Soybean Growers Needed for New Soybean Aphid Threshold Project

Dr. Rebecca Hallett and her team of grad students from the University of Guelph are looking for a few soybean growers in Ontario that would be willing to try out a new "Dynamic Action Threshold" for soybean aphids. This new threshold currently under development takes into consideration not only the number of soybean aphids per plant but also factors in the number of natural enemies present in the field at the time. Using a helpful decision making tool that will be provided, growers will be able to determine if the number of natural enemies present at the time of assessment will keep the soybean aphids below damaging numbers, therefore not requiring control. But we still need to test in at the field level to ensure that it works as good as or better than the current threshold.

Participants would be asked to take one of their soybean fields and split it into two halves. One half would be monitored and managed according to the current soybean aphid management guidelines (ie. scouting weekly until field reaches 250 aphids per plant and increasing) while the other half of the field is also scouted at least once a week but is managed only if and when the experiemental dynamic action threshold is reached. Using a yield monitor, each half of the field would be harvested separately by the grower so that yield can be documented for each of the two different treatments. Growers will be trained on how to use the decision making tools to determine if and when management is necessary and will be compensated for their time and efforts.

If this threshold proves successful we will have an excellent tool for soybean aphid management that is more natural enemy friendly.

Those interested in participating can contact me at tracey.baute@ontario.ca or 519-674-1696 for further details.