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Soybean plant with with yellow-chlorotic blotches between leaf veins and noticable browning due to sudden death syndrome.

Sudden Death Syndrome of Soybean

Fact sheet discussing sudden death syndrome of soybean.

soybean field with white mold

White Mold (Sclerotinia Stem Rot) of Soybean

Fact sheet of the symptoms and signs for while mold in soybean.

Left: Black beetle with a red head on soybean leaf. Right: Green soybean leaf with small holes near the center and edges.

Monitor Soybean for Redheaded Flea Beetle Feeding

An additional soybean defoliator to monitor this week is the redheaded flea beetle. Although these beetles are typically not a serious soybean pest, large populations can result in considerable defoliation.

Green bee on yellow flower.

Bees and Other Pollinators Visiting Sunflower

While insecticides are often necessary to reduce pest populations and prevent yield loss in sunflower, it is important to consider the impact they may have on beneficial insects, like bees and other native pollinators.

Light colored moth on a yellow sunflower head.

Sunflower Moths Active in South Dakota Sunflowers

We have received reports of sunflower moths present on early planted sunflowers this week. The observed sunflower moth populations are above the recommend threshold of an average of 1 to 2 moths per five heads.

Left: A soybean plant with cotton white mycelia girdling the lower portions of the stem amidst healthy soybean plants. Right: A soybean field with some plants having yellowing leaves due to sudden death syndrome infection.

White Mold and Sudden Death Syndrome Starting to Develop

White mold and sudden death syndrome are starting to develop in a number of soybean fields. These two diseases develop starting at the soybean flowering growth stage and can occur throughout the rest of the soybean growing season.

Black, yellow, and brown wasp in a clear container

Huge Wasps on My Tree! No, Those Still Aren’t Murder Hornets.

Another insect that has been mistaken for the Asian giant hornet (also known by its media-popularized name of ‘murder hornet’) is the horntail wasp. Horntail wasps are wood-boring insects that are harmless to humans, as they do not have venom and cannot sting.

A soybean field with plants yellowing and dropping leaves in larger portion of the field while the rest of the field has green soybean plants.

Drought Stress or Stem Canker Killing Soybean Plants?

Several soybean fields scouted in a number of Eastern counties have plants dying or dropping leaves prematurely. While the majority of these fields have drought stress causing early senescence, a few fields have also stem canker developing

yellow-green grasshopper with black chevron markings on its hind leg sitting on a tan surface.

Grasshoppers May Be an Issue for Winter Wheat This Fall

We have recently observed large populations of grasshoppers in Southeast and Western South Dakota. Due to their destructive feeding habits, it is very important to monitor their populations prior to and during winter wheat planting.

Orange beetle with black markings on an orange flower

Orange Beetles Are Killing My Flowers, or Are They?

Many gardens are being invaded by orange beetles that have a strong preference for flowering plants. Rest assured, these are soldier beetles and they aren’t feeding on the flowers! Instead, they are actually predators and pollinators.