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Relatively mild conditions could impact insect pressure

Asgrow/DEKALB Agronomist Dave Colbert says growers could face more insect pressure in the 2019 growing season because of the relatively mild conditions in parts of the Midwest this winter.

“Things like flea beetle, things like stink bug- those insects are on the rise and with this mild winter this may increase their survivability,” he says.

He tells Brownfield growers with cover crops are especially susceptible to insect pressure.

“The cover crops almost act as a magnet for all these insects,” he says. “Yes, they’re helping the soil structure with the cover crop, but they’re also inviting a lot more challenges that they have to manage. They can do it, they just have to think about it.”

He says this could change with the winter storm that is expected to hit parts of the Midwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Mississippi Valley this weekend.

Audio: Dave Colbert, Asgrow/DEKALB