Nick Seiter, Author at farmdoc

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

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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Assessing Corn Rootworm Damage – Now is the Time

August 18, 2020

Corn rootworm activity, in general, appears higher in much of Illinois than it has been for the last several years. Along with higher activity, resistance to Bt traits in western and northern corn rootworm remains our top insect management concern in Illinois corn. We are at a bit of a disadvantage with this insect in that the damage occurs below ground – it is not always obvious that we have a rootworm problem until it is severe enough for lodging to occur.…

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Spider Mites in Soybean

July 8, 2020

Spider mites often show up when it’s hot and dry outside. Given our current weather (and the promise of more heat to come), it’s a good time to review our scouting and management recommendations. Spider mites feed on a wide variety of plants, and usually enter soybean fields from grassy edges – especially right after the edges have been mowed, which causes the mites to seek out a new food source. (If you have the option,…

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2019 Applied Research Results, Field Crop Disease and Insect Management now available

January 7, 2020

The 2019 edition of our annual report on applied research in field crop disease and insect management can be downloaded at the following link: https://uofi.box.com/v/2019PestPathogenARB

Each year, University of Illinois plant pathologists and entomologists produce a summary of the applied research we have conducted to inform disease and insect management practices in Illinois. This information provides a non-biased, third-party evaluation of control tactics such as pesticides and resistant varieties for use in corn,…

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Insect monitoring in soybean: what to look for during pod fill

September 6, 2019

At this point in the season, most of our insect monitoring efforts are focused on soybean. There are several pests that can damage soybean during pod fill, and proper scouting is necessary to identify and, occasionally, control these insects. While not an exhaustive list, these are some of the insects and insect relatives to be on the lookout for as the growing season winds down.
Stink bugs. Stink bug (Fig. 1) feeding during pod fill (particularly R5- R6) can reduce soybean yield and quality.…

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Japanese Beetle Management Guidelines

July 10, 2019

Japanese beetles (Fig. 1) have been arriving throughout Illinois over the last couple of weeks, and are becoming pretty conspicuous in some areas. Our crops are well behind their usual progress when Japanese beetle emergence occurs, which could impact scouting and management decision making. Several of my colleagues recently wrote an in-depth article on the history, distribution and management of this pest1; you can read the full open-access article here. Some notes on management follow by crop:
Corn: Silk clipping is the primary concern with Japanese beetle infestations in corn.…

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Scouting for Early Season Pests in Corn and Soybean After a Late Start

June 7, 2019

It goes without saying that this spring has been a challenge. With extreme planting delays throughout the state, crop development is well behind normal expectations, while insect pest populations have continued to progress. In addition, the tight schedule we have faced has forced planting into less than ideal conditions in terms of both soil moisture and weed control, which can have consequences for insect pest management. There are a few pests in particular to target during early season scouting this season:
…

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