Soybean Aphid
Low soybean aphid risks remain in the forecast this week for fields in northeast Nebraska, eastern South and North Dakota, much of Minnesota, northern and central Iowa, northern Illinois, Wisconsin, northern Indiana, northern Ohio, lower Michigan, and southern Ontario, Canada. Favorable weather conditions across much of the upper Midwest and into the Great Lakes region has allowed some soybean aphid populations to increase in spots, but higher or near treatment threshold population reports are still pretty isolated or only a small portion of the field is near threshold. Growers are advised that many soybean fields are firmly within the critical reproductive growth stages where soybean aphid damage can result in yield loss. As a result, growers included within the risk region are encouraged to continue to actively scout fields until the field reaches past the R5 or R6 growth stage where economic damage directly caused by soybean aphids is no longer a concern. Some fields are already moving past critical growth stages especially along the southern fringe of the risk area, but late or re-planted fields may be at most risk this year and population dynamics should be monitored especially close in these fields in the weeks ahead as favorable weather may allow some continued population increases in isolated regions.