Retired University of Minnesota IPM and professional scapegoat. Still exploring biology of agricultural and wild landscapes.
Lamberton, Minnesota & SW MN
Joined October 2012
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Some late season SCN issues in SW MN. Stem Canker above ground, SCN infested roots below. Betting these plants flashed tops yellow a few weeks ago.
Check your SCN resistance source. – at New Ulm, MN
Drought-stressed crops may have some two-spotted spider mite populations building & with much crop development left.
UMN Extension has info on mite mgmnt in soybean. blog-crop-news.extension.umn……
Fungal disease can control these mites if we see a cooler, wetter pattern develop.
Just drove through a very large number of painted lady butterflies in eastern Lyon Co. MN. Might want to watch soybeans later. Current excellent vegetative growth can tolerater more larvae reducing risk.
Last couple days in early pollinating corn have been brutal. Brown Co. MN low NCLB in sudceot hybrids. Only bacterial blight in soybean. Way early for foliar fungicide or crw.
Unfortunately, low-level jets are often associated with thunderstorms. Insects often drop out on back side. Wind damage in areas of SC/SW MN and possibly elsewhere.
Saturday through today, strong low-level jet streams move though MN. These systems often transport insects and fungal spores from the south. This weather MAY result in unusually large arrivals of pests such as rust spores, corn earworm, fall armyworm, and corn leafhoppers.
No point in letting IL have all the fun. I've never been accused of being optimistic but, I doubt this a problem on only one MN farm.
blog-crop-news.extension.umn…
Temperatures here are down to -20F so far this morning. In areas with no snow cover, this might lower soil temps enough to increase western corn rootworm egg mortality.
Also on the bright side-the pollen count is currently very low.
It was onlyba matter of time I suppose.
Glufosinate-Resistant Waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) Confirmed in Illinois farmdoc.illinois.edu/field-c…
Numerous calls on corn earworms in late planted corn. Insecticides have limited effectiveness inside ear husker. Moths are abundant in my garden now (did not confirm sp.). Need to do better on monitoring late migrants.
A consultant in SC MN sent photos of severe fall armywom infestation in an oat cover crop. The larvae were nearly full grown. It might be worth checking any emerged fall cereals, lush grass hay ground an possibly very late-planted sweet corn.
The Oreus (aka minute pirate bugs) must be running out of mite and aphid prey. Sunny weather in SW MN has brought them out to do some test feeding on humans. Good bugs gone bad-happens every fall.
The zinnia patch is seeing 8 or more monarchs at a time and several painted ladies. Hummingbirds are busy at the feeders too.
It takes a lot of fuel on the trip south.
Soybean harvest starting and a lot of silage cut.
Variable MN infestations based on planting date, rainfall, field size, and buckthorn.
SWROC soybean aphid populations have developed to 100% plants infested with low # of aphids/plant. Any optimism in thos pic?.
Visited the SWROC western corn rootworm site this AM. Western corn rootworm pressure in continuous corn much higher here than 2024.
It's early, male beetles are just beginning to emerge and no females..
