by SUSAN MANN
If you have the greenest, most advanced winter wheat fields in your area watch out for armyworms.
That’s because armyworm moths can “actually sense how green the field is and they will lay their eggs in the greenest or the best fields,” Ontario agriculture ministry cereals specialist Peter Johnson says.
This year there is significant armyworm pressure in some fields but it’s not everywhere, Johnson says. One particularly hard hit area is the north shore of Lake Erie as armyworm moths fly into Canada on the trade winds from the United States.
But “we’ve had reports of heavy armyworm pressure from Niagara Falls to Windsor to as far north as Exeter,” he notes.
Johnson recommends farmers get out into their field and scout at dusk so they can act before the larvae get too big to control. The threshold is five larvae per square foot under one inch in length.
One unusual feature about this year is “there is quite an extended range of armyworm out there” whereas normally there is just one flush of the pests, he says. On the more advanced fields, the armyworms are already quite large and beyond control.
Once the armyworm larvae are more than one inch long the damage is effectively done. They don’t feed much more after they get to that size. When they’re about an inch and a half long they pupate, become moths and fly off to Quebec.
For some of the less advanced fields, the armyworms are extremely small, just one-quarter of an inch long, but are at quite high numbers. They need to be sprayed. “Don’t let them feed on the leaves forever,” he advises.
Johnson says this year’s armyworm infestation isn’t as bad as the one five years ago when growers didn’t catch it early enough in many fields. Farmers spayed anyway “because their wheat had no leaves left on it.” But once they’re an inch and a quarter long, it’s too late to spray them.
In addition to wheat, Johnson says they’re seeing armyworm damage in forages and a little bit in corn. For wheat, armyworms feed on the plants’ leaves. They can also start feeding on the bottom of the heads and chewing through the stems. That causes the heads to fall off. BF
Comments
Some forage stands are totally decimated in Haldimand County.
Norfolk Co. also has been hit. I personally lost about 2/3 of my crop. Given the warm spring and light winter will there be a second generation of theses worms this year? Does anyone know if the worms will also effect the 2nd and posssibly 3rd cuts? Should I be spraying this fall for worms to prevent this next year?
I FOUND THEM IN MY GARDEN, THEY WERE EATING THE LETTUCE, RADISHES, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT ONION TOPS. THE GARDEN IS HALF SURROUNDED BY A HAY FIELD AND IT HAS ALSO BEEN DESTROYED. WE ARE NORTH OF GODERICH.
Went to look at the last 25 ac. field that we need to cut tonight and within 2 days the army worms have moved in and ate all the leaves off
Call Joe Bagg, forage specialist at OMAFRA.
Maybe this might be a topic for Better Farming to pursue?
I too would like to know.
While the army worms have left our forage fields alone as they are mostly alfalfa, and apparently army worms don't like alfalfa, one of our flower patches was mowed down. The worms were hiding in the dirt during the day and chowing down at night. Live and learn.
Bruce north has been hit-army worms in wheat fields
For several weeks from mid June until last week we were hit with the moth stage of these insects. We opened up the cottage in Lowbanks (right on the lake) one day, and we found several in the house...dead. But then every night we had to guard the doors each time someone came in or out. When the lilghts were on in the cottage, it was horrible, and scary. It almost seems like it is going to be either the 2nd or 3rd generation of these pests. I contacted the Ministry and reported this horrid incident because of huge corn and soybean farming in our area. I have not received a reply. Jean Luck
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