Agronomic Crop Insects

Joanne Whalen, Extension IPM Specialist; jwhalen@udel.edu

Small Grains
As we see more wheat acres planted before the “fly free date” in the fall, I get questions about the potential problems from Hessian Fly. Although populations still remain low in our area, each spring I see an occasional field with an economic problem. Most of the new information regarding the management of this insect pest has been developed by entomologists in states to our south where Hessian fly is a perennial problem. Dominic Reisig from NC State has an excellent blog and a series of you-tube videos that address the biology and management for fall and spring infestations of Hessian fly. Please visit the following links for the most up to date information

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4WnuXs0QGc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUKHAaGtShU&feature=share

http://www.nccrops.com/

Field Corn
With the continued introduction of new BT corn traits, it is helpful to have a quick reference to the most up to date information. Drs. Chris DiFonzo (Michigan State University) and Eileen Cullen (University of Wisconsin) publish a “Handy Bt Trait Table” each year. This great reference provides information for transgenic hybrids on the types of Bt proteins expressed, insects controlled, herbicide tolerance, and refuge requirements for selected traits. They update it frequently so you will want to book mark their site for the latest information: http://msuent.com/assets/pdf/28BtTraitTable2013.pdf.