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Farmers can help improve yield potential by managing some insect pressure

A cropping systems specialist says if farmers are starting to see insect pressure in some instances there’s still time to protect yield potential  

Ron Seymore with UNL says growers should be on the lookout for spider mites this time of year, particularly in hot and dry conditions. “If you have these spider mites starting to grow in there, and you have significant infestations, we have thresholds for those as well. Then you would want to control those with an insecticide for this year’s crop.”

He tells Brownfield many infestations have already impacted the 2025 crop, but it’s critical to prepare for next season. “I would certainly be watching for corn rootworms now. And if you have a high population of corn rootworm beetles, then you can anticipate that next year you will have a lot of larvae in the field.”

Seymore says farmers should rotate out of corn next year or select a different variety to help manage the pest.

Ron Seymore: