Integrated Crop Management News

Chlorpyrifos (e.g., Lorsban and Warhawk) is an organophosphate (Group 1B) insecticide that has been used for many important field crop pests in the United States. In the past 15 years, chlorpyrifos, like many organophosphates, has come under scrutiny due to acute toxicity concerns to humans, especially children. In an effort to protect all ages of humans and the environment, EPA began the process of phasing out many uses of organophosphates. On August 18, 2021, the EPA announced their decision to revoke tolerances for chlorpyrifos.

Almost all soybean varieties resistant to the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) have been developed from a breeding line named PI 88788. The amount of SCN control varies among the varieties because they have different numbers of copies of the single SCN resistance gene. The Iowa State University SCN-resistant Variety Trial Program evaluates hundreds of commercially available resistant varieties for yield and SCN control each year. In a recently published journal paper, ISU agricultural economists estimated that information from the ISU SCN variety trial provided as much as $205 million of economic value to farmers from 2011 to 2016. This finding underscores the value of selecting and growing SCN-resistant soybean varieties that offer high yields and effective control of SCN.

There are several different breeding lines, called sources of resistance, that are available to develop soybean varieties that are resistant to the soybean cyst nematode (SCN). More than 95% of the resistant varieties available to Iowa farmers in the last 15 years have had resistance from the breeding line named PI 88788. As a consequence of continuous widespread use of this resistance, SCN populations in many fields throughout Iowa now have increased reproduction on varieties with resistance from PI 88788. Farmers are advised to grow soybean varieties with SCN resistance from other genetic sources in rotation with high-yielding varieties with PI 88788 SCN resistance. This article lists 36 varieties available for Iowa soybean farmers in 2022 in maturity groups I, II, and III with SCN resistance from two sources of resistance different from PI 88788.

Fall is one of the best times for managing perennial and biennial weeds found in pastures or other areas maintained in perennial grass. As perennials prepare for the upcoming winter, they move energy reserves from shoots to their perennial vegetative reproductive structures (e.g. rhizomes, perennial rootstocks).