Category: Sorghum

Maryland Regional Crop Reports: May 2022

Western Maryland

Erratic weather patterns continue to dominate and challenge us here in Washington County. While we can still use precipitation, it has recently been coupled with wild temperature swings. In the 70s or low 80s and then back to the low fifties with nighttime temperatures on several occasions hovering near freezing. Triticale harvest is over half finished but very little corn has gone in the ground. First cutting alfalfa will begin early next week barring rain showers. First cutting hay of any kind looks like it will be below normal. Forever the optimist, second cutting will be better.—Jeff Semler, Washington Co.

Central Maryland

Small grain silage harvest is in full swing. Manure is being hauled and corn is being planted. Some soybeans have been planted. First cutting of hay may also start soon. Over the past month, most of the area has been at or above normal rainfall, according to the National Weather Service. Field work may slow down depending on much rain we get this weekend, but next week is forecasted to be drier and in the 70s. —Kelly Nichols, Montgomery Co.

Northern Maryland

The trend for April has been a continuation of March—cool temperatures that rarely want to move out of the 60s. As a result, the start of planting was about a 5-10 days later than usual for this region. Most planting kicked off the week of Easter. In general, small grains look good. Barley is headed out and wheat is a couple of weeks away. Some rye has been chopped for feed. Pastures and hay fields are enjoying the cooler temperatures.—Andy Kness, Harford Co.

Upper & Mid Shore

Soil moisture has been perfect for spring crops, field work, and planting. Soil temperatures have been a little cool for this time of year. Many acres of corn and beans have went in over the past week. Barley is fully headed and wheat will be in a few days. Both look good. Hay and pastures look good, but the cool weather has them a little behind normal.—Jim Lewis, Caroline Co.

Lower Eastern Shore

Wheat is starting to pollinate. It’s been a relatively dry spring, making for an average to above average wheat crop, with minimal disease pressure. Cover crops have been mostly terminated. However, where still standing, cover crops are looking great. These late-terminated cover crops should bring additional benefits to the fields, such as providing substantial organic matter to the soil, and in some cases releasing nitrogen on the soil surface. Growers have spread poultry manure. Weather has been relatively favorable these last couple of weeks for planting. Corn has started to be planted. Much more corn acreage is expected to be planted in the next weeks, to be followed by soybean planting.—Sarah Hirsh, Somerset Co.

Southern Maryland

The region has experienced good planting conditions over the last week. Corn planting progress is still a bit behind schedule with cooler soils limiting the number of early-planted acres. Most farmers are finishing up with corn planting and have started with soybean planting. Recent showers were welcome with soil conditions becoming slightly dry during the last couple of weeks. Wheat is in the early heading stage and many fields will be flowering by the time you read this. Farmers will be evaluating the need for a head scab fungicide in the next few days. Many wheat fields are exhibiting yellowing in the upper canopy that is not readily attributable to any disease. We are also seeing a lot of powdery mildew in the lower canopy, but very little in the upper canopy. Insect and disease pressure has been light so far. Forage crops look great this spring. Alfalfa weevil are very active this year and many fields required treatment. Pyrethroid resistance continues to be an issue for our growers. First cutting of cool season grasses is underway.—Ben Beale, St. Mary’s Co.

*Regions (counties):

Western: Garrett, Allegany, Washington. Central: Frederick, Montgomery, Howard. Northern: Harford, Baltimore, Carroll. Upper & Mid Shore: Cecil, Kent, Caroline, Queen Anne, Talbot. Lower Shore: Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico. Southern: St. Mary’s, Anne Arrundel, Charles, Calvert, Prince George’s

Scout Sorghum for Key Insect Pests

David Owens, Extension Entomology Specialist, University of Delaware | owensd@udel.edu
and Kelly Hamby, Extension Entomology Specialist, University of Maryland | kahamby@umd.edu

Although sorghum faces relatively few pests compared to our other grain crops, it is not a “plant and forget” crop. Sorghum is often grown on marginal ground, in areas with greater deer pressure, dryland fields, and as a rotational component for managing weed and disease pressure. Sorghum is generally a minor component of a farming operation, and as such is easy to overlook during the season, especially now as other pests are requiring more attention and corn is nearing harvest. However, there are two significant insect pests that need to be scouted for to avoid potential losses and both are active right now on Delmarva.

The first pest that has the greatest impact on sorghum is corn earworm (Figure 1), also known as sorghum headworm (among many other crop related common names). Heads that began pollinating within the last two weeks coincided with a significant increase in earworm activity, and last week, earworm spray thresholds were exceeded in some locations in Delaware. The best way to scout for earworm is to use a ‘beat bucket’ – traditionally a 2-5 gallon bucket, although a sweep net can serve in a pinch. Gently bend the head to fit inside the bucket and shake it against the sides of the bucket several times to dislodge worms. Do this for 10 heads in a location, and 5 locations per field. Keep notes on how many larvae are small (1/4 inch or less), mid-sized (1/4 – ½ inch) and large (>1/2 inch). Texas A&M has a useful sorghum threshold calculator that takes into account control costs, grain value, and heads per acre and calculates a threshold based on the number of medium and large larvae. If your field is over threshold, we have several good options for earworm. In a 2019 spray trial, the greatest worm reductions came from Carbaryl (1.5 qts), Lannate (1.1 pints), Besiege (8 fl oz), Prevathon (now Vantacor), and Baythroid XL (2.8 fl oz). Before treating sorghum for corn earworm or the next pest of interest, remember to read labels carefully; the label is the law.

Figure 1. Corn earworm adult.

The second pest of concern is the white sugarcane aphid (Figure 2). This is a relatively new pest, and should not be confused with yellow sugarcane aphid or corn leaf aphid, both of which are common but not damaging. Yellow sugarcane aphids are bright lemon yellow, larger, and have hairs. Corn leaf aphid is a darker green color and often present in the whorl before head emergence, but quickly disappears afterward. I think of it as a beneficial insect in sorghum because lady beetles and other natural enemies get established on corn leaf aphids early. White sugarcane aphid are small, pale white-yellow, and buildup large colonies under leaves. When it is present in a field, it is obvious. Aphids produce copious honeydew which attracts flies, bees, and butterflies. It can cause yield loss as late as soft dough, particularly in drought stressed fields. So far this year in Delaware, its populations have been spotty, slow to build, and our soils for the most part have adequate moisture. There are two thresholds: 40-150 aphids per leaf or 30% of plants with aphids and scattered areas of honeydew slicks present on the upper surface of a leaf just below the aphid colony. In 2019, we found our first sugarcane aphid on August 8. By September 11, the field averaged between 227 and 644 aphids per leaf! If you recall, September 2019 was oppressively hot and dry. In 2020, sugarcane aphids were detected at the end of July and several fields were treated. I am optimistic that they will not pose as much of a threat this year, but you need to be scouting. Pay attention to any fields that are pollinating or still have heads emerging (pretty much any field you would scout for corn earworm). If you deem a field needs treating, the only good options are Sivanto, Transform, and Sefina. Sivanto has a 2ee recommendation to use at 4 fl oz, although even lower rates will work very well. Lorsban and dimethoate annoy aphids for about a week before their population increases. Pyrethroids are completely ineffective. If sorghum is going to continue serving in your rotation, reach out to your agronomist – several varieties have some level of resistance or tolerance to aphids, and this far north, that may be all we need for late sorghum.

Figure 2. White sugarcane aphids.

September IPM Insect Scouting Tips

Emily Zobel, Senior Agriculture Agent Associate | ezobel@umd.edu
University of Maryland Extension, Dorchester County

Soybeans: Continue scouting for corn earworm, stink bugs, and soybean looper in double-crop fields. Defoliation thresholds at R5 are 15% and between 20 and 30% at R6. Corn earworm pheromone trapping information for Maryland can be found at https://extension.umd.edu/resource/corn-earworm-pheromone-trapping. NC State Extension has a good CEW threshold calculator can be used to help decide if it is worth treating: https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/CEW-calculator-v0.006.html. Stink bug thresholds are 5 bugs per 15 sweeps until the soybeans reach the R7 stage, after which treatment for stink bugs is not necessary.

As the month progresses and fields get closer to harvest, sample stems in any field with a history of Dectes stem borer issues. If the field has a large stem infestation, prioritize that field for as timely a harvest as possible to reduce loss due to lodging.

Sorghum: Sugarcane aphids have been found on the Eastern Shore. This week’s cooler weather should slow down their reproduction rate, but if we get some warm days in September, that might change. To scout, check the 50 plants in 4 different locations at least 25 feet into the field. If honeydew is present, check the upper and lower canopy of 15-20 plants for aphids. Treatment thresholds are when the field has an average of 50 and 125 aphids per leaf or 30% infested plants with localized areas with honeydew present. David Owen from UDel recommends using Sefina, Sivanto, and Transform for control. See Texas A&M “Scouting Sugarcane Aphids” handout for more information.

August IPM Insect Scouting Tips

Emily Zobel, Senior Agriculture Agent Associate | ezobel@umd.edu
University of Maryland Extension, Dorchester County

Soybean: Continue to scout for stink bugs, dectes stem borer, and defoliators (bean leaf beetle, Japanese beetle, grasshoppers, and caterpillars). Control may be needed if there is 15% defoliation from bloom through pod fill. Chemical control is not recommended for dectes stem borer since it would require multiple applications to reduce larval infestations, which is not economical. If a high number of adults are found, harvesting that field as soon as it matures will reduce losses associated with lodged plants.

With the upcoming hot weather there is an increased chance of spider mite outbreak in vegetable and soybean fields (Fig 1). Scout by using a hand lens to examine mid to upper canopy leaflets on two plants in twenty locations along the edges of the field. Consider treating if 10 % of plants have heavy stippling feeding damage on ⅓ of their mid and lower leaves.

The next flight of corn earworm (CEW) will be taking place soon. Bean fields with open canopies (wide rows), are drought-stressed, or have recently had an insecticide applied are at higher risk for CEW. CEW larvae can feed on flowers without impacting yields. NC State has a good economic threshold calculator to assist with management decisions: https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/CEW-calculator-v0.006.html.

Field Corn: Check for stink bugs around the edges. The threshold is 1 stink bug per 2 plants from pollen shed to blister stage. Treatment is not recommended past the blister stage.

Sorghum: Sugarcane aphids typically show up in fields late July and August. Check underside of leaves for insects. Honeydew will turn leaves shiny and is an easy to see indicator that aphids are present. Sugarcane aphids are light yellow with black cornicles, antennae, and feet. Thresholds depend on plant growth stage; at boot to milk, thresholds are 50 aphids per leaf on 25 – 30% of plants. There is documented resistance to resistance to pyrethroids.

Double Crop Beans, Not So Fast

Jeff Semler, Principal Agriculture Agent | jsemler@umd.edu
University of Maryland Extension, Washington County

With barley harvest behind us and wheat harvest in full swing, our thoughts move to planting double-crop soybeans. This might be a prudent decision in many cases, but if you need forage, it may be a short-sighted choice. I suggest you look into your toolbox and consider forage sorghum, millet, or even grain sorghum.

Members of the sorghum family can be a profitable alternative crop, provided that it is managed well and used in the right situations. For instance, forage sorghum is cheaper to produce, has comparable yields, but has slightly lower forage quality when compared to corn for silage. This crop has a lot of potential in forage/livestock systems used on many farms.

These crops are best adapted to warm regions and are known for their drought tolerance compared to corn. They have higher temperature requirements than corn. For example, the minimum temperature for sorghum growth is about 60°F, and the highest yields occur when the mean temperatures during the growing season are between 75°F and 80°F. Forage sorghums have even been grown successfully in short-season areas of the mid-Atlantic, where 95-day corn is considered full season. Forage sorghum growth can range from 5 to 15 feet tall, depending on the hybrid. Hybrids can be fertile and produce grain yields comparable to grain sorghum, or they can be sterile and produce no grain.

Forage sorghum usually does not regrow following harvest; unlike sorghum-sudangrass, sudangrass or pearl millet, forage sorghum is best adapted to a single-cut harvest for silage. Forage sorghum silage is usually slightly lower in energy than corn silage and is similar in protein. Yields of forage sorghums are comparable to corn and range from 15 to 30 tons per acre depending on the soil, weather, and the hybrid. Both grain sorghum and forage sorghum have more resistance to deer damage than does corn. Consequently, they are also adapted to fields where deer damage makes corn production unprofitable.

When planted in early July, sorghum-sudangrasses can produce several tons by mid-September, where millet will likely produce slightly less per acre. However, there are improved varieties of pearl millet that can produce similar forage yields. Sorghum-sudangrass because its large stems is best used for silage or balage. Pearl millet has slightly smaller stems which makes it the better choice for dry hay. Additionally, using a higher seeding rate may help to reduce stem size when the goal is making dry hay. The forage quality will depend on the stage of maturity at harvest. A good balance between yield and quality is to cut sorghum-sudangrass or pearl millet hay during the boot stage. Forage quality can range from 55 to 65% total digestible nutrients (TDN) and 6 to 10% crude protein when the plant is between the dough and boot stage.

Sudangrass may be best suited for grazing. Sudangrass usually has less yield potential than sorghum-sudangrass. It has smaller stems and will regrow after the initial grazing, resulting in equal or better yields in a grazing situation. Sudangrass also has less risk of prussic acid poisoning than sorghum-sudan. Pearl millet can also be used for grazing, and unlike sudangrass and sorghum-sudangrass, it does not produce prussic acid, which means that it can be grazed during the initial frost period. To avoid prussic acid poisoning when grazing sudangrass or sorghum-sudan, cattle should be removed before the first frost and can start grazing again seven days after the killing frost. Grazing can begin when sudangrass and pearl millet reach 15 to 20 inches in height, but cattle should be moved when stubble height reaches 6 to 8 inches to allow for regrowth. Do not start grazing sudangrass before it reaches 15 inches as there is a risk of prussic acid poisoning. If the growth is greater than 36 inches tall, harvesting as hay or silage may be best since grazing cattle will trample the forage and result in both waste and slow regrowth. Thus, if the goal is for late summer grazing, it may be advantageous to delay planting until mid to late July to ensure that the plants are at the desired stage for grazing.

Weed control could be minimal after small grain if your cereal crop were relatively clean. No-till or vertical tillage can be used to establish the crop.

If you need forage, one of these members of the sorghum family may be a better choice. Feed is one of the highest costs in livestock production, and these crops are a cost-effective alternative for dairy heifers and beef cattle.

 

Maryland Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1 (CFAP1) Bonus Payment

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) will issue a bonus payment to Maryland farmers based on a percentage (15%) of federal Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1 (CFAP1) funds received for the CFAP1 period that ended Sept. 11, 2020. Deadline for the bonus payment is December 1 at 5:00 PM. 

CFAP1 provides vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a 5% or greater price decline or who had losses due to market supply chain disruptions from COVID-19, and face additional significant marketing costs. The commodities covered are: aquaculture (finfish and crayfish), corn, cut flowers, dairy, livestock (excluding poultry), nursery, small grains, soybeans and specialty crops.

Applications will be online and must be completed by following this link: https://onestop.md.gov/forms/maryland-cares-act-cfap1-bonus-5f5bb7a9274b2e00fb5c9466

Early Fall Insect Scouting Guide and Tips

Emily Zobel, Agriculture Agent Associate
University of Maryland Extension, Dorchester County

Soybean: Keep scouting for stink bug, corn earworm, and leaf defoliators. Defoliation thresholds for R-stage soybean is 15-20% with defoliators present; however once the field has reached the R6 stage, defoliation thresholds can be relaxed. Bean leaf beetles may be found in fields but economic damage is rare in our area. Stink bugs will often aggregate in along fields edges, so make sure to check the middle of the field as well to see if the whole field needs to be treat or if you can just spot treat the edges. NC State Extension Stink Bug Economic Threshold Calculator can be used to help decide if it worth treating based on row with and bean type (https://soybeans.ces.ncsu.edu/stink-bug-economic-threshold-calculator/). As the month progress and fields get closer to harvest, sample stems in any field that have a history of Dectes stem borer issues. If your field has a large stem infestation, prioritize that field for as timely a harvest as possible to reduce loss due to lodging.

Sorghum: As fields reached the hard dough stages they are less likely to have sugarcane aphids. However, it worth keeping an eye out for honeydew, which can impended harvest, and aphids in any fields that were treated with an insecticide earlier this year and late fields that are younger than soft dough.

 

August Insect Scouting Tips

Read and follow all label requirements for insecticides.

Soybean: Continue checking for defoliators, such as bean leaf beetle, Japanese beetle, grasshoppers, and caterpillars. Control may be needed if there is 15% defoliation on plants from bloom through pod fill. As we move into the heat of the summer, keep an eye out on your aphid population, which may increase quickly. The summer generation of soybean podworms are emerging. Fields next to maturing corn, have open canopies, are drought-stressed, or have recently had insecticide applied are at high risk for podworms. While worm feeding on flowers will not impact yields, feeding during pod development can. North Carolina State University has a great economic threshold calculator (https://soybeans.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/CEW-calculator-v0.006.html) .

Alfalfa:  Continue scouting for leafhopper and blister beetles.

Sorghum: Sugarcane aphids showed up in fields last year in August. Check the underside of leaves for insects. The threshold is 50 aphids per leaf on 25 – 30% of plants. They have shown some resistance to pyrethroids.

Check head for head worms and fall armyworms once heads have started to flower. Check 10 spots per field, 5 plants per spot. An easy scouting method is to use a 5-gallon bucket and shake the head into it and then count the number of medium (1/4 – 1/2 inches) and large (> 1/2 inch) dislodged caterpillars. Texas A&M has a great threshold calculator that takes the grain price and treatment into consideration (https://extensionentomology.tamu.edu/sorghum-headworm-calculator/).

 

Special Alert: Growers Need to Scout for Soybean Podworms and Sorghum Headworms

Kelly Hamby1, Galen Dively1, David Owens2, Ben Beale3, Peter Coffey3, Andrew Kness3, Alan Leslie3, Erika Taylor3, Kelly Nichols3, Matthew Morris3, and Emily Zobel3

1University of Maryland Department of Entomology
2University of Delaware Extension Entomology
3University of Maryland Extension

Moth flight activity for the corn earworm, also known as the soybean podworm and one species of sorghum headworm, has increased during the past week. Pest pressure varies across the state and Delmarva region. The early surge in activity is attributed to the record temperatures during June and July, which have accelerated larval development and shortened the generation time of this insect. Corn earworm has already caused significant damage to ears of sweet corn and early planted field corn. Note that Bt hybrids expressing single or multiple Cry proteins no longer control earworms due to the development of resistance; only hybrids expressing the Vip3a Bt protein provide good ear protection. These hybrids represent a relatively small portion of the planted acreage. Thus, significantly more adult moths are now recruited in corn compared to levels a decade ago.

Corn earworms are strongly attracted to and prefer fresh corn silks for egg laying. Outbreaks in other crops often follow a midsummer drought, which causes the corn to ripen earlier and become less attractive to the moths. As early planted corn fields dry down, moths will move into other vegetable and grain crops.

Podworms in Soybeans:

Corn earworm feeding on soybean pod. Image: Clemson University
Corn earworm feeding on soybean pod.
Image: Clemson University

In soybeans, female corn earworm moths prefer to lay eggs in open-canopied, late-blooming fields, and are most attracted to soybeans for egg laying from flowering to early pod-set. Drought conditions also delay soybean maturity and prevent normal canopy growth, so peak moth activity is more likely to coincide with blooming of open-canopied fields. In irrigated fields, activity may be greater along pivot tracks and dry corners. Corn earworm larvae can damage flowers; however, because soybeans produce more flowers than needed, flowering sprays are rarely necessary. Podworms cause the most damage when large larvae are feeding on full seed pods with large seeds (see information from NCSU).

What to do? Scout bean fields, paying special attention to those fields with a more open canopy in areas where the nearby maturing corn is no longer attractive to earworm moths.

Sampling should start during mid-August and be repeated at least weekly in each field until a spray decision is made or the pods reach full maturity. Most fields are planted as narrow-row beans, so a 15-inch sweep net is the most practical way to sample for earworms. Walk along the rows, swinging the sweep net so that the opening passes through the foliage. The net is turned 180 degrees after each sweep as you advance with each step to swing the net through the foliage in the opposite direction. Each stroke is counted as one sweep. A series of 25 sweeps should be taken at each of 5 sites in every 40 acres.

Treatment is recommended when counts exceed 3 medium to large podworms per 25 sweeps in narrow row fields, or 5 podworms per 25 sweeps in wide row fields (20 inches or greater). The timing strategy is to wait until most of the larvae are 3/8 inch or more in length, and then treat when pod damage is first evident. This allows for most egg laying and hatching to occur before treatment and reduces the chances of a second spray being needed later. These static thresholds are based on long-term averages for control costs and soybean prices. North Carolina State extension has developed a dynamic online threshold calculator for corn earworm in soybeans that takes into account the sampling method (uses a 15 sweep rather than a 25 sweep sample), row spacing, cost for control, and the value of soybeans, which can be found at:

https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/CEW-calculator-v0.006.html

Since the 2008 season, numerous reports of control failures with pyrethroids (Group 3A) used for earworm control have been reported from the Mid-Atlantic region and states to our south. This insect has developed moderate to high levels of resistance to this class of insecticides, so growers need to consider other modes of action. If a pyrethroid (e.g., Brigade, Warrior, Mustang Maxx, Hero, Baythroid, Tombstone) is used, the highest labeled rate timed for small to medium, rather than large worms, is recommended. Alternative classes such as diamides (Group 28; e.g., Coragen, Prevathon), oxadiazines (Group 22A; e.g., Steward) and spinosyns (Group 5; e.g., Blackhawk, Radiant) will be most effective. These materials are also generally softer on beneficial insects which prey upon other late season soybean pests, such as soybean looper and stink bug. ALWAYS read and follow instruction on the pesticide label; the information presented here does not substitute for label instructions.

Headworms in Sorghum:

Corn earworm female in sorghum. Image: John C. French Sr
Corn earworm female in sorghum. Image: John C. French Sr

Headworms (corn earworm, fall armyworm, and sorghum webworm) are caterpillar pests that infest grain heads. Flowering or heading sorghum is attractive to corn earworm females for egg laying, and headworm issues have been reported in Southern Maryland this year. Headworms feed on the flowers and developing kernels and large larvae can cause significant yield loss.

What to do? Scout sorghum fields from the end of flowering until hard dough.

Sample heads by bending them into a clean white 5 gallon bucket and beating them to dislodge the headworms. Sample 10 heads per location and sample multiple locations per field. If most larvae are small (up to ¼ inch) sample the field again in 3 to 4 days.

Thresholds vary by the size and species of larvae and sorghum value. In general, 2 corn earworm larvae per head would warrant treatment, and Texas A&M has developed a dynamic online threshold calculator that incorporates cost of control, grain value, anticipated yield (heads/acre), and larval size, which can be found at:

https://agrilife.org/extensionento/sorghum-headworm-calculator/

As mentioned above, pyrethroids (Group 3A) offer poor to moderate control of corn earworm in the Mid-Atlantic, and will not control heavy infestations or large worms. If a pyrethroid (e.g., Brigade, Warrior, Mustang Maxx) is used, the highest labeled rate is recommended. Alternative classes such as diamides (Group 28; e.g., Prevathon), spinosyns (Group 5; e.g., Blackhawk, Tracer), or carbamates (Group 1A; e.g., Sevin, Lannate) will be most effective. Selective insecticides that are less damaging to beneficials are recommended, such as Prevathon (most recommended) or Blackhawk. ALWAYS read and follow instruction on the pesticide label; the information presented here does not substitute for label instructions.

While scouting for headworms, growers are encouraged to look for sugarcane aphid in sorghum as well. Virginia Tech reported the first confirmed identification of white sugarcane aphid in Amelia County on August 1st. For more information on sugarcane aphid see Agronomy News Volume 8 Issue 1. If sugarcane aphids are also present, we strongly advise using selective insecticides to preserve the natural enemies that slow sugar cane aphid population growth.

Further Resources:

North Carolina State Podworm Factsheet:

https://soybeans.ces.ncsu.edu/corn-earworm/

University of Delaware Weekly Crop Update:

https://sites.udel.edu/weeklycropupdate/

University of Delaware Insect Management:

http://extension.udel.edu/ag/insect-management/field-vegetables-fruit/

Virginia Tech Pest Management Field Crops Guide:

https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/456/456-016/456-016.html (Sorghum Headworm Section)

Sorghum Checkoff Headworm Guide:

https://www.sorghumcheckoff.com/newsroom/2016/03/28/headworms/

Sugarcane aphid found in VA sorghum – 2019:

https://blogs.ext.vt.edu/ag-pest-advisory/sugarcane-aphid-found-in-va-sorghum-2019/

Agronomy News Sugarcane Aphid Article:

https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/AgronomyNewsApril2017.pdf

Sulfoxaflor Registered for New Uses

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just issued a long-term approval for the insecticide sulfoxaflor, which the Agency has characterized as “an effective tool to control challenging pests with fewer environmental impacts.” The following information is from today’s EPA OPP Update.

“After conducting an extensive risk analysis, including the review of one of the agency’s largest datasets on the effects of a pesticide on bees, EPA is approving the use of sulfoxaflor on alfalfa, corn, cacao, grains (millet, oats), pineapple, sorghum, teff, teosinte, tree plantations, citrus, cotton, cucurbits (squash, cucumbers, watermelons, some gourds), soybeans, and strawberries.

EPA is providing long-term certainty for U.S. growers to use an important tool to protect crops and avoid potentially significant economic losses, while maintaining strong protection for pollinators,” said Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “Today’s decision shows the agency’s commitment to making decisions that are based on sound science.”

Sulfoxaflor is an important and highly effective tool for growers that targets difficult pests such as sugarcane aphids and tarnished plant bugs, also known as lygus. These pests can damage crops and cause significant economic loss. Additionally, there are few viable alternatives for sulfoxaflor for these pests. In many cases, alternative insecticides may be effective only if applied repeatedly or in a tank mix, whereas sulfoxaflor often requires fewer applications, resulting in less risk to aquatic and terrestrial wildlife.

EPA’s registration also includes updated requirements for product labels, which will include crop-specific restrictions and pollinator protection language.

*Background*

In 2016, following a 2015 decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacating the registration of sulfoxaflor citing inadequate data on the effects on bees, EPA reevaluated the data and approved registrations that did not include crops that attract bees. The 2016 registration allowed fewer uses than the initial registration and included additional interim restrictions on application while new data on bees were being obtained. Today’s action, adding new uses, restoring previous uses, and removing certain application restrictions is backed by substantial data supporting the use of sulfoxaflor.

For additional information, please visit the EPA website.