Dry Weather Decreases Risk for Wheat Midge in 2021
Janet Knodel, Guest Writer
Soil samples in North Dakota indicate lower levels of overwintering wheat midge larvae (cocoons) for the 2021 season, says Janet Knodel, North Dakota State University Extension entomologist.
A total of 2,050 soil samples were collected from 22 counties in the fall of 2020 to estimate the statewide risk for wheat midge in the 2021 field season. The distribution of wheat midge is based on unparasitized cocoons found in the soil samples.
“The majority of the soil samples, 86%, had zero wheat midge cocoons in the soil,” Knodel says. “This is the record low since the wheat midge larval survey for overwintering cocoons started back in 1995. In 2018, we had another year with 84% of the soil samples with no cocoons.”
Soybean producers and crop advisers will have an opportunity to learn about soybean production management issues during the 2021 Getting it Right in Soybean Production online conference that North Dakota State University Extension, with support from the North Dakota Soybean Council, is holding from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17.
“Crop production depends on many decisions, and new research-based production information is generated annually,” says Hans Kandel, Extension agronomist for broadleaf crops. “Therefore, it is important for producers to gain as much practical knowledge as possible. This soybean educational event will provide tips and suggestions that can help producers with soybean production decisions for the 2021 growing season.”