What are Soybean Aphids Up To?

A lot of people are asking what the aphids are doing this year. Though populations have been low for the most part, I won't go as far as saying that we won't have a problem this year. Populations are building up and nearing threshold levels in parts of Minnesota and Quebec and this is about the time of year that we start to see flushes of adults coming into Ontario from other regions.

So far here in Ontario, aphids continue to try to colonize soybean fields but with heavy rainfall happening almost every other day, conditions have not been ideal for them to build their populations. However, some regions are starting to be dry and if the weather changes so that we start to have more pleasant days and fewer storm events, populations could increase. Scout your fields at least weekly until we are certain the threat is gone. Soybeans are at risk until they reach the R6 growth stage.

Our weekly aphid scouting results are made available online at:

USDA PIPE Site: http://sba.ipmpipe.org

Ontario Soybean Growers Website: www.soybean.on.ca