“Apres moi, le deluge” is legendary quote from King Louis XV of France. Allegedly he said this with regard to what would happen to France after his death; After me, the flood. 15 years after a reign that saw the loss of wars, territory etc., the French Revolution broke out.   Today on the soybean aphid podcast, we turn this title around (after the rains, us) to discuss the consequences of the June rains that have dropped as much as 6 inches in a 72 hour period. Unlike the terrible decisions of King Louis, these rains can have a benefit to farms by limiting the impact of some pests, espe ..read more

Today, Matt and Erin recap current soybean planting progress in Iowa. They also talk about recent armyworm activity in soybean and  considerations for management. Finally, the podcast wraps up with a quick summary of a symposium organized for neonicotinoid seed treatments in field crops from last week.  ..read more

This record-breaking podcast is the second of the day for Erin and Matt. We interview Dr. Jen White from the University of Kentucky to better understand how endosymbionts interact and influence insects, and ultimately how it can help with pest management.  ..read more

In this episode, Matt and Erin podcast from Manhattan, KS to share highlights from the NCB-ESA meeting. We talk with Alice Vossbrinck, OSU graduate student, about her lady beetle study in the agricultural landscape. To learn more about research in the Gardiner lab, go here: http://ale.cfaes.ohio-state.edu/. Find out more about the Buckeye Lady Beetle Blitz here: http://bit.ly/1RHI72I ..read more

Today, Matt and Erin invite grad student, Mike Dunbar, to share his recent experience of true armyworm in a cornfield with a rye cover crop. Read more about true armyworms here: http://bit.ly/1QawkYf. Also, we have a brief discussion on slug management. Read more about slugs here: http://bit.ly/1HcZTUi ..read more

Today, Matt and Erin talk about potential soybean seedling pests, including bean leaf beetle, slugs and black cutworm. They also shared some details about Pollinator Fest, a special event to promote pollinators on June 20. Find out more here: http://www.reimangardens.com/event/pollinator-fest ..read more

On a special episode of the podcast, we are visited by Dr. Donald Lewis who asks; "Will the soybean aphid outbreak bring more lady beetles". This hard-hitting question is answered, to the best of their ability by Matt and Erin.  The lady beetle in question, is the multi-colored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis. This is a beneficial insect in soybean fields but a pest in our homes.  ..read more

Today, Matt and Erin talk about an old pest that is new again. European corn borer is making a comeback in some non Bt-corn. Identification and management are important for timely foliar insecticide applications. Also, Erin saw a small plot with increasing soybean aphid populations - it was also noted in other research plots compared to last week. Lastly, they talk about the potential usefulness of UAVs for making management decisions in field crops. The link Matt mentioned: http://n.pr/1GjpPBx ..read more

Yes, Phil, they are spraying for aphids in Iowa. Erin and I discuss where in Iowa soybean aphid outbreaks are occurring and the factors that help explain some of the variation in aphid populations between fields. The occurrence of two other pests are noted. Finally, Matt was interviewed on Agribusiness Reports about his lab's work on efforts to conserve bees. For more info see: (Skip to 1:49): http://whotv.com/2013/08/27/agribusiness-hot-weather-threatens-promising-hog-market/ (Skip to 0:35): http://whotv.com/2013/08/28/agribusiness-researcher-says-bee-habitats-have-multiple-benefits-for-gro ..read more

We are getting close to the end of the season and soybean aphids have exceeded the threshold level in northern Iowa. Erin has come back from spraying research plots to share with us updates on timing, product choice and assessing the need for an insecticide during this aphid outbreak. Also, Matt is going to be interviewed by WHO-TV this Friday. Look for a segment either Friday nite or during the weekend (23-25 Aug) about conserving bees.And finally, this episode is dedicated to Robert Pettis, our #1 fan.  ..read more