Soybean Aphid Management

Tips For Soybean Aphid Management

§         Begin scouting soybean fields once or twice a week in late June to early July. Check 20-30 plants/field. Aphids are most likely to concentrate at the very top of the plant early in the season, and will move onto stems and within the canopy as populations grow and/or the plant reaches mid to late reproductive stages. As the season progresses, aphid numbers can change rapidly (populations can double in two to three days).

§         The current recommended threshold for late vegetative through R5 stage soybeans is 250 aphids/plant (field average) with 80% of the plants infested and populations increasing. Depending on economic conditions, this gives you about five to seven days to schedule treatment before populations reach damaging levels. (If populations do not increase during these seven days, you may be able to eliminate or delay treatment.) Determining if the aphid population is actively increasing requires several visits to the field. Factors favorable for aphid increase are relatively cool temps, plant stress (particularly drought), and lack of natural enemies.

§         Look for the presence of aphid natural enemies such as lady beetles, minute pirate bugs, and other insect predators. Aphid “mummies” (light brown, swollen aphids) indicate the presence of parasitoids. These predators and parasitoids may keep low or moderate aphid populations in check (under 200 aphids/plant). You can often find soybean aphids by examining plants where lady beetles are observed.

§         Look for the presence of winged aphids. If the majority of aphids are winged or developing wings, the aphids may soon leave the field and treatment can be avoided.

§         If plants are covered with honeydew or sooty mold, or are stunted, an insecticide treatment may still be of value, but the optimum time of treatment is past.

§         If fields are treated, leave an untreated test strip to compare against sprayed sections. This also provides a refuge for beneficial insects.

§         Good insecticide coverage and penetration is required for optimal control of soybean aphid, as many aphids feed on the undersides of the leaves and within the canopy. Use high water volume and pressure. Aerial application works well when high water volume is used (5 gal./acre recommended).

§         Several insecticides are labeled for the soybean aphid. A list of registered insecticides, rates, preharvest intervals, and grazing restrictions can be found at the UNL Department of Entomology Web site, http://entomology.unl.edu/instabls/soyaphid.htm. Pyrethroids have a relatively long residual. Chlorpyrifos has a fuming action and may work well in heavy canopies or at high temperatures. Dimethoate is least effective.

§         Spraying flowering soybean poses a threat to honey bees. Inform treatment plans to nearby beekeepers and follow precautions to minimize honeybee kills. When there is concern about honeybees, pyrethroids are the better insecticide choice.

§         It is generally not recommend to apply an insecticide at glyphosate application. In Nebraska this is usually before the aphids reach damaging levels, or are even in the field. Insecticide treatment at this time would simply rid the field of natural enemies. In addition, application methods for herbicides (e.g. lower pressures) are not optimal for good insecticide efficacy.

§         If soybean rust is present and being sprayed when soybean aphid thresholds also are met, a fungicide/insecticide tank mix should be effective because application methods for both require high water pressure for adequate penetration and coverage.

More information can be found at entomology.unl.edu or through your local UNL Extension office.

Soybean Aphids Surface

Start Scouting For Soybean Aphids

From the University of Nebraska

 

The first soybean aphids of the season were found on July 3 in Dixon County, NE near Concord. Aphids are generally found in late June to early July in Nebraska, so this is not unexpected. The infestation was very small and lady beetles were already feeding on them; however, current weather conditions are favorable for aphid survival and reproduction, so they bear watching. In any case, if you have not begun scouting soybeans for soybean aphids, now is the time to begin.

The aphid is light green to pale yellow, less than 1/16 in. long, and has two black-tipped cornicles (cornicles look like tailpipes) on the rear of the abdomen. It has piercing-sucking mouthparts and typically feeds on new tissue near the top of soybean plants on the undersides of leaves. Later in the season the aphids can be found on all parts of the plant. It is the only aphid in North America that forms colonies on soybean.

Soybean aphid populations can grow to extremely high levels under favorable environmental conditions. Reproduction and development is fastest when temperatures are in the 70s through the mid 80’s. The aphids do not appear to do well when temperatures are in the 90s, and are reported to begin dieing when temperatures reach 95 degrees. When populations reach high levels during the summer, winged females are produced that migrate to other soybean fields. Like a number of other insect species (e.g. potato leafhoppers), these migrants can be caught up in weather patterns, moved great distances, and end up infesting fields far from their origin. These summer migrants were most likely the major source of infestations in Nebraska during the last couple of years.

Soybean aphids injure soybeans by removing plant sap with their needle-like mouthparts. Symptoms of soybeans infested by soybean aphids may include yellowed, distorted leaves and stunted plants. A charcoal-colored residue also may be present on the plants. This is sooty mold that grows on the honeydew that aphids excrete. Honeydew in itself makes leaves appear shiny. Soybean plants are most vulnerable to aphid injury during the early reproductive stages.

In much of the soybean aphid’s range, significant aphid infestation has often occurred in the early vegetative stages. These infestations then undergo rapid population growth to reach high populations during the flowering stages (R1, R2). In Nebraska aphid populations can reach economically damaging populations in late July, but most reach economically damaging populations in August, when soybeans are in the mid-reproductive stages (R4-R5). During 2004 there were many fields where aphid populations peaked in late R5 (beginning seed) to early R6 (full seed)

USDA Releases Acreage Report

USDA’s June 30 Acreage Report

Summary:

 

Corn Planted Acreage Down 7%                 

Soybean Acreage Up 17%                         

All Wheat Acreage Up 5%

All Cotton Acreage Down 15%

From the USDA: Extensive rains and flooding during June caused producers in several Midwestern States to change their harvesting intentions for crops already planted, modify planting decisions for the small percentage of acres not yet planted, and consider replanting options. NASS collected most of the data for the annual Acreage report before the majority of the flooding occurred. In an effort to more accurately determine how many acres producers still intend to harvest for grain, NASS re-interviewed approximately 1,200 farmers June 23, 24, and 25 in the flood-affected areas. As a result, it was determined that U.S. farmers intend to harvest 90.4 percent of their planted acres of corn for grain. This is a change from 92.4 percent as measured during the first 2 weeks of June. U.S. farmers intend to harvest 96.8 percent of their planted acres of soybeans. Without this additional survey data, historical averages would have indicated 98.7 percent of soybean acres to be harvested. NASS will conduct a more extensive acreage update survey during July. Findings from this study will be incorporated in the August Crop Production report.

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The interesting part of the June 30th USDA Report was the large increase in planted corn acreage for 2008, given the significant planting delays in much of the Midwest, and the severe flooding in Iowa, Illinois, and other States. It should be noted that the June 30th USDA Report is based on crop conditions on June 1st, and the planted acreage does not reflect harvested corn acreage. USDA did a secondary crop survey in late June to determine preliminary changes in harvested corn acreage for 2008. Based on those results, it would appear that an estimated 90.4 percent of corn acres will be harvested for grain in 2008, compared to a normal of 92.4 percent of corn acres, obviously reflecting the floods and excessive rainfall in many areas of the Midwest in early June. Similarly, based on the late June crop survey, the percent of planted soybean acreage to be harvested for 2008 was listed at 96.8 percent, compared to a normal of 98.7 percent.

View the entire acreage report.