Insect & Pests
All Insect & Pests Content
Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus Management: Plan ahead before planting this fall
Have you had a history of moderate wheat streak mosaic disease in your field? Do you plan on planting wheat into wheat stubble or wheat fallow? Have your neighbors had wheat streak mosaic disease outbreaks in the recent past? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to incorporate wheat streak mosaic control principles into your management plan before planting winter wheat this fall.
Forecasted Cold Temperatures Can Be Used To Cool Down Stored Grain
If temperatures are forecasted as being well below freezing, it would probably be a good time to start thinking about cooling stored grain. Cooling grain reduces the activity of stored grain insect pests and suppresses any mold growth that may otherwise occur.
Parasite Control for Cow Calf Operations
Spring is coming and with calving season underway it is important to keep our eyes forward on to the next step in production.
Soybean Gall Midge in South Dakota
Fact sheet about soybean gall midge in South Dakota
Foreign Grain Beetles in New Construction
As new homes are constructed around South Dakota, we continually receive questions about small, brown insects showing up in bathrooms and basements. These insects are foreign grain beetles.
Fly Population Management on Dairies
Fly control on dairies is an important pest management consideration that impacts the bottom line by affecting overall animal productivity and health.
Scouting Wheat Fields
Scouting is the process of monitoring fields and crops during a growing season. It can provide producers with field specific information on pest pressure and crop injury.
Brown Wheat Mite Affecting South Dakota Wheat
Recently, there have been reports of brown wheat mites throughout central and western South Dakota. The brown wheat mite is generally more of an issue in the drier parts of the state, or in areas experiencing drought. The feeding injury caused by these mites leaves white or brown spots that are referred to as stippling.
Which mite is it? Identifying the mites in wheat fields
In South Dakota, the most commonly encountered mites in wheat are wheat curl mite and brown wheat mite. In addition to feeding, wheat curl mites are vectors of Wheat streak mosaic virus. Brown wheat mites can build up large populations and injure wheat through feeding. There are other species of mites that may also be observed in wheat, but generally do not reach populations large enough to cause significant injury.
Continue Scouting Wheat for Aphid Populations
Aphid populations in winter wheat continue to be observed in South Dakota. The major questions now are whether or not aphid populations are at economic threshold and if spraying is really necessary.