News

Dealing with soybean aphids

Minnesota Soybean director of research David Kee recommends a calculated approach to dealing with aphids.

“First off, we don’t just manage for economics.  We manage for resistance, effectiveness (and) efficacy.  It’s (about) more than just making a buck.  It’s about making a buck this year, next year and the year after.  And about sustainability too.”

He calls aphids the number one pest problem for soybean farmers, but says treatment should only occur when there are more than 250 insects per plant.

“Some people say as low as five to ten (percent of the plant covered).  But at that level of application, you essentially nuke the field with your pesticide and take out all the (aphid) predators; all the friendlies that help keep aphid levels down.”

Kee tells Brownfield unnecessary use of insecticides increases the risk of resistance, especially to pyrethroids, which was documented in Minnesota last year.

He says farmers should continue monitoring fields as he expects aphid levels to climb.