2025 Soybean Sentinel Plot Report: July 1, 2025

Overview of reports from around Pennsylvania

We have eight reports this week from extension educators in seven counties. Their reports cover fields from growth stage VC to R1, reflecting the diversity of soybean growing areas in PA, as well as challenges in getting fields established in different parts of the state. The reports indicate low pest populations in the soybean fields that we are scouting. As is typical for this time of year, our reports identify bean leaf beetle, Japanese beetle, and grasshoppers as the main insect pests that are active. Given wet conditions, it is somewhat surprising that diseases are in low abundance, but that situation is likely to change if wet weather continues. Scout your own fields to learn what is active in your area. Good luck!

Background on the project

This growing season, the Pennsylvania Soybean Promotion Board is funding a Soybean Sentinel Plot Program, which is being managed by the Department of Entomology at Penn State and executed by Penn State Extension. In this effort, Penn State Extension Educators are regularly scouting about 25 'typical' soybean fields in about 20 counties across the state, reporting the populations of plant pathogens and insect pests that they find. Our goal is to inform the agricultural community about which pests are active across the state, so folks will have a sense of what to expect when they scout their own fields as part of an IPM program. It would be inappropriate to use these reports to justify insecticide applications.

In the reports below, pests that were found during scouting are listed with their severity, which is rated on a 1–10 scale with 10 being the highest. A severity score of 1 equates to 10% or less infestation or defoliation, a "2" aligns with 20% or less infestation or defoliation, and so on. Growers should be sure to check their own fields to determine their local populations, but these reports will indicate which pests are likely to be active in fields. Our reports are distributed via this weekly newsletter.

Reports

30 June 2025 – Butler County – Stephen Campbell

Field near Saxonburg

Growth Stage: V3

• Bean leaf beetle – Severity: 1
• Deer – Severity: 5
• No diseases noted

30 June 2025 – Beaver County – Stephen Campbell

Field near Fombell

Growth Stage: V2

• Japanese beetle – Severity: 1
• Bean leaf beetle – Severity: 1
• Slugs – Severity: 2
• Deer – Severity: 1
• No diseases noted

30 July 2025 – Perry County – Ashley Isaacson

Field near Duncannon

Growth Stage: R1

• Grasshoppers – Severity: 1
• Bean leaf beetle – Severity: 1
• Deer – Severity: 1
• No diseases noted

30 July 2025 – Columbia County – Anna Hodgson

Field near Bloomsburg

Growth Stage: R2

• Potato leafhopper – Severity: 1
• Beneficials present: Bumble bees, honey bees, lady beetles
• Sudden death syndrome – Severity: 1

27 June 2025 – Lebanon County – Del Voight / Tyler McFeaters

Two fields: one near Bellegrove, one near Annville

Growth Stage: R1

• Grasshoppers – Severity: 1 (Bellegrove)
• Silver-spotted skipper caterpillar – Severity: 1 (Bellegrove)
• Deer – Severity: 1 (Bellegrove)
• No diseases noted

25 June 2025 – Bradford County – Casey Guindon

Field near Columbia Cross Roads

Growth Stage: VC

• No insects and diseases noted

23 June 2025 – Beaver County – Stephen Campbell

Field near Fombell

Growth Stage: V1

• Slugs – Severity: 3
• Bean leaf beetle – Severity: 3
• Beneficials present: Wolf spiders
• No diseases noted

23 June 2025 – York County – Heidi Reed

Two fields: one near Stewartstown, one near New Park

Growth Stage: V3, V7

• Grasshoppers – Severity: 1
• Mexican bean beetle – Severity: 1 (New Park only)
• Japanese beetle – Severity: 1 (New Park only)
• No diseases noted