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Japanese beetles showing up in Missouri corn

A Midwest agronomist says Japanese beetles are cropping up in corn, “I’m getting calls in some fields that are really bad. So, we look at a Japanese beetle in corn and what they can potentially do is clip the silks.” Andy Schmidt is a WinField United agronomist for Missouri. He tells Brownfield clipped silks at pollination are a serious concern, “Some areas, yes, I’m getting calls that they are worse than last year and some pockets, they’re not as bad. Generally, they are something we need to be scouting for. Not only corn but also soybeans, too.”

Japanese beetles are capable of defoliating soybean plants. They are found throughout most states east of the Mississippi River but partial infestations also occur west of the Mississippi in states such as Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota.