News

Japanese beetles a problem in soybeans this year

An entomologist says Japanese beetles are more of a problem for farmers this season because of expanding populations and pressure from other insects.

Andy Michel with Ohio State University tells Brownfield Japanese beetles have spread out from the eastern Corn Belt over the past decade, leading to significant defoliation of soybeans in recent years.

“It’s not just Japanese beetles, they’re part of a defoliation complex.  Different areas of the Corn Belt have bean leaf beetles, grasshoppers, and it’s just that complex of defoliation that if it gets to be too much of a level, it gets to be a really big problem.”

He says soybeans planted late are most susceptible.

“Typically when our soybeans might be at R1 (at this stage of the growing season), I’ve seen soybeans in Ohio that barely get up past my knees.  When they’re small, they don’t have a lot of leaf material (which) really stresses them.  And I think that’s where we’re seeing a lot more issues with Japanese beetles this year.”

He says normal threshold levels for Japanese beetles in soybeans are 40 percent leaf loss before bloom stage, 15 percent from bloom to pod fill, and 25 percent until maturity.

Michel adds Japanese beetles rarely impact corn, with defoliation typically occurring on the edges of fields.

 

 

 

 

 

Add Comment

Your email address will not be published.


 

Stay Up to Date

Subscribe for our newsletter today and receive relevant news straight to your inbox!