Aphid Alerts Available
April 22, 2009 Several state Extension experts have stated in recent weeks that 2009 looks like a boom year for soybean aphids. Ag dealerships and their grower-customers now have three ways to receive localized aphid alerts.
Soybean aphids have rapid reproduction and colonization rates that can cause their population to explode from one to 5,000 on a single plant in as little as five weeks, according to the University of Minnesota Extension Web site. Moreover, in favorable temperatures — generally near the high 70s to low 80s — populations can double in as little as two days.
With populations able to increase so rapidly, growers, in turn, need rapid awareness as populations near economic threshold. AphidAlert.com is one way they can keep up with the latest information on aphids and other insects. In addition, growers can sign up to receive free localized alerts when aphids hit in their area.
“The Web site was created to give growers a one-stop shop for information on background, scouting and treatment for aphids,” says Steve Olson, Bayer CropScience insecticide product manager. “They can also sign up to receive a free alert via text message, e-mail, or voice alert when aphid populations are increasing in their area.”
The alerts — powered by Commodity Update, the leading provider of ag information to mobile phones – provide a warning that aphids are on the rise, which is a sure sign that it is a smart time to scout fields and consider an insecticide to protect soybean yields. Bayer CropScience recommends its Leverage 2.7 insecticide, which provides protection with two modes of action.
Retailers and growers can sign up to receive aphid alerts at AphidAlert.com or text the word APHID with their zip code to 46786. Standard text messaging rates apply.
(Source: Bayer CropScience)
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