News

Early season pests to prepare for

An entomologist says early planted soybeans in tillage and no-till systems each faced significant pest pressure last season.

Michigan State University’s Chris Difonzo tells Brownfield planting soybeans early in no-till systems can prevent slug damage if they put on enough growth.

“You want to get the beans out of the ground and starting to grow before the slug eggs hatch,” she shares. “For the most part, we probably have eggs overwintering, maybe some adults too. Once those eggs starts to hatch, say mid-May or so, those little tiny slugs are going to feed a lot.”

She says the combination of tillage and planting early is an invitation for seed corn maggot flies.

“They weren’t in the field when you planted, they’re coming to the field because of something that you’ve done,” she says. “It’s a mixture of tillage; you’ve had green stuff, cover crop, weeds, maybe an old fallow field, alfalfa that you’ve worked in; and you’ve planted too soon.”

Difonzo adds seed treatments for corn maggots become ineffective during large infestations and slugs that consume treated seed can become toxic to their prey.