Pioneer® GrowingPoint® Agronomy News
Soybean Pest Management
GREG PFEFFER
DEXTER, MO.
While most of the corn and grain sorghum has now reached maturity or is nearing maturity, it is important to make sure that we pay attention to our soybean crop as we prepare or begin harvesting these other crops. There are a lot of late-planted soybeans this year because of the wet spring, and thus a sizable portion of the soybean crop in the upper mid-south has just now reached R3. There has been quite a bit of frogeye leaf spot showing up recently, and with all the wet weather and humidity, it is no surprise.
I recommend a good dual mode of action fungicide such as DuPont™ Aproach® Prima for best results. Because we are seeing some frogeye leaf spot show resistance to the strobilurin class of chemistry, a good dual mode of action fungicide – one that has preventative and curative properties to aid control – is necessary. Other diseases such as septoria brown spot are showing up as well. Keep scouting for late season diseases throughout the season.
Soybeans also become more attractive for insects as other crops mature and as pastures or fence rows begin to turn brown in late summer. We are receiving reports of several loopers, and in some cases, soybean pod worms. Soybean pod worms are particularly dangerous in soybeans because they feed almost exclusively on pods, eating away at the pod wall and consuming the seed. They are much harder to scout for than other worms.
The economic threshold for control is about two worms per foot of row. Consider using DuPont™ Prevathon® for broad spectrum worm control in soybeans. This is important because Prevathon® will provide good residual control of most worm species that we would encounter in soybeans. No other insecticide offers that much confidence for worm control.
Scout regularly in order to make timely applications. The goal is catch infestations early in order to make applications as cost effective as possible.
For more information, contact your local Pioneer sales professional. ∆
GREG PFEFFER: Agronomist for Pioneer, Dexter, Missouri