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To Be On The Lookout For The Kudzu Bug

On August 19, 2017

To Be On The Lookout For The Kudzu Bug

Back in 2013, there was a burst of interest in a new exotic soybean pest that was approaching Pennsylvania. This pest species is known as bean platasipid (Megacopta cribraria), but is commonly referred to as kudzu bug for its tendency to feed upon kudzu, an exotic invasive weed common in the southern US and up into the Mid-Atlantic state. Extension Entomologist John Tooker tells us in the southeastern US kudzu bug has become a serious pest of soybeans. This stink bug species is much smaller than typical stink bug and has a different shape . It was discovered in Georgia in 2009 and has since spread throughout the southeast and is heading north.

This species had been found in Maryland in previous years feeding on kudzu, but just last week, entomologists announced that they found kudzu bug adults and egg masses on soybeans in Beltsville, Maryland. This is the first record of kudzu bug on soybeans in Maryland, raising the potential for it to appear in Pennsylvania soon. So our message today is just to remind you of this pest species, and to keep an eye out for it. If you find it, please let us know. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Penn State Extension are very interested to know if it is here.

For more information and images, see https://www.kudzubug.org/

To Attend Home Drinking Water and Septic System Workshops

Penn State Extension will be hosting Drinking Water and Septic System Workshops to be held at the Colerain Township Building, 1803 Kirkwood Pike, Kirkwood, PA 17536 on Friday, September 27, 2017, 1:00-3:00 pm and at the Terre Hill Community Center, 131 Main Street, Terre Hill, PA 17581 on Friday, September 27, 2017, 6:00-8:00 pm. Wells supply water to over 53,000 homes in Lancaster County, mostly in suburban and rural areas. Many residents also use on-lot septic systems to treat and dispose of wastewater. This workshop will provide information on protecting, testing, and treating private water supplies. Also discussed will be septic system inspection and maintenance. Learn how to protect your family and community, your property, and our shared ground and surface water resources.

Free drinking water screening for coliform bacteria, E. coli, pH, total dissolved solids, and nitrate will be provided for the first 30 households to register. Results from simple tests will serve as a guide to future testings by accredited labs. Sample collection instructions will be provided after you register.

The workshop is free but registration is required. Register online at
http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/water/courses/home-water-and-septic-system-workshop or contact the Penn State Extension Lancaster office at (717) 394-6851<tel:(717)%20394-6851>. Registration deadline: September 25 at 4:00 pm.

Both events are being supported by the Master Well Owner Network grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection and the PA Ground Water Association.

The Kirkwood workshop is being offered in partnership with the Octoraro Source Water Collaborative and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. The Terre Hill workshop is being offered in partnership with the ELANCO Source Water Collaborative.

For more information please contact Leon Ressler, Penn State Agronomy Educator, (717) 394-6851< (717)20394-6851>.

To Scout Soybean Fields For Invasive Pigweeds

This is the time of year that that you will start to notice infestations of the new invasive pigweeds as they climb above the soybean canopy after surviving the POST herbicide program.

Extension Agronomist Annie Klodd explains the first reaction for most is to look for an herbicide solution, but this can be challenging. These populations are glyphosate resistant and maybe ALS or group 2 herbicide resistant (Pursuit, Classic, etc.). Potential active soybean products are usually members of the Group 14 or PPO inhibitors like Cobra, Flexstar/Reflex, Cadet/Marvel, and Ultra Blazer, which can be effective on small seedling pigweeds. However these herbicides will not kill these large more mature plants. In addition, with some exceptions, most products should be applied no later than R2 (flowering) – Of the Group 14 herbicides, Cobra (lactofen) allows application up to 45 days before harvest or R6 (full seed), Cadet or Marvel, 60 days, Flexstar/Flexstar GT/Reflex 45 days, and Ultra Blazer 50 days before harvest. Even Liberty, which can be applied up to 45 days before harvest to Liberty Link soybeans, or the new dicamba products which can be applied up to R1 for Xtend soybeans (Xtendimax, Fexapan, and Engenia) will not control these large escaped weeds. With smaller infestations, consider walking the fields and removing the weeds by hand.

The Pennsylvania Soybean Board along with PA soybean growers provided some financial support for some new educational tools last year. One is a 40 gal recycled paper bag that is to be used for bagging and burning or burying large pigweed plants (BAG IT!) to prevent seed production and spread. Keep a few of these in your pickup. With small severe infestations, you may consider destroying the crop and the weeds by mowing and/or herbicide application.

On dairy farms, perhaps the soybeans (and corn) could be harvested for silage, which may occur prior to Palmer amaranth seed production. Harvesting all plant material and ensiling should also kill some of the weed seeds that could be present as we move into the fall.

It is very important NOT to allow Palmer amaranth seed to spread beyond the current infestation and to try to reduce the potential for new seed production. The potential to spread this problem at harvest via the combine is great, so anything that can be done to control the pigweeds prior to crop harvest is imperative. For more information, visit our website (http://extension.psu.edu/pests/weeds/palmer-amaranth) for the latest invasive pigweed management options.

To Plant Cover Crops

The summer is drawing to an end and it is time to plant cover crops! Extension Agronomist Sjoerd Duiker explains many cover crops need to be planted early to derive substantial benefit from them. Radishes have to be planted in August to develop a deep root system that can increase porosity and draw nitrates from deep in the soil profile to bring them up to the topsoil to be used by next year’s corn, oats, sorghum or sudangrass crop. Oats should be planted now as well to put on substantial growth that can even be grazed or harvested this fall prior to winter-kill. Crimson clover and hairy vetch need to be planted in August or early September to develop enough growth to come through the winter and fix atmospheric nitrogen for next year. Annual ryegrass should be planted preferably before mid-September to come to the winter successfully.

Winter-hardy small grain cover crops rye, triticale, and wheat are planted later but it is important to have the seed on the farm to enable planting right after harvest. For wheat, it is important to respect the hessian fly-free date, which varies from early September to early October in Pennsylvania (http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/hessian-fly-on-wheat), and/or consider getting resistant varieties.

Beyond Hessian fly, for small grains, including wheat, it is good to be mindful of aphids and the risk of planting too early. The earlier that small grain cover crops are planted, the greater likelihood that they could colonized by aphids, which have the potential of vectoring viruses, like barley yellow dwarf virus, to the cover crop, which could be then move to small grains being raised for grain.

Quote Of The Week: “Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture.” Mark Kurlansky