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With the 2014 harvest nearing completion, I would like to take this opportunity to announce the agenda for the 2015 University of Illinois Corn & Soybean Classics.  We look forward to welcoming back many who have attended one or more of our previous meetings and extend a warm welcome to those who will attend for the first time.  The program will feature eight presentations that emphasize crop production, pest management, economics, and the interactions among them. …

On October 15, 2014, the US Environmental Protection Agency issued a report on the benefits of neonicotinoid insecticidal seed treatments to soybean production in the United States. Neonicotinoid insecticidal seed treatments include imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin. The analysis concentrated only on the potential benefits of imidacloprid and thiamethoxam used as seed treatments. Although clothianidin is registered for use as a soybean seed treatment, the authors of the report considered its use “minor” as compared with the other two neonicotinoids.…

The registration site for the 2014 AGMasters Conference is now open! Space in the breakout sessions is limited and those with interest in this conference are strongly encouraged to register at their earliest convenience to help ensure the availability of specialized classes of most interest.The conference will take place at the I Hotel and Conference Center, Champaign, Illinois, December 15 to 16. The registration fee for this event is $250.00 through December 5. Continuing education credits (CCA) are offered in the following categories: professional development (1.5),…

The line up of speakers for the 2014 AGMasters Conference, December 15-16, is beginning to take shape. The 2-day conference will take place at the I Hotel and Conference Center in Champaign, Illinois. The conference begins with a general session that features speakers covering a variety of topics including: potential water protection rules and standards, implications of the new Farm Bill, agrichemical/agribusiness/industry education initiatives, and the practical implications of evolutionary principles regarding resistance development by insects,…

Doug Johnson, University of Kentucky Extension Entomologist, has received reports of large densities of fall armyworms in pastures from central Kentucky to the Mississippi River. These infestations follow some large flights of these moths as reported recently by Professor Johnson. The fall armyworm is a tropical insect and the moths migrate to northern states during the late summer and early months of fall. Gulf Coast storms may increase the late summer flights northward. As female moths find grassy or pastured areas,…

In late July, the annual University of Illinois root “digs” and corn rootworm product evaluation trials were completed. Each experiment was established on plots that had been planted to a trap crop (late-planted corn interplanted with pumpkins) in 2013. The results for three of these studies are presented in the following bar graphs. The charts are arranged with the soil insecticide only treatments appearing in light blue, Bt hybrid only products shaded in orange, Bt hybrids combined with soil insecticides represented by the darker blue color,…

A journal article published recently (July 2014) confirms that rotation resistant and rotation susceptible western corn rootworms are affected by Bt root tissue in a similar fashion. The citation for this article is provided below.
Tinsley, N.A., J.L. Spencer, R.E. Estes, J.R. Prasifka, P.M. Schrader, B.W. French, and M.E. Gray. 2014. Larval mortality and development for rotation-resistant and rotation-susceptible populations of western corn rootworm on Bt corn. Journal of Applied Entomology. doi: 10.1111/jen.12149
Based upon some earlier research,…

From a field crop entomology perspective, this summer remains exceptionally quiet across most areas of Illinois. Japanese beetle and soybean aphid densities have remained very low, seemingly near absent in many fields. With 82% of the corn silking process completed statewide by July 20 and  soil moisture plentiful in most areas, the threat of insects negatively affecting the pollination process have largely diminished. We intend to conduct some insect surveys in corn and soybean fields across the state as we move through early August.…