Insects

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

  • June 22, 2021

  • Nick Seiter

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

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

  • Nick Seiter

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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2020 Applied Research Results now available

  • January 27, 2021

  • Nick Seiter

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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2020 Insect Numbers Low in Many Areas of the State

  • October 1, 2020

  • Kelly Estes

Despite the chaos that 2020 has brought us, the Illinois statewide corn and soybean insect survey was completed this past summer. With the goal of estimating densities of common insect pests in corn and soybean cropping systems throughout the 9 crop reporting districts in Illinois, this is the 9th year the survey has been done (2011, 2013-2020).
 
Like previous years, 4-5 counties are surveyed in each crop reporting district, with 5 corn and 5 soybean fields sampled in each county.…

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

  • September 9, 2020

  • Nick Seiter

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

  • Nick Seiter

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

  • Nick Seiter

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

  • Nick Seiter

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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UIUC Field Crop Extension Conferences- Sign up today!

  • December 19, 2019

  • Nathan Kleczewski

What do you need to know for the 2020 growing season? The University of Illinois will address several key topics at four regional conferences around the state in January and February. The meetings will provide a forum for discussion and interaction between participants, University of Illinois researchers, and Extension educators.
Conference dates and locations are:
Jan. 22 DoubleTree by Hilton, Mount Vernon
Jan. 29 Brookens Auditorium at University of Illinois, Springfield
Feb.…

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