New County Detections for Soybean Gall Midge are Underway
Date: 8/28/2024
A total of 13 new counties have been found so far this year for soybean gall midge. See the “Distribution” page for more information. Three in Iowa, eight in Nebraska, one in Minnesota and one in South Dakota. This is a good time to scout your soybean fields and watch for white or yellow sweet clover in the ditch. If you find gall midge, “Contact” your state entomologist.
Past studies have shown that peak larval numbers for the season typically occur in late July and early August. These large numbers of larvae often raise questions about management at this point in the season. Managing soybean gall midge this late in the season isn’t recommended for several reasons. First, adult emergence cages in the current year’s soybean field in east-central Nebraska have shown that adults are emerging almost daily from now until late-August. Second, the larvae are hidden within the stem, and as a result, foliar insecticide applications are unlikely to reach them. Lastly, a field study conducted at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center over the last couple of years showed that soybean gall midge was unable to cause a significant impact on soybean yields when infestations occurred after R2.
Although management isn’t recommended, the next few weeks are a good time to scout soybean fields for the presence of larvae. Soybean fields do not have to show signs of wilting or dead plants to have a significant infestation of soybean gall midge. To scout a field, you should look at the base of a soybean plant between the first two rows that are adjacent to a field that was soybean the previous year. There are several videos on the “Scouting for Soybean Gall Midge” webpage.
Thank you to the USDA NIFA, North Central Soybean Research Program, Nebraska Soybean Board, Minnesota Rapid Response Agricultural Fund, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, and our Industry Partners for funding soybean gall midge research.
Wilting and dead plants from soybean gall midge feeding in Lancaster County, NE. Photo taken on July 19th, 2024. Credit: Justin McMechan
Grower Survey of Soybean Gall Midge and Dectes Stem Borer
Dr. Doug Golick from the University of Nebraska is conducting a survey on the opinion of soybean producers on emerging pests. As a subscriber of the soybean gall midge alert network website, I would like to inform you that a link to this survey is available for you to provide your opinions on emerging soybean pests in Nebraska. Participation in this survey will take about 15 minutes to complete. If you are interested in participating in this study, follow the link to the survey here:
https://go.unl.edu/soybeanpestsurvey2024
There are no known risks involved in this research. If you have any questions regarding this research, please let me know. You can reach Doug at dgolick2@unl.edu. For questions concerning your rights or concerns about the research, please contact the UNL Institutional Review Board (IRB) at 402-472-6965 or irb@unl.edu.
Wilting and Dead Plants in East-Central NE Counties
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Wilting and Dead Plants in East-Central NE Counties - Tap/Click Map to Enlarge -
White larvae found on soybean plants near Mead, NE on June 14th, 2023.
Photo taken by Justin McMechan.
Unmanned aerial vehicle photo of soybean gall midge injured field in Cass County, NE taken on August 26th, 2020.
Photo courtesy of Nick Tinsley (Bayer Crop Science)
White and orange larvae found on soybean near Mead, NE on June 19th, 2023
