Crop diseases and pests : article
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Despite suspending all face-to-face programming due to COVID-19, University of Missouri Extension recognizes the continued need to provide university research and knowledge to help farmers and consumers alike.
Farmers faced challenges during the 2023 drought as soybean diseases like sudden death syndrome, red crown rot, and charcoal rot exhibited similar symptoms.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri livestock and forage specialists are reporting ergot infestations that can cause major losses in livestock, said MU Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri soybean farmers should be on the lookout for several species of stink bugs in 2025, says University of Missouri Extension state crops entomologist Ivair Valmorbida.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Killing common annual weeds in winter wheat may or may not be a good financial decision, especially when input costs are high, says University of Missouri Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley.Winter wheat is one of the most competitive crops planted, Bradley says.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Big changes are coming for private pesticide applicator training next year.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers, livestock owners and gardeners across the state report that blister beetles are appearing in large numbers this summer, says Pat Miller, University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist. Blister beetles produce a toxin that can harm livestock.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension state crops entomologist Ivair Valmorbida and state soybean specialist Andre Reis hosted a group of influential farmers and crop consultants from Brazil on July 19-20 in Columbia.
WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Citrus greening is a devastating disease affecting trees across the globe. Research by University of Missouri Extension agricultural engineering specialist Shirin Ghatrehsamani may provide the key to overcoming citrus greening.
Musk and bull thistles have spread across Missouri fields, requiring control. Learn strategies for thistle management, including mowing and biological methods.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – It may be too early to think about replanting corn yet, but it’s a good time to look at guides from University of Missouri Extension or seed dealers, said MU Extension agronomy specialist Bill Wiebold.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – April’s cold start in Missouri has limited fieldwork and delayed planting for farmers and gardeners.
The persistent cold “was nothing short of amazing,” said University of Missouri Extension climatologist Pat Guinan.
Wheat in southeast Missouri is near or at flowering, which suggest that wheat in many other regions of the state is roughly 1 to 2 weeks away. Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) (Figure 1) is a disease that can cause yield loss, reduced test weights, and reduced seed quality in wheat.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A flurry of calls and emails from homeowners about the brown marmorated stink bug to University of Missouri Extension specialists sounds a warning of what is to come in in the next two years.
COLUMBIA, Mo.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension horticulturists ask the public not to plant unsolicited seeds received in the mail.
MU Extension horticulturist Kelly McGowan says she has had recent reports from Springfield-area residents who have been mailed seeds they did not order.
JACKSON, Mo. – The warmer weather has prompted alfalfa weevil larvae to start feeding early, which means growers should be scouting the crop.
Anthony Ohmes, University of Missouri Extension agronomy field specialist, says now through April is the time to walk alfalfa fields to look for larvae…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – As the 2025 growing season approaches, many growers will consider using drones to spray their fields.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Japanese beetle populations are peaking throughout the state just as corn is silking, says University of Missouri Extension field crops entomologist Kevin Rice.Japanese beetles cause severe economic losses on farms and disappointment in home gardens.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension state plant pathologist Mandy Bish reports confirmation of red crown rot, a yield-robbing soybean disease, in Marion County in northeastern Missouri.
Those attending the July 10 University of Missouri Crop and Pest Management Field Day in Columbia can bring plants for early-season disease diagnosis. Peng Tian, director of the MU Plant Diagnostic Clinic, says it is a great opportunity for corn, soybean and wheat growers to receive free diagnostic…
COLUMBIA, Mo.
PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension researchers have confirmed the first case of glufosinate-resistant Palmer amaranth in Missouri’s Bootheel region.Palmer amaranth has been MU Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley’s No. 1 weed to watch in the rest of the state for years.
The University of Missouri’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to strengthen its reach to diverse clientele with sustainable pest management practices.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – An exotic pest that hitchhikes on train cars, trucks and boats could suck the life out Missouri crops.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Drones are higher in quality and lower in price than they were just a few years ago when farmers began using them, says University of Missouri Extension natural resources engineer Kent Shannon.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri corn and soybean growers are reporting growing numbers of Japanese beetles in crops in recent weeks, says University of Missouri Extension state entomologist Ivair Valmorbida.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists will share the latest pest management research July 10 at the Crop and Pest Management Field Day, says MU Extension state weed scientist Kevin Bradley. The annual event will be at Bradford Research Farm in Columbia.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension state crops entomologist Ivair Valmorbida expects that growers will see corn leafhoppers again in 2025.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension field crop entomologist Kevin Rice says Missouri soybean and corn growers should be on the lookout for growing populations of yield-robbing insects in 2021.
Soybean gall midge
MU Extension found soybean gall midge in two northwestern Missouri…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new University of Missouri Extension publication offers corn growers help in identifying Missouri’s newest corn pest, the corn leafhopper.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri farmers have a new tool to alert them to insects, crop diseases and other important information from University of Missouri Extension specialists.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri’s Pest Monitoring Network offers free text alerts to notify farmers when insects are active in specific locations, says MU Extension entomologist Kevin Rice.
University of Missouri Extension will offer online noncertified restricted-use pesticide (NRUP) applicator training on June 18. The course comes in response to new Environmental Protection Agency guidelines on training for loaders, mixers and handlers of restricted-use pesticides working in a…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension is offering online town hall meetings led by agronomy, livestock and horticulture specialists.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Attendees at the July 10 University of Missouri Crop and Pest Management Field Day in Columbia will hear updates on how spray drones are modernizing agriculture and what to expect when using these devices for weed control.
PALMYRA, Mo. - Producers in northeastern Missouri can hear crop and forage updates from University of Missouri Extension specialists at a free event in August.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension horticulturists are asking the public to report unsolicited seed deliveries.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management has issued its first pest alerts of the growing season.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Sam Polly, coordinator of University of Missouri Extension’s Pesticide Safety Education Program, wants to make Missouri a safer place that allows Missouri’s agricultural economy to continue to grow.
CLARK, Mo. – On Friday mornings at the Clark Produce Auction, University of Missouri Extension agronomist Dhruba Dhakal sets up a table, plant posters and an MU Extension sign.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Like humans, plants can get sick and need someone to diagnose their illnesses, says Peng Tian, the new lab director of the University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri’s Plant Diagnostic Clinic now offers a digital diagnosis service to quickly identify plant health problems.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic has received a grant to help Amish and Mennonite farmers in several Missouri counties identify and manage plant pest problems through early next year. The grant is from the Regional Integrated Pest Management Center.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic will offer free screening for five wheat viruses this spring.
A partnership of MU Extension’s Integrated Pest Management and Field Crop Pathology programs allows the clinic to waive the usual fee of $65 per sample.
PALMYRA, Mo. – New University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette urges growers to notify her if they spot southern rust and other diseases this growing season. She gave growers a look at emerging diseases at the second annual NEMO Soils and Crop Conference in Palmyra Feb. 8.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – As the deadline approaches for growers to select between USDA safety net programs, University of Missouri’s Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center has developed a tool to help growers decide which plans to choose for their major crops.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Soybean growers can’t rely on seed treatments alone to combat soybean cyst nematode (SCN), says University of Missouri Extension state plant pathologist Mandy Bish.
PALMYRA, Mo. – “The genie’s out of the bottle” on the spotted lanternfly, University of Missouri Extension entomologist Kevin Rice told farmers Feb. 8 at the second annual NEMO Soils and Crop Conference in Palmyra.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – New University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette brings research on soybean cyst nematode (SCN) management to Missouri.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Kill seeds before they become hard-to-kill weeds. That plan will be studied by Kevin Bradley with help from Missouri farmers.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – While not yet detected in Missouri, spotted lanternfly remains a concern for vineyards, certain trees and specialty crops as it continues to spread west.
JACKSON, Mo. – January and February are good months to make wheat management decisions, according to a University of Missouri Extension agronomist in southeastern Missouri.
Wheat maturity does not follow a calendar. Instead, wheat development depends on weather and planting date, says Anthony…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Intense or recurrent rainfall creates the potential for damage from ponding, saturated soils and flooding for corn and soybean crops, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Bill Wiebold.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – As corn yields exceed commercial storage space, farmers will likely store some of this year’s crop in on-farm bins and in unconventional ways.
2024 has not been an ideal year for thrips management due to the consistent overcast during the daytime hours. This restricts thrips movement, and in hand can increase injury. Hot and sunny conditions are ideal not because thrips are more active, but because cotton and growth development occur more…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Once red crown rot spreads, you cannot unspread it, says University of Missouri Extension state plant pathologist Mandy Bish.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Officials urge residents to report unsolicited packages of seeds delivered from foreign countries. Unknown seeds could introduce noxious weeds, pests, diseases and viruses.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Proper inventory management of farm chemicals saves money and protects animals, people and the environment, says University of Missouri Extension specialist Sam Polly.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Right after soybean harvest is the time to test fields for soybean cyst nematode (SCN), the No. 1 pathogen of soybean in the United States.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Though physically demanding and time-consuming, scouting fields for insect pests is essential to crop health, yields and profits, says University of Missouri Extension state entomologist Ivair Valmorbida.
Good scouting is the best way to identify tar spot in corn, says University of Missouri Extension state plant pathologist Mandy Bish. Tar spot was confirmed in June of 2023 and 2024 in Missouri, which is earlier than in previous years, when the disease showed up in August or September. This earlier…
Missouri corn growers should scout for bacterial leaf streak and tar spot, two emerging diseases causing significant yield losses in neighboring states.
LAMAR, Mo. – Now is the time to scout for fall armyworms in pastures and hayfields, says University of Missouri Extension entomologist Kevin Rice.Agronomists in southeastern Missouri and northern Arkansas report sightings of fall armyworm in grass and legume crops, says Jill Scheidt, MU Extension…
LAMAR, Mo.– There are foliar diseases that can cause yield loss in winter wheat, said Jay Chism, an agronomy specialist with University of Missouri Extension in Barton County.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension agronomists reported during their weekly teleconference that sudden death syndrome (SDS) is showing up in soybean fields across the state.
MU Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette says she is not surprised that the yield-robbing disease…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension’s Pest Monitoring Network offers free, timely pest alerts to farmers and gardeners, says MU Extension crops entomologist Ivair Valmorbida.
PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. – Justin S. Calhoun starts Sept. 1 as a University of Missouri Extension state specialist in soils and cropping systems. He will be based at the Fisher Delta Research Center (FDRC) in southeastern Missouri near Portageville.
Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) can substantially reduce yield, but it is not always obvious when the nematodes (Figure 1) are present. Leonardo Da Vinci's quote: "We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot" seems somewhat appropriate when discussing SCN levels in…
Note: Revised to correct spelling of “sclerotinia.”
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist Wayne Flanary says about 160 acres of soybean in northwestern Missouri show symptoms of sclerotinia stem rot.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Soybean gall midge is appearing about 10 days earlier than usual in Nebraska crops, says University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension crop protection and cropping systems specialist Justin McMechan. That could spell trouble for Missouri soybean growers as well.
Spotted Wing Drosophila threatens small fruits by laying eggs in ripening crops. Learn how to identify and manage this invasive pest effectively.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Frequent spring rains in Missouri set the stage for seedling and root rotting diseases that can lower yields.
Pythium species usually infect the roots of corn, soybean and wheat, especially in the northern half of the state, says University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Raise the temperature and run fans in grain bins now to avoid condensation and mold.Keep your stored grain in condition by increasing the temperature inside the bin to the outside monthly average temperature in May, says University of Missouri Extension entomologist Wayne Bailey.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Brown marmorated stink bugs are hunting homes for the winter.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri corn growers should scout for an emerging crop disease, tar spot, in 2021, says University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A yield-robbing corn disease, tar spot, is gaining ground in Missouri.
Tar spot has been confirmed in 19 counties in 2024, says University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Mandy Bish. Corn growers in nearly half of the state’s counties have reported tar spot since Missouri’s…
Tar spot of corn has spread to 31 Missouri counties since 2019, with early detections in Holt and Marion counties in June 2023.
In June 2023, tar spot of corn was confirmed in Holt and Marion counties, Missouri, marking the earliest detection in the state.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri’s Plant Diagnostic Clinic confirmed tar spot in three corn samples collected in the northeastern Missouri counties of Lewis and Holt on Aug. 30, according to Peng Tian, the clinic’s lab director.
NEVADA, Mo. – Now is the perfect time to test for the No. 1 soybean disease in the U.S. and Canada - soybean cyst nematode (SCN), says University of Missouri Extension field agronomist Pat Miller. It is also a good time to test your IQ on this yield-reducing disease.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The best time to test for soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is right after soybean harvest, says University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Oct. 2 is National Nematode Day and marks a good time to test fields for soybean cyst nematode (SCN), the No. 1 pathogen of soybean in the United States.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts says now is the time to check for ergot in the seed heads of grasses.
#1 Tar spot of cornWho: Tar spot of corn, Phyllachora maydis
Treat spider mites early to prevent crop damage. Drought conditions can cause rapid population growth. Learn to manage infestations and protect your fields.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri and Lincoln University Extension will offer a free workshop on holistic strategies to manage pests and disease on vegetables and fruit crops 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, July 14, at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture, 1769 Ash St., Columbia.
LAMAR, Mo. – An unusual pest—winter grain mite—has appeared in southwestern Missouri wheat fields.
University of Missouri Extension state specialists will cover a variety of topics July 10 at the annual Crop and Pest Management Field Day at MU’s Bradford Research Farm in Columbia. MU Extension plant pathologist Mandy Bish will address tar spot and red crown rot, two diseases that threaten…
LAMAR, Mo. – When COVID-19 paused face-to-face programming, University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist Jill Scheidt knew producers would still need assistance with the growing season. Living by MU Extension’s mission of taking university research and knowledge to the people, Scheidt began…
Obviously, our season so far has been one for the books. Our state climatologist Pat Guinan tells us that last month was the wettest May on record ever! We’ve been fielding a number of questions over the past several weeks related to the wet weather and how this affects our herbicides and weed…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Some Missouri corn producers are seeing damage from cold, wet soil conditions and hail.
Corn growers participating in the University of Missouri Extension Plant Sciences weekly online town hall meeting on May 8 reported seeing seedling leaves of corn twist and unfurl underground.