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Potato Leafhoppers in Alfalfa

Potato leafhoppers have the potential to hurt alfalfa in Nebraska every year. This is generally a second and third cutting pest and has been common in Nebraska recently. Southerly winds bring this insect into Nebraska , as is does not overwinter here. There have been a lot of strong southerly winds the last couple of weeks, so it is probable we have potato leafhoppers in the state. So, it is time to begin scouting.

These small (1/8 inch long), bright green, wedge shaped insects (Fig 1) may cause severe damage to alfalfa by injecting a toxin into the plant as they feed. This feeding results in a distinctive yellow or purple triangle shape at the tip of the leaf. First year spring planted alfalfa fields are particularly attractive to and vulnerable to potato leafhoppers, as are fields planted last year. In older fields, these insects are usually a problem on second and third cuttings. Newly developed resistant varieties will protect from potato leafhoppers fairly well, but alfalfa in the seedling stage may still be damaged. All fields should still be scouted, as large numbers of leafhoppers may still cause a problem, even in resistant variety fields.

Fig. 1. Potato leafhopper

Treatment decisions are based on numbers captured by sweep net. A sweep net is the only reliable way to scout for potato leafhoppers. See the following tables for decision-making help. Note that there do not have to be many to cause a problem. A large number of insecticides are registered for control, and all will provide good results when applied properly. If possible, refer to the UNL Department of Entomology Web site at http://entomology.unl.edu/fldcrops/pestipm.htm#Item1 for a list of suggested insecticides. (KJ)

Table 1. Dynamic Treatment Thresholds for Potato Leafhoppers (average number per sweep) on Alfalfa that is 1 to 4 inches tall.

Table 2. Dynamic Treatment Thresholds for Potato Leafhoppers (average number per sweep) on Alfalfa that is 4 to 8 inches tall.

Table 3. Dynamic Treatment Thresholds for Potato Leafhoppers (average number per sweep) on Alfalfa that is 8 to 12 inches tall.

Common Stalk Borer Damage Now Visible

Common stalk borers will be moving into corn from nearby grassy areas and damage will soon be visible. At first, large shotholes can be seen, and later, as the stalk borers burrow into the plant, the plant looks very ragged and stunted. Common stalk borer damage is occasionally confused with corn borer damage, but is usually confined to a few rows that border grassy areas. The larva is pale white, with dark brown to purplish stripes that converge to form a saddle shape along the middle of the body. Once the larvae have entered the stalks, there is no control available.

Fig. 2 Common stalk borer larva

European Corn Borer Moths are Flying

European corn borer moths have been active since the end of May, and non Bt corn fields need to be scouted if the corn is above 16 inches in extended leaf height. We expect populations to peak some time in the next two weeks.

As non-Bt corn grows it will become susceptible to the first generation of corn borers. While we haven't seen a bumper crop of moths in our black light traps since Bt corn became commonly used, we should not be complacent about the European corn borer in non-Bt cornfields.

Timely and accurate scouting is the key to managing European corn borer in standard (non-Bt) corn hybrids. Remember that conditions are localized and each field should be scouted to make accurate decisions.

Corn borer larval survival depends on several factors. High humidity and warm temperatures are ideal for establishment of larvae in the whorl. Egg masses are white, with 5 to 40 eggs in each mass, and laid on the underside of leaves near the midrib. The masses look like fish scales flattened against the leaf. In four to seven days the heads of the developing larvae will be visible, and the eggs will appear spotted. This is the “blackhead” stage, and these eggs normally hatch within 24 hours. As the larvae enter the whorl to feed on the developing tissue, the feeding scars (shot-holes) appear as the leaves emerge from the whorl. Larvae will remain within the whorl for 7 to 14 days before boring into the stalk.

Corn that is less than 16 inches with extended leaf height (distance from the ground to the tip of the leaf pulled up vertically, about six-leaf stage) is unlikely to support young larvae because of the presence of a substance known as DIMBOA, a natural resistance factor. As the plants grow, the level of DIMBOA decreases, so plants above the 16-inch extended leaf height will generally support corn borers. First generation corn borers prefer taller plants for egg laying, therefore, the earliest planted fields are more likely to have higher populations. Scout these fields first, but do not neglect other fields because any cornfield is a potential target and should be scouted.

Now that Bt corn is being planted widely, be sure you know whether the field you are scouting was planted to Bt corn. In Bt corn, corn borer injury to whorl stage plants should be limited to a few tiny pin-holes where larvae initially fed before ingesting a lethal dose of Bt toxin. However, seed lots may contain a small percentage of off-type seed (typically less than 4%) which does not produce sufficient toxin levels to kill corn borer larvae. If greater than 4% of plants show significant leaf feeding damage in a Bt cornfield, check to confirm it is corn borer causing the injury. Other caterpillars such as corn earworms or common stalk borer are not completely controlled by Bt corns currently available, although they may reduce populations.

If you believe that corn borer is causing the injury, contact a representative of the company that sold the seed to investigate the situation more completely.

To determine the need for treatment, scout at least 20-25 consecutive plants in at least 4-5 places in the field (100 plants minimum per field). The scouting locations should be randomly selected and representative of the field as a whole. At each scouting location, randomly select the first plant that will be sampled. If you do not and always start sampling at an infested plant, the counts may be inflated by as much as 5%. Count the number of plants showing shot-hole feeding and determine the percent of infested plants. Next, pull the whorls from at least two randomly selected infested plants in each set of 20-25 plants. Unroll the leaves and count the number of larvae in the whorl and determine the number of larvae per infested plant. Young corn borers usually suffer from 60-85% or higher mortality due to natural enemies, weather and disease, so try to wait to make treatment decisions until most of the borers are second instar. This will allow you to take advantage of natural larval mortality.

Use the information gathered from field scouting to complete the accompanying worksheet. This takes you through the calculations needed to estimate the preventable loss if an insecticide is used. Compare the preventable loss to the total cost of insecticide application. An insecticide application is economically justified if preventable loss exceeds the total cost of insecticide application. An interactive version of the worksheet is available on-line.

Insecticide treatments will be effective only if borers are still feeding in the whorl. Treatments made after corn borers begin to bore into the stalk (when they are about half grown) will not be effective.

Based on research data, the best control is achieved with aerial or ground applied granular formulations or liquid applications through sprinkler irrigation systems, which provide the best penetration of insecticide into the whorl where the corn borer larvae feed.

In this example a $12 application would more than pay for itself by preventing a $56.25 loss. All of the above numbers are variable and are unique to each field and farm management operation. Use the formula several times using different figures for yield, price, and cost of application to see how each one affects the outcome. Use the figures closest to your situation to make the final determination. Many insecticides are registered for control of first generation European corn borers and most will do a good job if applied properly at the right time. The Bt-based insecticides Dipel, Condor, M-Peril and others are effective and do not reduce populations of corn borer natural enemies. Refer to the UNL Department of Entomology Web site at http://entomology.unl.edu/instabls/ecb1st.htm for a list of suggested insecticides.

Additional information on first generation European corn borer management is available in First Generation European Corn Borer Scouting and Treatment Decisions, NebFact 98-364. (TH&KJ)

Control of Problem Weeds in Roundup-Ready Soybean with Glyphosate Tank Mixes

Widespread and repeated use of glyphosate-based herbicides in Roundup-Ready crops raised several concerns from the practical standpoint such as potential for weed resistance and shifts in weed species. Currently there are not any known cases of glyphosate-resistant weeds in Nebraska ; however it appears that our fields are experiencing a slow shift in weed species. In the last three years, university weed extension specialists have been receiving phone calls and complaints on glyphosate failing to control certain weed species, including some “new weeds”, which includes: marestail (horseweed), morning-glory (common and ivyleaf), wild buckwheat, Pennsylvania smartweed, lady's thumb, venice mallow, yellow sweetclover, field bindweed, waterhemp, kochia, Russian thistle, primrose species and volunteer Roundup-Ready corn.

The purpose of this article is to summarize preliminary data from our studies conducted at Concord and North Platte in 2004, with the objective to test glyphosate tank-mix with other herbicides to control above mentioned weed species.

We used a labeled rate of glyphosate (Roundup WeatherMax @ 22 oz/acre) tank-mixed with “half rate” of the 7 most common broadleaf POST herbicides such as: Classic 25DF (0.3 oz/acre), Cobra/Phoenix 2EC (5 oz/acre), Raptor 1SC (3 oz/acre.), Pursuit (Extreme)(3pt/a), Reflex/Flaxstar 2EC (8 oz/a) , Scepter 70DG (1.44 oz/acre), and Ultra Blazer 2 SC (12 oz/a). Each tank-mix contained appropriate amounts of additives such as AMS (2.5 lbs/acre), NIS (0.125% v/v) and/or COC (1% v/v) as indicated on the product label. Each tank mix was applied at 3 growth stages of the weed, targeting (1) 2 - 5" tall weeds (early POST), (2) 6-12" weeds (mid POST) and (3) 12-20" weeds (late POST).

The level of weed control at 21 days after herbicide treatment, varied from 10% to 100% depending on the weed species and a tank-mix used, while the weed size was still an important factor that determined the overall level of weed control (Table 1). Most species that were 2-5" tall (early POST applications) were controlled relatively well with a tank-mix of the label rate of Roundup WeatherMax with appropriate herbicides. For example, a tank-mix of Roundup and Classic proved 90% control of sweet clover 4" tall compared to a much lower control levels of 40% and 10% for 8" and 14" tall plants, respectively (Table 1), indicating the importance of the plant size. Few species were controlled well regardless of their size. For example, a tank-mix of Roundup and Classic provided excellent control (> 90%) of Russian thistle and kochia regardless of the plant size. For weed specific control levels and tank-mixes, see Table 1.

This data indicates potential to effectively control these species with various tank mixes if applied early POST (for weeds up to 5" tall). Taller weeds will require higher rates of broadleaf herbicides, perhaps a full recommended rate. A study is needed to confirm such hypothesis.

Tank mixing glyphosate with various herbicides would also provide additional mode of action for weed control, thus reducing a chance for weed resistance. Furthermore, products like Extreme and Scepter could also provide additional soil residual activity for prolonged weed control, which is one of the goals of an integrated weed management program (e.g. integrating several tools for weed control). Using various weed control tools is not a new thing, we only “forgot” about it since the introduction of Roundup-Ready crops. Changing modes of actions in your herbicide program is also one of the basic ideas in an Integrated Weed Management (IWM) program (e.g. integrating several tools for weed control), especially to combat weed resistance/tolerance issues. I believe that Roundup-Ready technology has a fit under the umbrella of an IWM system only, and the value of this technology can be preserved only by proper management, and reduced overuse. The concepts of IWM become even more important when other Roundup-Ready crops become more common (e.g. Roundup-Ready corn, Roundup-Ready alfalfa). It is easy to fall into a trap of overusing glyphosate when one glyphosate-tolerant crop is grown after another. Therefore, proper use of this technology, as a component of IWM program, is the key to preserving the long-term benefits of this technology while avoiding many of the concerns about their use, or misuse (e.g. overuse). (SK)

Table 1. Weed species and their heights at the time of herbicide application, and level of weed control (%) at 21 days after application with 22 oz rate of Roundup WeatherMax tank mixed with various herbicides at Concord in 2004 (preliminary data).

David P. Shelton
Extension Agricultural Engineer

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