Soybean Pest Podcast

Today, Matt and Erin bounce around a few topics of insect-related news. The black flies and mosquitoes have been especially aggressive in central Iowa this week. Erin summarizes field crop pest activity in central and southern Iowa, mainly some caterpillar feeding in corn and bean leaf beetle feeding in soybean. Matt's F.I.T. is somewhat random, but eventually ties it together with an insect. 

In this second episode of Season 9, Matt and Erin bounce around a variety of topics. First, Matt provides an update on the neonicotinoid ban in Europe. Neonics have been temporarily banned in Europe for a few years because of risk to honey bees, bumble bees and wild bees. In February, more news came out that supports these risks to pollinators. A vote will happen soon that could possibly permanently restrict or ban neonic use in Europe. Then, Erin reminds us ticks are active in Iowa right now, so beware of these disease vectors if you are in areas with tall vegetation. Over 250 cases of Lyme disease and 17 cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever were confirmed in Iowa in 2017. Send your ticks in for ID at the ISU Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic.  Thanks, Andy, for the honey drop off! Learn more about Meadow Blazingstar honey and candles here.  Ever wondered what your state insect? Look at the Wikipedia list. Why doesn't Iowa have a state insect?  

The Soybean Pest Podcast is alive and kicking again! Matt and Erin had a long winter's nap but started Season 9 with a good conversation about new students and research, Bt soybean in the U.S., some upcoming events and recent pest activity in Iowa. Monsanto not pursuing Bt soybean in the U.S.2018 Pollinator Fest is 23 June!Soybean aphid egg hatch in northern Iowa Matt's latest F.I.T. (fun insect trivia) is related to the Little House on the Prairie.

Matt and Erin just got back from the Annual Entomological Society of America meeting in Denver and their brains are full! They summarize some of their favorite presentations and other highlights from the meeting. Specifically, Matt enjoyed a presentation by Cornell student Maxwell Helmberger who used entomopathogenic nematodes to manage grubs in turf. Maxwell has a YouTube channel with some fun animations!

Today, Matt and Erin take a major detour and talk about an art exhibit that features fantasy coffins. Matt visited with Eric Anang, an artist-in-residence at the University of Iowa. Erik's family is from Ghana and they have a tradition of building fantasy coffins designed to reflect unique personalities. He recently was interested in the decline of insects, particularly lightening bugs, in his native area and that sparked the idea for this exhibit. You can see the exhibit at the Blackbox Memorial Theater at U of I now and can hear Matt give a seminar on October 26.   

Today, Matt and Erin cover a wide range of topics. First, there are two entomologists interviewing for ISU president: Sonny Ramaswamy and Wendy Wintersteen. But the conversation is quickly diverted into talking about why entomologists make good leaders. Matt has another F.I.T. that includes a reference to Hogwarts. Tom Saunders named a new parasitoid wasp species after Lucius Malfoy, a character in the Harry Potter series. The new wasp was named Lusius malfoyi. Erin asks Matt about fall nuisance invaders around Ames, including multicolored Asian lady beetles, minute pirate bugs, and brown lacewings. Erin gives a shout-out to an insect-related podcast, Arthropod, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This interesting series goes in-depth on insects and closely related species (e.g., painted lady butterflies and brown recluse spiders). Lastly, they are spreading the word about a fundraiser for BugGuide - help them meet their goal of $15,000!

The long-awaited teaser is resolved in today's episode. Erin reveals she did get Lyme disease this summer. She recaps the experience and outlook for the future. There are 232 confirmed or probable cases of Lyme disease in Iowa this year, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. References to Lyric's tick paper can be found in the previous episode. Matt brings up another interesting F.I.T. (fun insect trivia) featuring two entomologists: Jeffrey Lockwood and C. V. Riley. Lockwood is a rangeland entomologist focused on grasshopper management, and an award-winning author and University of Wyoming professor of Natural Sciences and Humanities. He writes science and fiction books, including his latest crime novel called Poison Justice. Riley also studied grasshoppers but is most known as the Father of Classical Biocontrol. He was one of the first to practice biocontrol, introducing a beetle that was the natural enemy to a scale that was damaging the California citrus industry.  

Matt and Erin were supposed to be in Savannah, GA for a soybean symposium this week. But due to Hurricane Irma, the conference was canceled and they created a bonus episode of random topics. Soybean is quickly maturing throughout Iowa and insects are making preparations for the winter. Matt summarized a last-minute soybean research symposium recapping some of the presentations planned for the Georgia gathering. Both Matt and Erin noticed a lot of wasp activity around human structures and Matt explained they lose their social structure this time of year. Erin thinks she might have Lyme disease and will update listeners on her progress the next episode (teaser!). ISU faculty member, Ryan Smith, shared the blacklegged tick is expanding range in Iowa and the proportion of infected ticks is increasing in Iowa (see this survey summary for more details). Dr. Smith also said there are 195 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in Iowa so far this year. Finally, Matt talks about another great F.I.T. of Ward Kimball, creator

Matt and Erin talk briefly about resurging soybean aphid populations around northern Iowa. In some fields, aphid numbers have increased as fields reach full seed set. They also talk about 2 videos of potential interest to everyone. The first video shows off the extremely high numbers of mosquitoes in Texas due to Hurricane Harvey. The second video talks about the importance of Bt resistance management of insects. Finally, Matt shares a F.I.T. and art at Iowa State University. 

Matt and Erin took a short podcasting break but are back to summarize late season soybean pest activity. Erin talks about a slight resurgence of soybean aphid populations in northern Iowa. Read more about treating at full seed set in a recent ICM Blog. Erin also recommends scouting in late August/early September for second-generation bean leaf beetles, as feeding injury to pods and seeds could be significant. Matt has noticed perhaps early field senescence in some commercial fields in Iowa. He also took a trip to Mississippi to see soybean production and learn more about pollinator protection. This podcast also features a F.I.T.!

It seems like a long time since the last episode and that's because it was! Matt and Erin are back to talk about pest updates in Iowa. Drought stress throughout much of the state has been ideal for twospotted spider mite. Erin reports Some injury has been observed in corn and soybean this summer. Treatments are going on now throughout some southern Iowa counties. In addition, soybean aphid continues to be an erratic pest. Some populations are building up in northern Iowa counties, but most fields are not reaching the economic threshold in July. Matt elaborates about high numbers of Japanese beetle and they talk about the use of pheromone traps as a management tool. Finally, Matt talks about a new Science research paper that has inconsistent data on the effect of neonicotinoid seed treatments on wild and managed bees in Europe. 

Today, Erin is without her podcasting bestie, Matt. She summarizes the activity of a few field crop pests in Iowa. First, she mentions Japanese beetle is active in soybean now and will move to corn with the emergence of silks. There are also European corn borer egg masses and small larvae in non-Bt corn now. You can access a free publication to learn more about scouting and management of ECB. Erin also gives an update on thistle caterpillar and soybean aphid from the last episode - both pests are still active right now. Finally, she highlights potato leafhopper as an occasional pest of soybean and alfalfa. You can register for some upcoming demonstration events at FEEL for July 12 (Diagnostic Clinic) and July 13 (Management Clinic) right here. 

In this mid-June episode, Matt and Erin start off by summarizing current soybean aphid activity around the state of Iowa. Populations are showing up over much of northern Iowa the last two weeks. Some fields have approached infestations ranging from 10-50%, although the density per plant remains low. Under ideal conditions, these populations could exceed the economic threshold in a few weeks. Brian Lang also found an aphid mummy, which is also early compared to most summers. Erin talked about a new publication for European corn borer that is available at the ISU Extension Bookstore. The 12-page pub reviews identification, life cycle, plant damage, scouting and treatment recommendations for this devastating pest. In their new segment, Matt talks semantics about how to spell one of the most widely recognized insects in the world. 

In this episode, Matt and Erin start off with talking about the hot weather in Ames. A local rain shower will help lawns and crops. Erin shared some updates on soybean aphid in Iowa. A few more reports are showing up from the lab as they visit various research farms. The percent infested plants is higher than in the past few years, so scouting in highly encouraged this summer. Both have noted aphids around the yard and on campus this month, too. Matt wants to try out a new segment called F.I.T. (fun insect trivia). He asked me about how the malaise trap was named and Erin was kinda right. Erin also had a F.I.T. about determining the sex of Japanese beetle. It wasn't nearly as interesting as Matt's story and maybe not even that important to know. Erin also noted Japanese beetles are emerging in southern Iowa and corn rootworm egg hatch is peaking around Iowa this week. If you live in north-central Iowa, plan to attend a field day at the ISU Northern Farm near Kanawha. 

Today, Matt and Erin cover a lot of topics. First, Erin summarizes her recent trip to Indianapolis for the 2017 North Central Branch ESA meeting. Lots of interesting papers and posters were presented this week. Also, the first confirmation of soybean aphid in Iowa happened again this week. It is typical to find aphids during early June in vegetative soybean, so listeners shouldn't be too concerned at this time. Other pest activity updates include more black cutworm and armyworm, plus a few bean leaf beetles and slugs. Matt follows up on the slug conversation by highlighting a recent interview with Penn State entomologist, John Tooker. As a follow up to the IRAC discussion a few episodes ago, Erin reminds everyone that the organization puts out a few helpful references on insecticide modes of action and resistance management.  Two events of interest coming up:Pollinator Fest at Reiman Gardens is on June 24. It's free this year, so bring your family for some fun hands-on activities centered around pollinators. 

Matt and Erin took May off from podcasting, but had a lot to talk about in the third episode of season 8. The cool, wet spring resulted in delayed planting for some; however, many of their research plots went in the ground this week. There have been a number of black cutworm and true armyworm reports throughout Iowa the last two weeks. Treatment decisions are based on plant growth stage, pest density and injury. Read more about their biology and management in ICM News articles:Armyworms in southeastern IowaBlack cutworm monitoring for 2017Scouting for pests in cover crops Erin also reported common stalk borer is moving to corn and soybean, particularly in the southern counties. Fields with stalk borer injury should scout now. Also, some fields are experiencing slugs - injury is most noticeable in fields with high residue. Finally, Matt and Erin got a USDA Challenge Grant and are looking for an extension program specialist that can work with farmers, beekeepers and conservationists. Find the job description he

In Episode 2, Matt and Erin cover a range of topics. First, they summarize planting conditions for 2017 - most places in the state are too wet and and cold to plant. The weather also affects insect activity as well. Matt expands on a recent ICM News article by Erin regarding "green bridges." Both had students graduating this semester - congrats to Eric Clifton and Shelby Pritchard on all your hard work and efforts during your time at Iowa State! Finally, Matt updates us on the recent legislative activity to close the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.  

It's a new beginning for the podcast - Season 8 starts today! Matt and Erin have a bit of random conversation at the beginning like usual. But they eventually provide a summary of the recent new of an organophosphate, chlorpyrifos. The EPA has been dealing with a petition to revoke tolerances for this widely-used insecticide. The EPA will not move forward with restricting chlorpyrifos in any crop; this could be important as farmers make product choices for 2017. Erin wrote a recent ICM Blog about it. Matt shared updates about his recent travels to the S1055 Soybean Entomology Working Group meeting in Memphis where he compares soybean production in the North Central Region to the South. Surprise - it's a lot different! Erin wraps up by providing overwintering mortality predictions for bean leaf beetle. The 2016-2017 winter was moderate and about half of the beetles are expected to survive. Read more in her recent ICM News article. Bean leaf beetle adult. Photo by Winston Beck, ISU. 

In the last episode of season 7, Matt and Erin talk about two new insecticide options for soybean aphid in Iowa. Movento and Sivanto by Bayer CropSciences are products that target fluid-feeding pests, like aphids, and are considered reduced-risk options compared to broad spectrum insecticides. Movento is a Group 23 and Sivanto is a Group 4D. To learn more about these insecticide groups, visit the IRAC website.

It's unusually warm this February episode. Like Bugs Bunny cartoon said - Gosh, it's hot! Matt and Erin talk about accumulating degree days for the state so far in 2017. Northern counties have accumulated between 16-22 degree days, while southern counties have accumulated 50-53 degree days. Erin uses the ISU Agronomy Mesonet to estimate temperatures. Matt also shared that the Toth Lab is noticed honey bee foraging already this year. There may not be much to feed on right now, which is concerning to beekeepers. Matt also shared some information on pyramided host plant resistance options for farmers in Iowa. Finally, Erin encouraged new agronomists to attend the Crop Scout School in Ames on March 25.