Now is the time to watch for insects clipping heads in small grains.
Farmers have reported grain heads scattered on the ground of small grain fields in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Penn State entomology specialist John Tooker notes that two insects are known to cause this clipping damage in wheat and barley fields.
The insects look alike at first glance but are very different. Both start by feeding on leaves, then move to the stem just below the grain head.
First, you may be used to true armyworm as a pest of young corn plants, but it can sometimes be a problem in small grains.
This species does not overwinter in Pennsylvania. It migrates into our area every spring, and moths lay eggs on grasses, including cover crops and small grains.
True armyworm caterpillars are dark colored with two or more yellowish stripes down their sides, and they have four pairs of prolegs (leglike stubs) about halfway down their bodies. They feed at night and hide during the day by the base of plants in the leaf litter.
The economic threshold is six larvae per square foot of field.
The second pest is grass sawfly. It looks like a caterpillar but is actually the larva of a sawfly.
Source: lancasterfarming.com
Photo Credit: pexels-nikolett-emmert
Categories: Pennsylvania, Business, Crops, Livestock