cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

The annual western corn rootworm hatch appears to be similar this spring to the two most recent growing seasons. Thanks to Larry Bledsoe and his entomology colleagues at Purdue University, we have compiled a list of hatch dates over the past 20 years! Beginning on May 21 (and at 3-day intervals), Larry examined the root tissue of untreated corn plants for first instar larvae. On June 4 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana he found his first corn rootworm larva and estimated that hatch occurred the day before.…

In a recent Bulletin article, I shared an observation of black cutworm damage in southern Illinois. Just recently (May 20), James Kennedy, Advanced Crop Care, Inc., found black cutworms were at work in northern Illinois as well. He found three fields that were infested with cutworms (4th instar) with cutting of plants in the 1-3% range. The fields were located in northern Kane County and McHenry County. James indicated that rescue treatments would be applied in the near future to these infested fields.…

New testing for 2015: U of I Plant Clinic is offering molecular screening of waterhemp populations for resistance to glyphosate and PPO inhibitor herbicides this growing season. Protocols developed by University of Illinois Weed Scientist Dr. Pat Tranel, supported by Illinois Soybean Association and Pioneer, are now being offered through the Plant Clinic. The fee for the molecular testing is $50 per tested field. This includes both tests.
Herbicide-resistant waterhemp populations continue to expand into more areas of Illinois each season.…

John Pike, University of Illinois Crop Sciences Research Agronomist, Dixon Springs Agricultural Center, observed some cutting of corn plants today (May 18) in some plots that had volunteer ryegrass prior to burndown (Figure 1). John indicated that overall moth flight has been low at this location; however, as his observations illustrate, it is still worthwhile to scout fields closely for cutting activity. Please refer to some previously published Bulletin articles for additional information on this topic.…

Kelly Estes, Illinois Agricultural Pest Survey Coordinator, works with a network of volunteers across the state to monitor flights of key insect pests, including the black cutworm. Significant flights (nine or more moths trapped over 2-day period) of black cutworm moths occurred in Ford County (April 30), Mercer County (May 2), Lee County (May 4), Whiteside County (May 5), and Henry (May 10). By using these dates as a biofix and projecting heat unit accumulations we estimate that cutting of corn seedlings could begin to occur in fields on the following dates: Ford County (May 24),…