is a good time to reflect on the past year. This is when we take a “good, difficult, different” look at 2010. What was good? In Indiana, we began the year with good soil moisture and an earlier than usual start to planting. Things went downhill from there, but the dry weather did have one benefit – it drove nematodes deep into the soil and … Continue reading →

Posted in Agrisure Viptera, Corn, Great Lakes, Indiana, Infestations, Insects, Pests, Planting, Profitability, Scouting | View Comments

Three Tips for Picking Next Year’s Soybean Seed

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Barry Soliday (Illinois)

With soybean yields through the roof in 2010, pesky sales reps are flaunting yield data shamelessly. Yet, nearly all soybean yields were good in 2010. Why? Most areas saw low disease pressure and great bean growing weather. Yield data is important, but disease tolerance is equally important. An extremely high-yielding soybean that has a major Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) issue would have yielded very well this year in Illinois, but could be a train wreck next year if conditions are … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease, Hybrid selection, Illinois, Infestations, NK Soybeans, Planting, Soybeans, Tri-State, Uncategorized, Yield | View Comments

Corn Earworm Infestations

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Barry Soliday (Illinois)

As a fan of the Chicago Cubs, I’m always looking forward to next year. Next year we get a new manager and hopefully finally break the curse! As an Agronomist, I’m looking forward to a new management tool to finally break the curse of corn earworm, and several other yield nibbling pests with the new Agrisure Viptera™ 3111 trait stack. Corn earworm infestations are often sporadic. They overwinter in the south, and migrate from the southern states as moths during … Continue reading →

Posted in Agrisure Corn Traits, Agrisure Viptera, Illinois, Infestations, Insects, Scouting, Tri-State | View Comments