Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases can decimate agronomic crops and result in huge financial losses. Make use of Penn State Extension’s substantial library of resources including recommendations for managing weeds, insects, and disease pests in a variety of agronomic crops. Find tips on dealing with bacteria, molds, fungal diseases, and rot.
Agronomic Crops Diseases and Integrated Pest Management
There are several ways to deal with pests. If you want to use pesticides on your agronomic crops you may need a license. To maintain a valid applicator’s license in Pennsylvania, private pesticide applicators must fulfil a continuing education requirement. Penn State Extension provides a number of workshops for anyone looking to become certified or recertified. They include Agronomic Pesticide Update workshops, an online course covering What's New in Agronomic Pest Control, and an Agronomic Pesticide Update Webinar. The Penn State Agronomy Guide also covers pest management.
Many different pests can affect agronomic crops; for example, slugs are a challenging pest for no-till farmers. New herbicide products are regularly released making pest management even more demanding. It’s not something crop producers have to face on their own. Certified crop advisers can help producers with pest management as well as studying soil and water, crop, and nutrient management.
Common Corn Pests and Diseases
A number of different pests and diseases can affect corn crops at various growth stages. Mild temperatures and increased humidity, for example, can lead to corn leaf blight and gray leaf spot. Corn ear rot and mycotoxins can also be a problem when humidity is high. Knowing what corn diseases to look for means you can make the right decisions on what to spray, and indeed whether to spray at all.
As well as combating diseases, corn producers also have a number of pests to contend with. An increase in reduced-tillage culture and planting corn into sod and small grain cover crops has led to an increase in armyworm damage.
Several species of billbugs feed on corn plants causing damage in May. The adults chew small holes in the stems which can severely retard or even kill small plants.
Pests that cause damage below ground can be challenging to control, particularly in corn production. Crop rotation is one way to reduce numbers. The seedcorn maggot is one example.
Common Soybean Pests and Diseases
Soybean production has steadily been increasing in Pennsylvania. Being able to assess soybean fields for insect damage and learning how to recognize soybean pests are important factors for successful and profitable agronomic crop production. The soybean aphid, for example, is an exotic pest of soybean that can heavily stress plants, leading to a reduction in yields of up to 40%.
Soybean diseases such as stem canker, brown stem rot, and sudden death syndrome can also wreak havoc on soybean crops.
Wheat and Small Grains Common Pests and Diseases
For wheat and small grains producers, there is the added complication of pests being present in stored grain. The Angoumois Grain Moth, for example, can make grain smell unpleasant, making it less attractive for consumption. Foreign grain beetles are a fungus-feeding insect commonly found in grain stored on farms in Pennsylvania. The sawtoothed and merchant grain beetles are two more pests that can contaminate stored grains.
Effective control of stored grain pests requires an IPM approach that combines sanitation, identification, monitoring, and preventive practices.
- News
First 2024 Corn Tar Spot in Pennsylvania Found
Date Posted 7/10/2024Pathologists confirmed the first tar spot infection of this season on July 10, in Berks and Centre Counties. - News
Fungicide Considerations for Corn and Soybean
Date Posted 7/9/2024As we hit critical growth stages in corn and soybean, does it pay to spray? - News
Scouting and Reporting Tar Spot of Corn in Pennsylvania
Date Posted 7/9/2024Our updated scouting and reporting tools for tar spot of corn in Pennsylvania are available and free to use. - Articles
Pattern Symptomology of Abiotic Crop Disorders
This article covers a piece of the field diagnostic puzzle: patterns in agronomic crop problems that help diagnose abiotic disorders and contrast them with biotic pests and pathogens. - News
Mexican Bean Beetle is Becoming Active in Southeastern Pennsylvania
Date Posted 6/19/2024Mexican bean beetles have been found laying eggs in Chester County, so learn to recognize them and the threat that they pose to soybeans. - News
Potato Leafhoppers Have Arrived in Pennsylvania Alfalfa Fields
Date Posted 6/18/2024Potato leafhopper is our most problematic alfalfa pest, so scout for this pest to understand its threat to your production - Articles
From Aflatoxin to Zearalenone: Mycotoxins You Should Know – Deoxynivalenol (DON)
The presence of deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin) in grain crops causes great economic losses. Why is it a concern? Where does it come from? - News
2024 Pennsylvania Slug Monitoring Project
Date Posted 6/11/2024This will be the last update on slugs for the season. Slug numbers dropped to zero at almost all locations. - News
Evaluating Late Season Diseases in Small Grains
Date Posted 6/11/2024Assessing disease incidence and severity is important to determine the impact of small grains diseases on yield. - News
Increased Levels of Fusarium Head Blight in 2024
Date Posted 6/4/2024With favorable conditions at flowering, we are seeing increased Fusarium head blight compared to previous years. - News
In Northern Pennsylvania, it is Time to Scout for Black Cutworm Damage in Corn
Date Posted 6/4/2024In Potter and other counties in northern Pennsylvania, now is the time to begin scouting for black cutworm damage in corn fields. - News
Expired Pesticide License?
Date Posted 6/3/2024Has your pesticide license lapsed or expired and what is the difference? The following are simplified instructions for reinstating your lapsed or expired pesticide license. - News
Scout for Cereal Leaf Beetle Larvae, But Don't Spray Blindly
Date Posted 5/28/2024Cereal leaf beetle larvae are active. Scout your fields to assess their population size; spraying blindly is unlikely to be profitable. - News
In Some Areas, it is Time to Scout for Black Cutworm Damage in Corn
Date Posted 5/21/2024In some areas of PA, there is a heighten risk of damage from black cutworm so now is the time to begin scouting for their cutting damage in corn fields - News
Blue Mold Disease Found on Tobacco in Lancaster County
Date Posted 5/20/2024Blue Mold, (Peronospora tabacina) has been found growing on tobacco in a float-house in Lancaster county. Growers are urged to be vigilant and take precautionary action to protect their crop. - News
Conditions Are Right for Slugs in Some Parts of Pennsylvania
Date Posted 5/14/2024Wet conditions are making potential problems for young crop plants; scout your fields to understand your slug populations - Articles
Early Season Herbicide Injury to Corn
Sometimes, early-season crop injury can occur from herbicides. This article overviews specific symptoms and conditions typically associated with herbicide injury in corn and soybeans. - Tools and Apps
The Open Crop Manager Platform for Crop Production and Scouting
The Open Crop Manager (OCM) platform provides a system for crop production information, scouting, and database management to help increase knowledge, crop sustainability, and profitability. - News
Insect Update: Three Insect Pests to Consider
Date Posted 5/7/2024A variety of pests are active as the growing season progresses; we will address black cutworm moths, alfalfa weevil, and cereal leaf beetle. - News
Upcoming Agronomic Workshops
Date Posted 5/1/2024Mark your calendar for these 2 summer workshops. - News
Spring Oat Herbicide Options
Date Posted 4/30/2024Weeds can be a problem in spring oat fields. This article provides some herbicide options to consider. - Workshops
Free
Field Crop Walk: Late-Season Considerations
When 09/03/2024Length 2 hoursJoin Extension for a series of Field Crop Walks each month as we check in on crop development and explore key crop management considerations. - News
Scouting is Key to Insect Pest Management in Spring
Date Posted 4/23/2024As spring pests become active, remember that scouting is the key to detecting insect-pest populations and determining whether insecticides will be helpful. - News
Burndown after Ryelage Harvest
Date Posted 4/23/2024Here are some suggestions to control ryelage stubble after spring harvest. - Videos
Poison Hemlock Identification
Length 2:08Learn how to identify poison hemlock, a toxic weed, growing in Pennsylvania.