Ashley Dean

1 week ago | hpj.com | AShley Dean |Ashley Dean |Erin Hodgson |Dave Bergmeier

With above average temperatures this year, alfalfa weevil development is well ahead of schedule compared to recent years. Adults have already emerged from their overwintering sites to lay eggs in alfalfa stems throughout the southern half of Iowa, according to Integrated Crop Management News, and Iowa State University Extension and OutreachAdult alfalfa weevils become active and start laying eggs when temperatures exceed 48°F.

Jul 30, 2024 | m.farms.com | AShley Dean |Ashley Dean |Erin Hodgson

By Ashley Dean and Dr. Erin HodgsonGrasshopper activity in field crops has picked up recently, and these jumpy insects and their defoliation have caught the attention of crop scouts and agronomists across the state. Grasshoppers tend to thrive under dry conditions, and although most areas have received adequate moisture in 2024, consecutive drought years have likely led to higher than usual populations.

Jun 28, 2024 | agupdate.com | AShley Dean |Ashley Dean |Erin Hodgson

Japanese beetle development seems to be a bit ahead of schedule this year, which is not surprising with the warm temperatures this spring. Japanese beetle adults begin emergence when approximately 1,030 growing degree days have accumulated since January 1 and will continue emerging until 2,150 growing degree days have accumulated. Japanese beetle adults likely began emerging in the southern portion of Iowa recently, and emergence will likely occur late June or early July in northern Iowa.

Jun 3, 2024 | extension.iastate.edu | Erin Hodgson |AShley Dean |Ashley Dean |Chris Kick

AMES, Iowa – A pest that most corn farmers haven’t had to worry about since the late 1990s appears to be making a comeback. European corn borer (ECB) has largely been controlled thanks to Bacillus thuringiensis corn (better known as Bt corn), which was first introduced in 1996. But field-evolved resistance is showing up in several Canadian provinces and most recently, in Connecticut.

Jun 3, 2024 | m.farms.com | AShley Dean |Ashley Dean |Erin Hodgson

By Ashley Dean and Erin HodgsonStalk borer is an occasional pest of corn, but it can be persistent in some fields, especially those fields near perennial grasses that serve as overwintering sites (fence rows, terraces, and waterways are typical sources). Tracking degree days is a useful way to estimate when common stalk borer larvae begin moving into cornfields from their overwintering hosts.