Japanese Beetle Infiltration
Norborne farmer Rob Korff providede this photo showing a cluster of Japanese Beetles eating corn silks.
Over the past couple weeks Japanese Beetles have become more prominent throughout the Show Me State. The bugs have emerged three weeks earlier than usual. The pest was first discovered in Missouri in 1935 but they’ve primarily remained in urban areas since that time. Agronomist Wayne Crook says they began infiltrating smaller communities about a decade ago…
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University Extension has been monitoring traps west of Marshall, Missouri for Japanese Beetles. Six years ago the devices were catching 20 to 30 per day. This year the contraptions have captured over 12-thousand in a single day. There’s not much on the natural side to defeat the intruder….
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As the species expands its coverage area, Crook says the best mode of action is to stay alert…
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The pest resembles a green June bug in coloration but the Japanese Beetle is only about a half inch in length.
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Though the insect will eat over 400 species of plants, Crook says there are a few things they favor…
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Which means the beetle is typically found in clusters.
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According to Crook, the insect has claimed another title with its expansion…
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Tassels and developing silks of corn can be severely damaged and disrupt pollination which will result in a substantial yield loss. In field corn, an insecticidal treatment is justified if during the silking period an average of 3 or more beetles are present per ear tip, silks have been clipped to ½ inch or less, and pollination is less than 50% complete. In soybeans, foliage feeding is less damaging but can be significant. For soybeans, insecticide treatment is justified if foliage feeding exceeds 20% – 30% prior to bloom and 10% – 20% from bloom through pod fill. Farmers should lower threshold numbers if the beans are under drought stress.
