08/01/2026
We are under attack for this week's . Pests are always a concern when producing crops or livestock. All varieties of critters can damage crops or parasitize animals in agriculture. I want to focus on the crop pests. Deer and other wildlife can eat young plants and destroy them. Mites, thrips, and other piercing insects can attack young plants and overcome them if they aren't treated. As plants grow in size and foliage, different pests become a concern. Stink bugs can sting developing ears of corn and cause significant yield loss and ear damage if untreated. They can also damage soybean pods as the seeds are developing. Worms are another big concern. Corn earworm will tunnel into corn and damage them if the corn does not have the Bt trait or the worms are not sprayed. Corn earworms also feed on soybean pods. There are other worms that feed on foliage, reducing the plant's ability to capture sunlight and shade developing fruits. Armyworms can defoliate a grass hay field in a matter of days if not controlled. To***co hornworms will do the same thing in to***co and tomatoes. That being said, farmers have a lot of options to control pests. We use an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. We scout our crops, count the level of various pests present, and compare this to economic thresholds set by university extension and industry to make a decision on whether treatment is required or not. This ensures we are not spraying just to spray or costing ourselves money by spraying if it is not needed. These thresholds vary by crop, by pest, and stage of development. We also rely on beneficial insects to control the pests when possible. For example, an aphids worst nightmare is a ladybug. Certain wasps will feed on worms and even lay their eggs on them to feed the larvae. I. The case of hornworms, a specimen that has been parasitized by wasps only eats about 1/5 the amount of a healthy worm. They count as 1/5 of a worm when scouting. All of these factors weigh in to the decision to apply a pesticide or not. Some pesticides are naturally occurring. Others often longer lasting residual control. Still others are contact killers with no residual activity. The product we choose depends on weather conditions, time of year, and level of infestation. All products have a Pre Harvest Interval, or PHI. This is the amount of time after and application that you must wait before harvesting the grain, fruit, vegetable, or leaves. These intervals can vary from just a few hours to 45 days, or even longer. All of this must be taken in to consideration before making an application. Pesticides are just another tool in the toolbox to produce food, feed, and fiber that is safe and affordable.
When you see a farmer spraying, it can be scary if you don't know what they are spraying. I assure you they are not spending the time and money on fuel and product haphazardly. There are so many things that can go wrong when trying to produce a crop. Drought, flood, weeds, bugs, insects, and diseases all can reduce yields. Protecting the crop from as many of these as possible is critical to success. Otherwise, pests like this one pictured below will literally eat up any potential for profits. Don't be alarmed at the first worm you see, but don't forget about it either. Until next week, may you be as well fed as this specimen. God bless you! As always, .
