Unspoken Truths
Resistance and continuous corn are boosting populations of this yield-robbing pest.
Stink bugs are best known for their stench when squashed. However, the insect is gaining more notoriety in the Midwest for another reason — their love of soybeans.
Learn how to prevent your fields from becoming a wildlife food plot.
Sneaky and quiet, stalk rots can take a big bite out of corn yields.
These pests have colossal appetites but don’t tend to pack an economic punch.
No-till and cover crops provide safety and habitat for a common field pest known as the vole. Farmers are trying some simple, natural solutions to fight back before resorting to tillage.
Understand the conditions that make this disease endanger yield.
Extreme drought conditions have plagued the West, northern Plains and parts of the Midwest this growing season, which is the ideal environment for the jumping insect.
Arkansas farmer Matt Miles has seen how planting dates can not only help improve yield but also his battle against pests. Staying ahead of potential pest problems has proven to be the best line of defense.
Cold temperatures may or may not reduce populations.
From too much rain to not enough, to the intensity and direction of the wind, weather plays a vital role in the the amount of pests farmers see from year to year. Agronomists and entomologists debunk myths with facts.
Emerging pest pressures can create problems for farmers every year. And as certain pest pressures build, Farm Journal Associate Agronomist Missy Bauer says the issues are often geography based.
As Arkansas farmers work to battle an outbreak of fall armyworms, entomologists say the pest is proving to be devastating in later planted crops. And as farmers see increased pest pressure, the costs are adding up.
Contributing factors include continuous corn, late-maturing hybrids, delayed and/or replanted fields, weedy fields and borders, and soybeans with significant volunteer corn.
With farmers across several states enduring drought conditions, it’s prime time for spider mites to make their move.
Recent dry weather increases risk of spider mite infestations.
With drought causing spring wheat to shrivel, the heat next week will be lethal for that portion of the crop barely hanging on. Now, grasshoppers are preying on battered fields, possibly shrinking the crop to zero.
The drought in the West is producing many firsts, as farmers and ranchers grapple with dire decisions including pulling their cattle off federal lands early. Now many worry they won’t source enough feed for winter.
Scouting fields for pest problems is a vital component of crop health and yield outcome.
As drought plagued the West and Plains in 2021, grasshoppers took over many pastures and crops, which demolished grasses and hayfields. In the South and Midwest, fall armyworms were a costly battle for farmers.
Look for signs of this early-season nuisance this spring.
Last year showed how dry conditions create the perfect playground for a few yield-robbing pests. The conditions could be ripe again for drought-loving pests to emerge.
Look for signs of this troublesome mollusk this spring.
Ground squirrels and voles take tiny bites from soybean fields.
This pest can cost you 15% to 50% in yield loss.
Be on the lookout for this mother of clones.