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Soybean gall midge remains mostly a mystery for now
Soybean gall midge remains a bit of a mystery for farmers trying to manage it.
But University of Minnesota Integrated Pest Management specialist Bruce Potter says despite challenges maintaining lab colonies, some control methods are emerging.
“We’re working on insecticides (and) it looks like there are some promising options. And we’re working on resistant soybeans, so there again it looks like there might be some lines here that have pretty good resistance to the insect.”
He says much of the research is being done in Nebraska, where populations are consistently high.
“Particularly this year. And I think we’re getting to understand more about basic biology and understand a little bit more about are there chemical ways to control and other ways to control the pest. But it’s a hard pest.”
Potter says soybean gall midge will remain difficult to manage until a pheromone is developed and studied.
