My lab has been driving all over western Iowa looking for soybean gall midge. They stop by 3-6 fields in each county and scout for larvae along field edges. This is part of a larger effort funded by the North Central Soybean Research Program to better understand the current distribution of this new pest.
So far, we’ve sampled 30 counties this summer and found soybean gall midge in every county. Most fields are at low infestation levels and would be difficult to confirm without splitting stems open. Some fields do not have larvae. As of today, we have confirmed infestations in three new counties: Emmet, Adams, and Taylor. My crew will continue to scout more central counties this month.
Like in previous growing seasons, infested plants are first detected along field edges. Look for wilted plants and take a closer look at the base of the stem. Spilt the stem to look for larvae feeding inside.
I’ll post more real-time updates about soybean gall midge here and on Twitter (@erinwhodgson). Visit the Soybean Gall Midge Alert Network for distribution maps in Nebraska, Minnesota, and South Dakota. Sign up for the Alert Network by sending an email to Justin McMechan at UNL (justin.mcmechan@unl.edu)
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- Professor
- Extension Entomologist Specialist
- ANR Crops Team Leader