Monitoring for pests, either via traps or scouting, help us make informed decisions on when to apply management strategies.
Scouting continues across the Coastal Plains for the fungal pathogen, Asian soybean rust, which can jump from kudzu as a host to our soybean crop.
Dr. Bob Kemerait shares:
“Through our sentinel plot program sponsored by the Georgia Soybean Commission, we can confirm that we currently have active soybean rust in Seminole, Lowndes, and Telfair Counties on kudzu. Our warm winter and now warm wet spring will help spread the disease not only in kudzu but also into soybeans.”
Here is a link where you can track this disease’s spread through the sentinel plots: https://soybean.ipmpipe.org/soybeanrust/
Another monitoring effort occurring right now in pecans for the moth pest, pecan nut casebearer.
Dr. Angel Acebes-Doria explains:
“…together with USDA collaborators and several county agents across 15 pecan-growing counties in Georgia, we started monitoring for pecan nut casebearer [PNC] activity starting around April 1, 2020 by using pheromone-baited traps (Figure 1). The traps are checked daily until PNC moths are captured consistently for two consecutive days [called the ‘biofix date’]…”
Here’s a link to a map where you can stay updated on when the biofix date is met across southern GA: https://maps.eddmaps.org/pncrisk/index.cfm?lat=31.75&lng=-83&zoom=9
“As of early this week, sustained moth captures were reported at Brooks, Lowndes and Peach counties. This means that spraying for PNC larvae/caterpillars can start late next week in these areas.” – Acebes-Doria says.
We hit biofix in Crisp Co yesterday (Apr 26th).
For more info on PNC please see Angel’s blog post here: https://site.extension.uga.edu/pecan/2020/04/insect-update-pecan-nut-casebearer/
Thanks and be safe everyone!
Best Wishes,
Joshua Grant