Soybean aphids, grasshoppers, and Japanese beetle pressure and disease pressure both low for now.
Weekly summary:
We have about 20 reports from many counties to share from the last two weeks. The reports indicate a slight increase in the range of insect species being found, including soybean aphids for the first time this year, but most severities are very low. In a few areas, grasshoppers and Japanese beetles are starting to increase. Disease pressure remains low.
About the reports:
The Pennsylvania Soybean Promotion Board is funding a Soybean Sentinel Plot Program, which is being managed by Penn State Extension and The Dept. of Entomology at Penn State. In this effort, Penn State Extension Educators are regularly scouting twenty-two ‘typical’ soybean fields in sixteen counties across the state, reporting the populations of plant pathogens and insect pests that they find. In the reports below, pests that were found during scouting are listed with their severity, which is rated on a 1-10 scale with 10 being the highest. Growers should be sure to check their own fields to determine your local populations, but these reports will give you a sense of what pests are active in fields. Our reports are distributed via this weekly newsletter, Penn State’s Field Crop News, and will be available in the next day or two on Penn State’s Field Crop Entomology website.
County Reports
15 July – Schuylkill County – Dwane Miller
Growth stage: V6-R1
- Japanese beetle – Severity: 1
- Grasshoppers – Severity: 1
- Septoria brown spot – Severity: 1