• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Iowa Soybean Farmers Prepare for Aphid Infestation

Posted on: Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 00:00 CDT

Aug. 16--WATERLOO -- Soybean aphids have invaded Northeast Iowa, but the consequences should be far less devastating than two years ago.

The yield-robbing pests literally sucked the life out of extremely dry soybean fields in 2003, helping cut yields locally in half. In some cases nothing could be done, or in others, farmers sprayed too late to control them.

Aerial crop dusters and ground sprayers have been out in full force the last two weeks to help maintain what Monday's U.S. Department of Agriculture Crops and Weather Report is calling a good Iowa soybean crop, with the exception of drought-stricken southeast Iowa. Seventy-one percent of the state's crop is rated in good to excellent condition.

Waterloo farmer Blake Hollis said his family recently finished spraying all their soybean acres for aphids. Crop scouting revealed every field barely exceeded the spaying threshold level, or making it economically feasible, of 250 aphids per plant.

"We're not seeing near the pressure as in 2003," Hollis said. However, memories of 25-bushels or less per acre in 2003 made spraying a must for him and other farmers. "People are a little more eager to pull the trigger (and spray). Some waited a little too long (in 2003)."

Brian Lang, Iowa State University Extension crop specialist in Decorah, said the aphid "hot spot" in Northeast Iowa this year is west of Cresco and Lawler. Populations in some fields were in the range of 1,000 to 2,000 per plant.

"If you are on the fence as to spray or not, the decision should probably be made this week. History of this pest tells us that once we get towards mid-August, potential returns for treatment decline rapidly," Lang said in Crop Notes.

As of Sunday, 94 percent of the state's soybeans are setting pods. The crop is rated 2 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 21 percent fair, 54 percent good and 17 percent excellent.

The state's corn crop improved slightly last week with 3 percent rated very poor, 7 percent poor, 20 percent fair, 51 percent good and 19 percent excellent. As of Sunday, 90 percent of the corn statewide has reached the milk stage, while 63 percent is in the dough stage. Corn development is nearly one week ahead of schedule.

Corn in the dough stage -- starch accumulation continues giving the inner fluid of kernels a pasty consistency -- is 30 to 36 days away from maturity. Yield estimates can be made at this stage.

Hollis isn't ready to make a prediction just yet. He said ear girth and row numbers look good, but not as good as last year when record yields were achieved by most Iowa farmers. Kernel depth is still being established, which can have an impact on yields, he said.

"We're sitting pretty good, compared to others (in southeast Iowa and Illinois). The dry spell at the end of July definitely took a notch out of the yields. We're not setting any records," Hollis said.

Some farmers were reportedly spraying for corn borers last week.

Iowa's oats harvest is complete, according to the report, slightly ahead of normal.

Recent rains and cooler temperatures at the end of last week helped reduce livestock stress. Pasture and range conditions improved slightly from a week ago.

-----

To see more of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.wcfcourier.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: Waterloo Courier

More News in this Category