Insect Considerations When Planting Wheat

DR. SCOTT STEWART

JACKSON, TENN.
   As people start considering planting wheat, there are a few things to keep in mind that will save you some unnecessary insect problems. Below are a few bullet points for your consideration.
  The recommended planting window for Tennessee starts on October 15. This approximately corresponds to our average date of first frost. If you plant earlier, you will increase the chances of getting aphid or Hessian fly infestations. Fall armyworms can also be a serious pest on early planted wheat. For those that jump the gun and didn’t use an insecticide seed treatment, consider making a foliar application of a pyrethroid insecticide about 30 days after planting. Be sure to scout for fall armyworm until a frost occurs.
   With all the rage about cover crops, often including wheat, we need to be aware that they can serve as a nursery for Hessian flies. Cover crops are often planted early, and that can create a problem with nearby wheat (especially wheat fields adjacent to the cover crop). I suggest delaying the seeding of cover crops that include wheat until October 5-15. My understanding is that cereal rye is not a good host for Hessian fly, so this recommendation is probably not necessary for this cover crop.
   Insecticide seed treatments are often used on wheat, primarily for protection against aphids and the transmission of barley yellow dwarf virus. Gaucho (imidacloprid), Cruiser (thiamethoxam), and NipsIt Inside (clothianidin) are good options when used at the correct rates. Labeled rates are shown below. I prefer rates at or above 1 oz of product per 100 lbs of seed. Please review a previous article on this subject to make sure you are getting the correct rate.
   • Gaucho 600, Nitro Shield, and other products
Active ingredient – Imidacloprid
0.8 – 2.4 fluid ounces per 100 lbs. seed
   • Cruiser 5 FS
Active ingredient – Thiamethoxam
0.75 – 1.33 fluid ounces per 100 lbs. seed
   • NipsIt Inside (5F)
Active ingredient – Clothianidin
0.75 – 1.79 fluid ounces per 100 lbs. seed ∆
   DR. SCOTT STEWART: IPM Extension Specialist, University of Tennessee