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Fall armyworm invasion ‘not over yet’
A field crop entomologist says farmers need to continue scouting fields for fall armyworm during harvest.
The University of Missouri’s Kevin Rice tells Brownfield harvesting infested fields first isn’t a bad idea.
“Harvesting early is a great way to get rid of the problem, and that will kill a lot of them,” he said.
Rice said sustained sub-50-degree temperatures will also kill the pest. He said it’s hard to predict the spread of fall army worm because they can ‘march’ from one field to another or…
“…migrate using jet streams,” he said. “So, they’re moving across the North American continent and dropping out of the sky like paratroopers.”
Rice said the last generation of the pest is emerging for the season and could last up to 30 days.
He said farmers should take 10 random one square foot samples to check for the pest, recommending treatment if you average three or more larva per section. Rice recommends farmers reach out to their state’s university extension to find the best treatment options for their fields.
