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PEST week is here, and the Soy Checkoff and Take Action program are highlighting pest management resources
The growing season is in full swing, and the Soy Checkoff and Take Action program are urging farmers to manage pests and mitigate resistance during Pest Elimination Strategies and Tactics Week.
Each day this week will focus on a different element of managing pesticide resistance including identifying the season’s most damaging pests, highlighting the importance of scouting for diseases, choosing herbicides with multiple sites of action and fungicides and insecticides with multiple modes of action, using cover crops for weed control, and additional resources.
Daren Mueller is an extension plant pathologist with Iowa State University
“As we try to manage different pests, sometimes the pests are smarter than we think and they figure out ways to overcome our strategies to manage them and so we need to always be aware of that and be thinking about the best ways to manage these problems,” he says.
He tells Brownfield growers dealing with dry conditions should be on the lookout for…”tobacco ringspot, soybean vein necrosis virus, tobacco streak virus, but then also the main one is charcoal rot. If you start looking at stresses you could start to see some of those pathogens that might be around in the fields that prey on stressed plants.”
He says frogeye leaf spot could develop in wetter areas.
“I sort of point at that disease as an indicator of how well a fungicide is going to respond as far as protecting yield and being an economically viable option for farmers,” he says. “If you planted a variety that is somewhat susceptible to that disease and you’re having moisture, there’s always a chance of getting that disease.”
Mueller says it’s important for growers to mitigate pesticide resistance during the growing season.
“Don’t rely on one thing,” he says. “If you have concerns about a disease like sudden death syndrome, white mold, frogeye leaf spot, or whatever it is, try to identify a couple of different management strategies that could be effective.”
He says pest identification is also critical as growers are scouting crops.
“Make sure you’re identifying the right thing. In years when you have goofy weather, sometimes the symptoms don’t match up with a particular disease or whatever the problem could be,” he says. “As you’re going out and making management decisions based on what you’re seeing, make sure that identification of the problem is spot on. If you’re not 100 percent sure as you’re walking around the field, there are plant and insect diagnostic clinics across the U.S. Don’t be afraid to send samples in and make sure we’re managing the right thing.”
PEST Week, which is June 28 to July 2, emphasizes the importance of identifying the season’s most damaging pests including waterhemp, frogeye leaf spot, and bean leaf beetle. Partnering with university researchers, commodity groups, and leading agrochemical companies, Take Action is a resource and educational platform farmers can use to strengthen their best management practices relevant to each pest and phase of the growing season.
For more information and other resources including a Take Action kit, click here.
The United Soybean Board’s farmer-directors work on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers to achieve maximum value for their soy checkoff investments. Take Action: Pesticide-Resistance Management is a farmer-focused education platform designed to help farmers manage herbicide, fungicide, and insect resistance.
Audio: Daren Mueller
