Some common August threats are showing up in Iowa soybean fields. That’s according to agronomist Randy Kool, with Syngenta, in Adel, who says spraying for insects is coming to an end for most growers. “Usually R5.5 to R6 (development stage) is about the end of any application treatments for insects. We’ve had some spraying for soybean aphids and we’re starting to hear about the second generation of bean leaf beetles,” Kool said. Kool’s territory includes parts of western Iowa where excessive rainfall has disease pressure mounting.

“I would say (we’re starting to see pockets of) SDS in the western half of Iowa, but it’s not as prevalent as on the eastern side of the state.” Kool says variety selection and seed treatments are ways to manage Sudden Death Syndrome and other diseases moving forward. And late emerging weeds like water hemp are causing problems again. “That’s a little bit more of an issue this year since beans were a little slower to canopy. We’ve got good bean height now, but its been a challenge to take care of some of those weeds earlier,” Kool said.

Kool recommends cleaning harvest equipment before switching fields to limit the spread of weed seeds. The most recent report from the USDA placed 82-percent of Iowa’s soybean crop in good or excellent condition.

(Radio Iowa/Brownfield Ag News)