Soybean Insects

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soybean pods

Best Management Practices for Soybean Production

This is your unbiased, research-based guide to soybean production to help increase yield, reduce input costs and protect your investment.

All Soybean Insects Content

a field with plots of soybeans

SDSU Extension’s Soybean Week Dives into Pest Management, Soil Health and 2021 Outlook

January 07, 2021

Want to know more about weed control, research, planting dates, and fungicide? Join us on January 19 - 22.

A map of South Dakota with yellow and green circles indicating iverson risks at various locations throughout the state.

Use the SD Spray Tool for Inversion Detection and Weather for Pesticide Application

The SD Mesonet Spray Tool provides real-time weather data for pesticide applicators. This dedicated website for pesticide applicators uses the SD Mesonet weather data, which is updated every five minutes.

Several small green insects on a plant leaf.

Soybean Aphids in South Dakota

Factsheet on Soybean Aphids in South Dakota

soybean pods

Investigation of Soybean Seed Treatment and Inoculant in Southeastern SD, 2018

Soybean seed treatment products are widely utilized by many farmers in southeastern South Dakota and the surrounding area. These products often consist of an insecticide/fungicide combination, and/or inoculant that is mixed and placed on the seed as a pre-treatment before the grower plants the crop.

Black caterpillars with white stripes feeding on green Canada thistle.

Thistle Caterpillars Showing Up on Canada Thistle

This week we received reports of caterpillars feeding on Canada thistle. After taking a look at the caterpillars, we determined that they are thistle caterpillars. However, we typically don’t see thistle caterpillar activity in S.D. until July or August. So why are they showing up so early this year?

Small, green soybean aphids on a green, soybean stem with pink flower.

Small Populations of Soybean Aphids Observed in South Dakota

While scouting fields last week, we observed small populations of soybean aphids near Volga, South Dakota. Although no sustained populations were observed, it is a good reminder that soybean aphid scouting should occur throughout the growing season to prevent population outbreaks.

Image of western South Dakota where green triangles indicate areas with low grasshopper populations, orange squares indicate medium grasshopper populations, and red circles indicate high grasshopper populations that exceeded thresholds.

2019 South Dakota Grasshopper Forecast

The USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service conducts an annual survey to monitor grasshopper populations in Western South Dakota. In 2018, SDSU conducted a survey to monitor populations in Eastern South Dakota. These previous-year surveys can be used as a prediction tool for where grasshoppers may be an issue during the upcoming season.

United States Environmental Protection Agency logo.

Cancellation of Several Neonicotinoids

On May 20, 2019, the United States Environmental Protection Agency announced the cancellation of registrations for 12 products that contain neonicotinoid insecticides. The cancellation of the product registrations was voluntarily requested by the companies that had registered the products.

beetle with metallic green head and red wings resting on soybean leaf

Japanese Beetles

Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica) are pest beetles feed on trees, ornamental plants and food crops.

A soybean field with green soybeans and patchy yellow areas.

Yellow Soybeans

Yellow soybean areas within fields are being noticed in some areas of the state. There are six factors which could be causing the soybean plant yellowing: nitrogen (N), potassium (K), or sulfur (S) deficiency, iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC), soybean cyst nematode (SCN), or yellow flash from Roundup application.