Agronomic Crops
Bindweed wrapping up a corn plant.
The corn planted in our area is really starting to outgrow any early concerns that may have been had regarding insect pressure. The corn is also out growing many of the competing weeds, however, it is still recommended to do what you can to reduce the weed pressure on the corn plants. Soybeans also have seemed to escape most of the insect pressure; however, we are now seeing large areas of heavy feeding from deer and groundhogs.
We noted in our scouting this week on the large amount of 2nd cutting alfalfa coming off. 2nd cutting came and went without many concerns, and very limited pressure from insects. We will continue to scout for potato leaf hoppers, especially on the regrowth after 2nd cutting.
Vegetable Crops
This growing season, so far, has been all about the bugs. We have not had a huge amount of disease pressure
Squash bug eggs on summer squash.
on the vegetable crops in our area. We have, however, continued to find more insects impacting local crops.
Newly spotted insect pests this week included Japanese Beetles, thrips, and squash bugs. The Japanese Beetles were found in silking sweet corn, the thrips are being found in onions and the squash bugs are being found laying eggs in summer squash plantings.
Japanese Beetle found in a sweet corn stand.
In green beans we are still seeing a light population of potato leaf hoppers and a few bean leaf beetles feeding here and there. Cucurbits still have some cucumber beetles feeding, as well as some aphids. Aphids are not picky about which crops they are in, as we continue to find them in a variety of crops, including peppers and tomatoes. Both eggplant and potatoes are dealing with flea beetle and Colorado potato beetle. The Colorado potato beetle larva are becoming very prolific in some areas and causing significant defoliation. Cole crops, while also dealing with pressure from flea beetle, are now seeing an increase in activity from the imported cabbage worm caterpillar.
Small Fruit and Orchards
Aphids and mites are being found in fruit trees, primarily apple trees. This week, we began to find European red mites, green apple aphids and wooly apple aphids. Trap counts for CM in apples and OFM in peaches were all below threshold, with many traps reporting zeros.
The biggest update in our pest outlook in small fruit was not an insect, instead it involved birds. There was bird damage being found in strawberries, as well as in blueberry areas where the berries are starting to color. Some growers are using netting to exclude the birds from blueberry plantings. This is a lot of work but saves a lot of berries from being damaged.