Lexington, KY 40546

Online at: www.uky.edu/KPN

Number 1281
TOBACCO -Tobacco Worm Scouting Report WHEAT -Are You Cooling Your Wheat? FORAGE CROPS -Disease Risks in Late Summer Seedings of Alfalfa

August 16, 2011

PEST OF HUMANS -Stinging Caterpillars INSECT TRAP COUNTS

TOBACCO Tobacco Worm Scouting Report By Lee Townsend The second and most damaging hornworm brood of the season is underway. On 8/11, 34 tobacco and tomato hornworm larvae and 12 eggs were found while examining 400 plants in one Fayette County research plot. Two of the larvae were over 3 inches long, the last of the first brood. They soon will burrow into the ground to spend the winter as pupae. The rest (all less than 0.5 inch long) are the beginning of the second brood which is normally most numerous between mid-August and midSeptember. More eggs will be laid, so there is a lot of feeding left to be done. Weekly field checks will allow detection of infestations that justify treatment. Look carefully at the lower surface of leaves in the upper third of groups of 5 plants at 10 randomly chosen locations in each field. Check for hornworm eggs and small larvae, and record the numbers and approximate size of the hornworms that are present. In some cases, there can be damage, but no worms, grackles or other predators can eat them. Hornworms with white egg-like cocoons on their back are parasitized by a small wasp. These worms will not cause any more yield loss. By late August, up to 90% of the hornworm population may be parasitized.

An insecticide application is usually profitable if there is an average of 5 or more hornworms per 50 plants. Higher rates provide longer residual protection and usually are more effective against larger hornworms. Bt-based insecticides are best used when most larvae are small, but control is usually not as good against large ones. Hornworm moths will be flying over the next 4 to 6 weeks. A single insecticide application may not provide control from topping until harvest. It is best to check for hornworms and apply a cleanup spray if necessary to prevent carrying these insects into the barn. Check the restricted entry interval (REI) and harvest interval on the insecticide label before treating. The yellowstriped armyworm can be found feeding on tobacco and many other crops. Eggs are laid in masses, so several may be found on a group of plants. They feed for about 3 weeks, full grown larvae are about 1.75 inches long, which helps to determine about how much more growing is in store for them.

Figure 4. Large hornworms are harder to control and have finished feeding. Figure 1. Hornworm egg on underside of leaf in the upper 1/3 of plant.

Figure 5. Yellowstriped armyworms.

Figure 2. Feeding by small hornworm seen from above. Look on the underside- there may not be a live hornworm. Predators kill many of them.

WHEAT Are You Cooling Your Wheat? By Doug Johnson With 80o days and 60o nights, combined with low humidity, now is a prime opportunity to begin lowering in the temperature in your wheat storage bins. As Figure 6 shows graphically, as temperature and moisture increase between about 70o and 90o F, the rate of insect development also increases.

Figure 3. Hornworms hang from underside of leaf to feed.

Figure 6. Number of offspring 5 months after 50 pairs of rice weevils placed in wheat.

Since the growth, reproduction, feeding and movement rates are all governed by temperature, lowering your grain temperature will only help control stored product insect infestations. Certainly we will still have plenty of warm days left before truly cold weather sets in. Nevertheless, starting to lower temperature stored grain as early as possible will simply aid in reaching that point were insect infestations can continue to increase and cause damage. There is no magic number, but lowering grain to 50o F or below can only help your storage quality situation. You are not likely to get all of this done in August, but these early cool nights and dry days are a good way to start. Perhaps the best way to accomplish this is through the instillation of automatic aeration controllers. Sure you can turn your fans on and off when the good weather comes, but most producers are pretty busy this time of year and will only become more preoccupied as corn harvest approaches. Automatic temperature controls can be set to automatically take advantage of these occasional cool temperatures while freeing the producer from having to remember to switch fans on and off. Check with the UK Agricultural Engineers to obtain specifics about these systems.

The Sclerotinia fungus that attacks alfalfa becomes active in mid- to late-autumn, producing its spores in October-November (Figures 7-8). Young alfalfa seedings are often highly susceptible to the disease. The stand losses it can cause vary from minor to very severe (Figure 9). There are a few alfalfa varieties that show partial resistance to this disease. Complete resistance is not available in commercial varieties, but partial resistance can reduce stand loss caused by this disease. If considering a late-summer seeding, it is important to use a variety that has been shown to exhibit partial resistance under field conditions in Kentucky. This is important because some of the worst disease pressure from Sclerotinia crown and stem rot in the nation is in Kentucky. Variety evaluations conducted in other states are useful, but if a variety hasnt been tested for resistance under Kentucky conditions, it hasnt been adequately tested for use in Kentucky. The variety Phoenix has been shown to have a significant level of Sclerotinia resistance under Kentucky conditions, so that is certainly one to consider for late-summer plantings. Cimarron SR is also a good choice from the standpoint of Sclerotinia. Beyond that, I am unaware of other varieties that have held up against the severe disease pressure we sometimes get in Kentucky. Be aware that these varieties can still suffer stand loss from the disease, but they will suffer considerably less stand loss than the many susceptible varieties on the market.

FORAGE CROPS Disease Risks in Late Summer Seedings of Alfalfa By Paul Vincelli This article is just a reminder that later-summer plantings of alfalfa offer several agronomic advantages over spring seedings, particularly when soil moisture is adequate. However, these seedings are also much more susceptible to the fungus that causes Sclerotinia crown and stem rot. This fungus is called Sclerotinia trifoliorum, and it is distinct from the Sclerotinia white mold disease that attacks many crops, including tobacco and vegetables.

Figure 7. Light-brown spore-producing bodies of Sclerotinia trifoliorum in the field.

the bristles are hollow and contain an irritating substance that produces a very unpleasant skin reaction. Saddlebacks (figure 10) are relatively common in Kentucky, are among the most venomous species in North America. A full grown caterpillar is brownish red, about 1.25 inches long, and has several distinctive characteristics which include two fleshy horns studded with spines on each end and shorter armed bumps along both sides. The back carries a bright green "blanket" trimmed in white, with brown-to-purple central spot or "saddle," also trimmed in white. Saddlebacks occur on many plants including apple, basswood, cherry, chestnut, dogwood, elm, maple, oak, plum, and even corn. They are most abundant at this time of year. A brush with a saddleback results in immediate pain followed by swelling and blistering if the spines are not removed. The irritation should be gone in 8 hours or less if the spines are removed. They can be stripped with cellophane or adhesive duct tape. Wash the area with soap and water and apply an ice pack to relieve the irritation. Contact a physician immediately if the irritation does not subside or if other symptoms appear.
Figure 9. Ninety-nine percent stand loss in alfalfa due to Sclerotinia crown and stem rot.

Figure 8. Spore release by Sclerotinia trifoliorum.

More information on stinging caterpillars is available in www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/entfactpdf/e f003.pdf

PEST OF HUMANS Stinging Caterpillars By Lee Townsend Medium to large caterpillars are tasty morsels for predators. Some rely on camouflage to keep from being seen. Those that can protect themselves, stinging caterpillars for example, stay in plain sight and advertise with bright or distinctive markings. They are covered with sharp, brittle bristles that break off and stick in the skin like so many cactus spines. Unfortunately, thats not all,

Figure 10. Saddleback caterpillar (Photo V. Shadrick).

INSECT TRAP COUNTS Location Princeton, Lexington, KY KY Black cutworm 31 0 Armyworm 46 316 Corn earworm 90 24 European corn 0 0 borer Southwestern 11 0 corn borer Fall armyworm 0 0 August 5 - 12

Graphs of insect trap counts for the 2011 season are available on the IPM web site at http://www.uky.edu/Ag/IPM/ipm.htm. View trap counts for Fulton County, Kentucky at http://ces.ca.uky.edu/fulton/InsectTraps

Note: Trade names are used to simplify the information presented in this newsletter. No endorsement by the Cooperative Extension Service is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products that are not named.