Sentinel Plot Program in Soybeans

The Pennsylvania Soybean Board is funding a Sentinel Plot Program, which is being managed by Penn State Extension and The Dept. of Entomology. In this effort, Penn State Extension Educators are regularly scouting fifteen ‘typical’ soybean fields across the state, reporting significant populations of plant pathogens and insect pests. For all the reports thus far, see Penn State’s Field Crop Entomology website.

Reports from the past week indicate that insect and disease populations remain low. Pests being reported include Japanese beetles, green cloverworm, grasshoppers and a few reports of spider mites.  Just one plot report any disease: Phytophthora root & stem rot in Lebanon County. Pests that were found during scouting are listed with their severity, which is rated on a 1-10 scale with 10 being the highest. Make sure you check your fields to determine your local populations, but these reports will give you a sense of what pests are active in fields.

York County – July 23, 2012

Growth stage: R2-3

• Downy mildew present – Severity: 1
• No insect pests observed

Montgomery County – July 23, 2012

Growth stage: R1

Insects

• Japanese beetle present – Severity: 1
• Grasshoppers present – Severity: 2
• Spotted cucumber beetles – Severity: 1
• Corn rootworm adult – Severity:  1
• No disease observed

Berks County – July 19, 2012

Combined report from 2 fields

Growth stage: R1 in one field, R3 in the other

• Bean leaf beetle present – Severity: 1
• Potato leafhopper active – Severity: 1
• Two-spotted spider mites active – Severity: 1
• Green cloverworm active – Severity: 5 in one field
• Japanese beetles active - Severity: 1
• Grasshoppers active – Severity: 1
• Lady beetles, damsel bugs, spiders (beneficial predators) common

Lebanon County – July 19, 2012

Field 1

Growth stage: R2

• Bean leaf beetle – Severity: 2
• Silver-spotted skipper caterpillars – Severity: 3
• Potato leafhopper active – Severity: 3
• Two-spotted spider mites – Severity: 2
• Green cloverworm active – Severity: 3
• Japanese beetles active – Severity: 3
• Velvetbean caterpillar – Severity: 1
• Lady beetles  active
• No diseases found

Field 2

Growth stage: R1

• Bean leaf beetle – Severity: 3
• Silver-spotted skipper caterpillars – Severity: 4
• Potato leafhopper active – Severity: 3
• Two-spotted spider mites – Severity: 4
• Green cloverworm active – Severity: 6
• Japanese beetles active – Severity: 2
• Soybean aphid present - Severity: 2
• Grasshoppers active – Severity: 6
• Velvetbean caterpillar – Severity: 2
• Lady beetles, Orius damsel bugs (beneficial predators) active
• Bumble bees, carpenter bees active
• Phytophthora root & stem rot – Severity: 5

July 17, 2012 – Tioga County

Field 1

Growth stage: R2

• Japanese beetles active – Severity: 1
• No diseases found

Field 2

Growth stage: R1

• Septoria brown spot – Severity: 1

• No insect pests found

Field 3

Growth stage: R1

• Soybean aphid present - Severity: 2
• No diseases found

July 11, 2012 – Lancaster County

Growth stage: R3

Combined report from all three fields

• Bean leaf beetle present – Severity: 1
• Mexican bean beetle present – Severity: 1
• Greenclover worm present – Severity: 1-2
• Potato leafhopper active – Severity: 2
• Japanese beetles active - Severity: 2-3
• Grasshoppers active – Severity: 1-2
• Honey bees and bumblebees active
• No diseases found