Nick Seiter Email

This author has written 27 articles

Join our corn rootworm monitoring network

  • June 10, 2022
  • Corn rootworm populations have expanded over the last several years in northern IL
  • We’re recruiting volunteers to help monitor rootworm populations
  • If you are interested in rootworm trapping, send an email to nseiter@illinois.edu with your contact information, shipping address, and how many fields you plan to monitor

Both western and northern corn rootworm population levels have increased over the last couple of years as resistance to Bt traits becomes more widespread.…

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2021 Applied Research Report Now Available

  • February 2, 2022

Each year, we produce a report of our applied research efforts related to insect and disease management in field crops. New for this year, we’ve created a landing page at https://extension.illinois.edu/global/field-crop-insect-and-disease-applied-research, where you can view this year’s report along previous versions (2018-2020). The 2021 report includes several highlights, such as:

  • Western and northern corn rootworm Bt resistance monitoring, as well as trait performance in field experiments
  • New surveys of dectes stem borer stem tunneling and corn rootworm sticky traps,

…

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How widespread is dectes stem borer in Illinois? Help us find out

  • September 1, 2021

Have you had issues with dectes stem borer in soybean over the last several years? We are kicking off a project this fall to better understand dectes stem borer populations in Illinois – where they are most common, how severe they are, and how they vary from year to year. If you are interested in contributing to this effort, we are seeking volunteers willing to do the following:
Choose one or more soybean fields. This could be a field where you have had dectes problems in the past,…

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Fall Armyworm in Pasture, Alfalfa, and Double-cropped Soybean

  • August 25, 2021

Over the last two weeks, reports of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) activity in southern and western Illinois have been on the rise, with reports of severe injury in some cases. The Southern U.S. has had a big year for fall armyworm (you can read more about their experience here, as well as find links to additional control information from the states involved: https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/crops/article/2021/08/02/fall-armyworm-invading-southern). This is a migratory pest, and moth flights have been arriving both earlier and at higher numbers than in previous years.…

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Guess Who’s Back – Japanese Beetle Emergence Begins in Illinois

  • June 22, 2021

Japanese beetle emergence is beginning throughout Illinois. While they get a lot of attention every year, the real impact on corn and soybean yield is generally pretty minor. (If you have roses, sassafras trees, or a golf course, different story). A few things to keep in mind when you scout:
Check the field interior as well as the edges. It’s not uncommon to find higher numbers (and damage) at the edge of the field than the interior.…

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New for 2021: Join the Corn Rootworm Adult Monitoring Network in Illinois (Updated contact information)

  • June 8, 2021

Nick Seiter, Joseph Spencer, and Kelly Estes
Update: please email nseiter@illinois.edu if you are interested in participating in this effort.
Are you interested in learning more about the corn rootworm populations in your field? Have you seen more northern corn rootworm adults over the last few years? Our
colleagues Dr. Erin Hodgson and Ashley Dean at Iowa State began a volunteer-driven corn rootworm monitoring network in Iowa last year, and we are cooperating with them to bring this effort to Illinois in 2021.…

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Watch for early-season pests when crop development is slow

  • May 17, 2021

While cool temperatures are not necessarily “good” for pests (they need heat units to develop too), conditions that delay growth do leave the crop in a vulnerable stage for a longer period of time. Combined with the stress of wet, cool conditions, early season pests can reduce stands and result in replants.
Seedcorn maggot. We have been receiving reports of seedcorn maggot damage in soybean this year, driven by slow germination in many fields during the window of larval activity.…

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Soybean gall midge: learn to identify this potential invader

  • April 20, 2021

Authors: Nick Seiter1, Joseph Spencer2, and Kelly Estes2
1University of Illinois Dept. of Crop Sciences; 2Illinois Natural History Survey
Farmers in several states to our west (particularly in eastern Nebraska) have been dealing with the soybean gall midge for several years. We have been fortunate to avoid this new soybean pest so far in Illinois (a current distribution map, scouting instructions, and additional information are available at https://soybeangallmidge.org). We want to stay on top of soybean gall midge if it does arrive here,…

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2020 Applied Research Results now available

  • January 27, 2021

Every year, University of Illinois entomologists and plant pathologists conduct a variety of field experiments to evaluate control methods, survey for invasive and established pests, and inform management decisions for plant diseases and insect pests. We publish the results of these experiments in an annual report, which is available to view or download for free at the following link: https://uofi.box.com/v/2020PestPathogenARB
Image of the 2020 Applied Research Results cover
In addition to control evaluations on a variety of pests, this years guide includes:

  • Surveys of red crown rot and corn nematodes
  • A (thankfully negative) survey for the potential invasive soybean gall midge,

…

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Wrapping Up Insect Management for the Year: Pod and Seed Feeding in Soybean

  • September 9, 2020

In terms of insect management, we are pretty close to the finish line for corn and soybean in Illinois. However, there has been a late-season onset of bean leaf beetles in soybean in some parts of the state. Pod and seed feeders are one of the last insect pest threats we face in soybean, so let’s review our management guidelines as we wrap the season up.
Bean leaf beetles and pod scarring
We have seen some fairly large bean leaf beetle populations in central and northern Illinois over the last couple of weeks.…

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