The following information is a Web Extra from the pages of Farm Journal. It corresponds with the article “Insect Outlook” by Darrell Smith. You can find the article on page 26 in the Early Spring 2010 issue.
Below are helpful links and information on crop pests and scouting.
Western Bean and Black Cutworms
Sneaky Yield Robbers, January 2009 Farm Journal
Black Cutworm, University of Illinois Extension
New Scouting Manual Available
“It’s always a good idea to be familiar with key insects and injury symptoms for your area,” says Mike Gray, Extension entomologist at the University of Illinois. The university has published a brand-new scouting manual, Gray adds.
The 240-page spiral-bound publication covers insects, weeds, diseases, nutrient deficiencies, herbicide injury and other crop problems. It includes color photos, line drawings and scouting worksheets and guidelines.
The publication also is available as a CD-ROM. Cost of the book or the CD-ROM is $66 plus $7.50 shipping and handling.
Learn more and purchase: Field Crop Scouting Manual (6th ed.)
Insect Information
Information about the insects mentioned in the story can be found at various Web sites, by typing the name of the insect into a search engine.
Here are a few key insects to learn about:
Corn leaf aphids
Japanese beetle
Northern and western corn rootworms
Stink bugs
Western bean cutworm
Wireworms
Photos and descriptions of many corn insects
Weekly Pest-Update Newsletters
Many states publish weekly pest-update newsletters during the growing season. Here are sites for newsletters representing most of the states in the story:
University of Illinois
Iowa State University
University of Kentucky
University of Minnesota
University of Nebraska
Ohio State University
Purdue University
South Dakota State University
For information about corn leaf aphids, visit either of these sites:
Iowa State University
University of Kentucky
Late Winter, Early Spring Weed Management
Plan Your Weed Control Strategy
