Dave Nicolai and Dr. Seth Naeve talk about agronomic issues from the recent heavy rains in early May 2023 and early-season insect issues with Bruce Potter, IPM Extension Specialist based out of Lamberton, MN. Potter has been monitoring black cutworm and true armyworm flights as well as alfalfa weevil that may be affecting crops in upcoming weeks. Diseases to watch out for in flooded or wet soils include soybean sudden death syndrome, Pythium, and Fusarium.

Dave Nicholai gives an update on planting progress with Dr. Seth Naeve and discusses weed management tactics early in the season with Dr. Debalin Sarangi. Weeds such as waterhemp are already emerging with the warming temperatures. They focused on herbicide options for weed management, especially how to time pre-emerge and post-emergence options along with possible tank-mix strategies.

Episode 21.  Small grains and not so small pest problems. Small grains (wheat, oats, rye, and barley) are one of the important sets of crops in our rotations in Minnesota, and they come with their own unique pest problems. Listen in on the conversation with two U of MN small grains specialists as we discuss weeds, diseases, and insects for small grains and what we've seen so far towards the end of May in 2021.

Join members of the SCN Coalition from MN, ND and IA and learn about why soybean cyst nematode  (SCN) is such a threat to soybean production and how the coalition is helping producers fight back. Join us for this discussion with Dr. Greg Tykla, nematologist with Iowa State University, Dr. Seth Naeve, Extension soybean agronomist at the University of Minnesota and Dr. Samuel Markell, Extension broadleaf plant pathologist at North Dakota State University.  This was part of the Strategic Farming: Let's Talk Crops series of webinars.  The full webinar this episode was based on with transcripts can also be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucqNQkrW-_8

If you are interested in future Strategic Farming webinars, a new series, Crop Notes, will be held Wednesdays from 7:30-8am for the 2021 growing season where participants can ask experts questions about current crop issues. More information is at: https://extension.umn.edu/courses-and-events/strategic-farming-field-notes

Is it worthwhile to continue to plant Bt corn for European corn borer? How should Bt-resistance of corn rootworm affect management decisions? Join us for the discussion on these and other corn pests to watch out for with Dr. Ken Ostlie, Extension entomologist at the University of Minnesota and Bruce Potter, Extension Integrated Pest Management specialist at the Southwest Research and Outreach Center. The full webinar this episode was based on with transcripts can also be viewed at: https://extension.umn.edu/courses-and-events/strategic-farming-lets-talk-crops#%2310-what%27s-bugging-your-corn%3F-2677219

Episode 18: Climate in Minnesota and how it helps and challenges pest management. Climate and weather significantly affect how we manage pests from winter keeping out some invasive pests, affecting spring emergence of insects & weeds, conditions ideal for disease, as well as crop planting dates and how they coincide with pest development.

IPM or Integrated Pest Management is the subject of this podcast, but after hearing about the different tools used for specific scenarios over the three years of this podcast, the hosts thought it would be a good idea to step back and ask themselves, "What is IPM?"

Episode 16: Weed management in fall and what to do with weed escapes

Episode 15: Soybean gall midge, spider mites, and corn rootworm in southern Minnesota

 

Episode 14:  Soybean and corn diseases in late summer and what to plan for next year

Episode 13:  What’s in the toolbox? Aphids and other soybean insects in 2020.

https://www.mnipm.umn.edu//sites/mnipm.umn.edu/files/july_30_2020_koch_soybean_1.mp3

Episode 12:  When insects take care of the pest control for us

Dave Nicolai discusses May planting and potential early-season diseases with U of M Extension plant pathologist Dean Malvick and soybean agronomist Seth Naeve.

Episode 11: Late-season Pest Considerations in Northwest Minnesota

Robert Koch discusses soybean aphid as well as other insects causing new issues in the state.

Episode 9: Timely Crop Scouting as Summer Finally Arrives

Episode 8: Weed management under delayed corn and soybean planting conditions

Episode 7: Black Cutworm and Other Early Season Pest Management

August 20, 2018. Dean Malvick discusses corn and soybean disease management.

July 19, 2018. Robert Koch discusses current soybean aphid recommendations.

July 5, 2018. Brett Arenz discusses the U of M's Plant Disease Clinic.

June 7, 2018. Ken Ostlie discusses corn rootworm and ongoing research.

May 30, 2018. Jeff Gunsolus discusses early season weed management.

It's late April in 2023 and it's still wet and difficult to get field work done across the state. It's a bit too early to discuss much about pests, but as a lead-in to future early-season pest issues that could result from this late spring, it's important to look at agronomic issues related to planting when soils are still cold and wet. Dave Nicolai chats with U of M agronomists Drs. Jeff Coulter and Seth Naeve about current field conditions and when to plant corn and soybeans.  

Episode 1. May 22, 2018 black cutworm update with Bruce Potter.

Dr. Bob Wright with the University of Nebraska discusses with Dr. Anthony Hanson how integrated got its start and Dr. Hanson goes through how we have adapted IPM plans to new invasive pests, such as soybean aphid. The two segments were produced as part of a 50th anniversary of IPM podcast supported by the USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the North Central IPM Center hosted at: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2039018

The IPM Podcast will be going on break in 2023 to focus on producing IPM updates for UMN Extension's Strategic Farming programs. You can contact Anthony Hanson at hans4022@umn.edu with IPM questions in Minnesota. For Strategic Farming content:

1. Field Notes summer field updates with webinar and podcasts: https://strategicfarming.transistor.fm/
2. Let's Talk Crops winter webinar research updates: https://extension.umn.edu/courses-and-events/strategic-farming-lets-talk-crops

Dr. Trisha Leaf from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Pesticide & Fertilizer Division discusses how pesticide regulation works at the federal and state level. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) is federal law that governs how pesticides are registered, distributed, sold, and used in the U.S (i.e., "the label is the law"). Recently, tolerances of a common insecticide, chlorpyrifos, were revoked on all food and feed crops and is no longer permitted for agricultural use in 2022. Enlist Duo has also undergone label changes where initially use was not permitted in six MN counties due to endangered species concerns, but after review, use is now permitted after determining those species are not present in those counties.

Dr. Ken Ostlie looks back on his career as a corn entomologist ranging from starting off in the middle of the farming and fiscal crisis of the 80s, how Extension has changed, the introduction of Bt corn, and of course, corn pests. Much of his research directly worked with farmers and he stresses to always remember that farmers are real people out in the environment that are the best resource for telling researchers and educators what farmers need the most. Dr. Ostlie will still be around from time to time as an emeritus professor.

Soybean breeding can be a complicated process, but it is one of the tools used for research at the U of M to manage pests such as soybean cyst nematode, soybean aphid, and diseases like Phytophthora root rot. More information on and availability of publicly available U of MN crop varieties can be found at: https://www.mncia.org/.

Common insects infested stored grains can include weevils, India meal moth, and mold feeding insects. Indian meal moth larvae leave behind tell-tale webbing that causes clumping in grain and can be especially noticeable when you skim the top of an infested grain pile with your hand. For more information on managing stored grain pests, visit: https://blog-crop-news.extension.umn.edu/2021/09/prevent-stored-grain-pest-issues-before.html

Liz Stahl, U of M Regional Extension Educator based out of Worthington, discusses what she has learned from the annual IPM Assessment, a survey of growers across the state about their pest management use and concerns. Perceptions on what neighbors are doing can influence grower decisions, though one farmer after seeing this survey data remarked, "Wow, I thought all my neighbors were using fungicide on their corn." Often times, growers are using less pesticide than we might perceive.