Soybean Sentinel Plot Report: July 14, 2026

Overview of reports from around Pennsylvania

We have reports from extension educators this week from nineteen fields in eleven counties. Their reports cover fields from growth stage V2 to R2, illustrating variability in the timing of planting and growing conditions. The reports indicate low insect and slug populations and very low disease populations in the soybean fields that we are scouting. As usual for this time of year, our reports identify bean leaf beetle, grasshoppers, and Japanese beetle as the main insect pests that are active, but some other pests like green cloverworm and silver-spotted skipper caterpillars were found. Downy mildew and Septoria brown spot were the diseases found. Unfortunately, deer and groundhogs are active in many fields. 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 your local populations, but these reports will indicate which pests are likely to be active in fields. Our reports are distributed via this weekly newsletter and are available via the Penn State Extension website (then search for "soybean sentinel plot").

Reports

13 July 2026 – Clarion County – JohnMark Miller

Field near Snively Corners

Growth Stage: V2

• No insect pests noted
• No diseases noted

13 July 2026 – Beaver County – Stephen Campbell

Field near Fombell

Growth Stage: V6

• Grasshopper – Severity: 1
• Japanese beetle – Severity: 1
• Deer – Severity: 1
• No diseases noted

13 July 2026 – Butler County – Stephen Campbell

Three fields: on near Marwood, one near Saxonburg, one near North Washington

Growth Stage: V4-R1

• Bean leaf beetle – Severity: 1
• Grasshopper – Severity: 1
• Japanese beetle – Severity: 1
• Slugs – Severity: 1
• Septoria brown spot – Severity: 1
• Deer – Severity: 1

13 July 2026 – Lancaster County – Heidi Reed

Field near Elizabethtown

Growth Stage: R1-2

• Grasshopper – Severity: 1
• Japanese beetle – Severity: 1
• Downy mildew – Severity: 1
• Septoria brown spot – Severity: 1
• Groundhog – Severity: 1

13 July 2026 – Franklin County – Tosh Mazzone

Field near Lemasters

Growth Stage: R2

• Bean leaf beetle – Severity: 1
• Grasshopper – Severity: 1
• Green cloverworm – Severity: 1
• Japanese beetle – Severity: 1
• Mexican beetle beetle – Severity: 1
• Soybean leafminer - Severity: 1
• No diseases noted
• Deer – Severity: 1

13 July 2026 – Dauphin County – Ashley Isaacson

Field near Killinger

Growth Stage: R2

• Bean leaf beetle – Severity: 1
• Grasshopper – Severity: 1
• Green stink bug – Severity: 1
• Japanese beetle – Severity: 1
• Silver-spotted skipper – Severity: 1
• No diseases noted

13 July 2026 – Centre County – Adriana Murillo-Williams

Field near State College

Growth Stage: R2

• Bean leaf beetle – Severity: 1
• Japanese beetle – Severity: 1
• Silver-spotted skipper – Severity: 1
• No diseases noted

7 July 2026 – Jefferson County – JohnMark Miller

Two fields: One near Sykesville, one near Troutville

Growth Stage: R1, V7, respectively

• Mexican beetle beetle – Severity: 1
• Groundhog – Severity: 1
• No diseases noted

7 July 2026 – Mercer County – Erin Cuprinka

Field near Mercer

Growth Stage: V3

• Japanese beetle – Severity: 1
• No diseases noted

7 July 2026 – Lebanon County – Del Voight / Brooke Coble, Helen Sleat

Three fields: one near Fredricksburg, one near Avon, one near Richland

Growth Stage: R1

• Bean leaf beetle – Severity: 1
• Green cloverworm – Severity: 1
• Japanese beetle – Severity: 1
• Slugs – Severity: 1
• Downy mildew – Severity: 1
• Groundhog – Severity: 1

7 July 2026 – Lebanon County – Del Voight / Brooke Coble, Helen Sleat

Four fields: one near Fontana, one near Annville, one near Bordnersville, one near Cornwall

Growth Stage: R1

• Bean leaf beetle – Severity: 1
• Grasshoppers – Severity: 1
• Japanese beetle – Severity: 1
• Deer – Severity: 2
• Groundhog – Severity: 2
• Septoria brown spot – Severity: 1