Friday, September 19, 2014

Trap Catches Identified to Sept 19

Hi Folks!
Aphid numbers have declined throughout the region.  Still seeing a few soybean aphid and stragglers of a few other species.  Most areas are beginning to shut the traps down for the season.  Thanks to all of our cooperators for their help this season!

Keep Scouting!
Scouting for aphids in potatoes:
- Select leaves from the lower to mid canopy.  Lower, older leaves will have more established colonies and aphids prefer the balance of nutrients found here; aphids are rarely found on leaves in the upper canopy.
 - Avoid leaves on the ground or in contact with the soil.
 - In seed potatoes there is only a threshold for PLRV (10 aphids/100 leaves), reactive application of insecticides an effective control for PVY.
 - The use of feeding suppressing insecticides, such as pymetrozine (Fulfill®) or flonicamid (Beleaf®) and refined crop oils, such as Aphoil and JMS Stylet Oil, at or prior to field colonization by aphids may reduce the transmission of PVY within fields. Some other insecticides, such as clothianidin (Belay®), imidacloprid (Admire Pro® or Provado®), and spirotetramat (Movento®), have also been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of PVY.
- In table stock potatoes, a treatment threshold of 30 aphids /100 leaves should deter yield loss due to aphid feeding.


Friday, September 12, 2014

Trap Catches Identified to Sept 12

Aphid numbers continue to decrease with cooler temperatures.  Majority of vectors captured are still soybean aphid and grain aphids.  Fewer sites are reporting as people begin to vine kill and prep for harvest. 

Keep Scouting!
Scouting for aphids in potatoes:
- Select leaves from the lower to mid canopy.  Lower, older leaves will have more established colonies and aphids prefer the balance of nutrients found here; aphids are rarely found on leaves in the upper canopy.
 - Avoid leaves on the ground or in contact with the soil.
 - In seed potatoes there is only a threshold for PLRV (10 aphids/100 leaves), reactive application of insecticides an effective control for PVY.
 - The use of feeding suppressing insecticides, such as pymetrozine (Fulfill®) or flonicamid (Beleaf®) and refined crop oils, such as Aphoil and JMS Stylet Oil, at or prior to field colonization by aphids may reduce the transmission of PVY within fields. Some other insecticides, such as clothianidin (Belay®), imidacloprid (Admire Pro® or Provado®), and spirotetramat (Movento®), have also been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of PVY.
- In table stock potatoes, a treatment threshold of 30 aphids /100 leaves should deter yield loss due to aphid feeding.



Friday, September 5, 2014

Trap Catches Identified to Sept 5

The cooler weather has brought a decrease in aphid numbers this week.  A total of 198 vectors were collected this week, a drop from over 700 last week.  Fewer sites were reporting as some folks have begun to vine kill.
We are continuing to see a lot of soybean aphid (87), bird cherry oat (29), and corn leaf (28).  Green peach aphids were captured at Forest River, Gully, and Hallock.  
Keep Scouting!
Scouting for aphids in potatoes:
- Select leaves from the lower to mid canopy.  Lower, older leaves will have more established colonies and aphids prefer the balance of nutrients found here; aphids are rarely found on leaves in the upper canopy.
 - Avoid leaves on the ground or in contact with the soil.
 - In seed potatoes there is only a threshold for PLRV (10 aphids/100 leaves), reactive application of insecticides an effective control for PVY.
 - The use of feeding suppressing insecticides, such as pymetrozine (Fulfill®) or flonicamid (Beleaf®) and refined crop oils, such as Aphoil and JMS Stylet Oil, at or prior to field colonization by aphids may reduce the transmission of PVY within fields. Some other insecticides, such as clothianidin (Belay®), imidacloprid (Admire Pro® or Provado®), and spirotetramat (Movento®), have also been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of PVY.
- In table stock potatoes, a treatment threshold of 30 aphids /100 leaves should deter yield loss due to aphid feeding.


Friday, August 29, 2014

Trap Catches Identified to Aug 29

Aphid numbers continue to climb this week with over 200 more aphid vectors collected this week as compared to last week.  Twelve sites recorded their highest numbers of the season.  We are seeing soybean aphids at most sites and high numbers of them at Ada, Perham, Forest River, and Sabin.  Green peach aphid was recovered this week from Ada, Forest River, Hoople, Langdon, Perham, Staples, Stephen, and Walhalla.
Lots of potential for virus transmission out there right now.  Make sure you are making the right management decisions to keep your potatoes disease-free!
Keep Scouting!
Scouting for aphids in potatoes:
- Select leaves from the lower to mid canopy.  Lower, older leaves will have more established colonies and aphids prefer the balance of nutrients found here; aphids are rarely found on leaves in the upper canopy.
 - Avoid leaves on the ground or in contact with the soil.
 - In seed potatoes there is only a threshold for PLRV (10 aphids/100 leaves), reactive application of insecticides an effective control for PVY.
 - The use of feeding suppressing insecticides, such as pymetrozine (Fulfill®) or flonicamid (Beleaf®) and refined crop oils, such as Aphoil and JMS Stylet Oil, at or prior to field colonization by aphids may reduce the transmission of PVY within fields. Some other insecticides, such as clothianidin (Belay®), imidacloprid (Admire Pro® or Provado®), and spirotetramat (Movento®), have also been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of PVY.
- In table stock potatoes, a treatment threshold of 30 aphids /100 leaves should deter yield loss due to aphid feeding.





Friday, August 22, 2014

Trap Catches Identified to Aug 22.
Here are the trap catches we received up to Aug 22.

Aphid vector numbers were up for A THIRD WEEK IN A ROW! Probably because the temperatures last week were excellent for aphid reproduction and numbers were increasing.  This may well have led to an increase in winged aphids, resulting in higher trap catches.

Trap catches increased at a number of locations over last week and decreased in some others.  Numbers were up in Ada, Erskine, Hallock, Hoople, Langdon, Linton I, Perham, Staples, Stephen and Walhalla and down at other sites. Approximately 80 more aphids were recovered overall from all traps compared to last week.

Green peach aphids were recovered from Ada (2), Erskine (1), Forest River (3), Hatton (1), Langdon (3), Staples (1), Stephen (4), and Walhalla (1).  Soybean aphids were recovered from Ada (29), Crookston (5), Erskine (4), Forest River (15), Hallock (2), Hatton (10), Hoople (3), Perham (27), Sabin (1), Staples (4), and Stephen (6). It looks like several locations received flights of soybean aphids.  Other species captured at multiple locations in higher numbers included Bird cherry oat aphid, corn leaf aphid, greenbug and pea aphid.

Most of our PVY transmission in MN and ND occurs late in the season.  Increasing aphid vector numbers is a prime driver in this.  If you're in a position to do so, killing vines prior to or early in the arrival of the heaviest vector flights may be a management tactic to consider.

Keep Scouting!
Scouting for aphids in potatoes:
- Select leaves from the lower to mid canopy.  Lower, older leaves will have more established colonies and aphids prefer the balance of nutrients found here; aphids are rarely found on leaves in the upper canopy.
 - Avoid leaves on the ground or in contact with the soil.
 - In seed potatoes there is only a threshold for PLRV (10 aphids/100 leaves), reactive application of insecticides an effective control for PVY.
 - The use of feeding suppressing insecticides, such as pymetrozine (Fulfill®) or flonicamid (Beleaf®) and refined crop oils, such as Aphoil and JMS Stylet Oil, at or prior to field colonization by aphids may reduce the transmission of PVY within fields. Some other insecticides, such as clothianidin (Belay®), imidacloprid (Admire Pro® or Provado®), and spirotetramat (Movento®), have also been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of PVY.
- In table stock potatoes, a treatment threshold of 30 aphids /100 leaves should deter yield loss due to aphid feeding.



Friday, August 15, 2014

Trap Catches Identified to Aug 15

Hi folks!
Vectors have nearly doubled this week with 18 sites reporting.  444 aphid vectors were collected this week as compared to 232 last week.  Ada, Crookston, and Forest River had especially high numbers while Hallock, Hatton, and Staples recorded mid range numbers and the remaining were relatively low.  Soybean aphid populations have begun to blossom in a few areas while bird cherry oat, corn leaf, and green bug continue to make up a majority of aphids captured.  This week we also collected some green peach from Staples and Crookston.  Remember that a lot of PVY transmission happens late season and high numbers of aphids are a large factor in this!
If you have not yet begun aphid management, it is important to do so.
So Keep Scouting!
Scouting for aphids in potatoes:
- Select leaves from the lower to mid canopy.  Lower, older leaves will have more established colonies and aphids prefer the balance of nutrients found here; aphids are rarely found on leaves in the upper canopy.
 - Avoid leaves on the ground or in contact with the soil.
 - In seed potatoes there is only a threshold for PLRV (10 aphids/100 leaves), reactive application of insecticides an effective control for PVY.
 - The use of feeding suppressing insecticides, such as pymetrozine (Fulfill®) or flonicamid (Beleaf®) and refined crop oils, such as Aphoil and JMS Stylet Oil, at or prior to field colonization by aphids may reduce the transmission of PVY within fields. Some other insecticides, such as clothianidin (Belay®), imidacloprid (Admire Pro® or Provado®), and spirotetramat (Movento®), have also been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of PVY.
- In table stock potatoes, a treatment threshold of 30 aphids /100 leaves should deter yield loss due to aphid feeding.


Friday, August 8, 2014

Trap Catches Identified to Aug 08.
Here are the trap catches we received up to Aug 08.


It looks like aphids are now moving into potatoes in earnest!  We had large increases in almost all trap locations over last week.  If you have not started aphid management, it's time to start!  Nate reports that over all trap sites we collected 232 vectors this week compared to 51 last week.  Aphid populations were high across the region and many locations recorded their highest vector numbers of the season.  Only our Linton and Langdon sites saw fewer aphids this week.  Bird cherry oat aphids continue to be our most caught species followed by green bug, english grain, and corn leaf aphids.

So far, no green peach or soybean aphid (despite soybean aphids being present in soybean fields in low numbers).  If the  weather starts to favor soybean aphid reproduction, we may yet see this species moving into seed potato fields!

So Keep Scouting!!

Scouting for aphids in potatoes:
- Select leaves from the lower to mid canopy.  Lower, older leaves will have more established colonies and aphids prefer the balance of nutrients found here; aphids are rarely found on leaves in the upper canopy.
 - Avoid leaves on the ground or in contact with the soil.
 - In seed potatoes there is only a threshold for PLRV (10 aphids/100 leaves), reactive application of insecticides an effective control for PVY.
 - The use of feeding suppressing insecticides, such as pymetrozine (Fulfill®) or flonicamid (Beleaf®) and refined crop oils, such as Aphoil and JMS Stylet Oil, at or prior to field colonization by aphids may reduce the transmission of PVY within fields. Some other insecticides, such as clothianidin (Belay®), imidacloprid (Admire Pro® or Provado®), and spirotetramat (Movento®), have also been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of PVY. 
- In table stock potatoes, a treatment threshold of 30 aphids /100 leaves should deter yield loss due to aphid feeding.


Friday, August 1, 2014

Trap Catches Identified to Aug 01.
Here are the trap catches we received up to Aug 01.

Aphid counts were down this week over last with only the Ada site reporting more than 10 vector species individuals.  Even numbers of non-vector aphid species were down this week, indicating that aphid flights were suppressed but warmer temps, especially nights, may well drive numbers higher (or then again, maybe autumn is coming - nothing would surprise me about this summer!). Bird cherry oat aphids were again the most numerous vector species and was recovered from 13 of the 18 sites reporting.  No green peach aphids or soybean aphids were recovered in any trap but green peach aphids were found in our greenhouse on potted potato plants. We suspect they were already present in low numbers and the warmer days increased their reproductive rate in the greenhouse.

So Keep Scouting!!

Scouting for aphids in potatoes:
- Select leaves from the lower to mid canopy.  Lower, older leaves will have more established colonies and aphids prefer the balance of nutrients found here; aphids are rarely found on leaves in the upper canopy.
 - Avoid leaves on the ground or in contact with the soil.
 - In seed potatoes there is only a threshold for PLRV (10 aphids/100 leaves), reactive application of insecticides an effective control for PVY.
 - The use of feeding suppressing insecticides, such as pymetrozine (Fulfill®) or flonicamid (Beleaf®) and refined crop oils, such as Aphoil and JMS Stylet Oil, at or prior to field colonization by aphids may reduce the transmission of PVY within fields. Some other insecticides, such as clothianidin (Belay®), imidacloprid (Admire Pro® or Provado®), and spirotetramat (Movento®), have also been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of PVY. 
- In table stock potatoes, a treatment threshold of 30 aphids /100 leaves should deter yield loss due to aphid feeding.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Trap Catches Identified to July 18.

Here are the trap catches from the sites we received up to July 18.  Note that sites are on different schedules to send in trap catches (spreading out our identification workload).

Nate reports that the warm weather has brought about higher aphid numbers, particularly in Ada, Crookston, Forest River, and Hatton.  We've seen an increase in aphid numbers at almost all sites this week, although many sites still have very few aphids.  Increased numbers have been mostly bird cherry oat aphid and green bug and probably represent aphids leaving maturing small grains in the region.  Fortunately, we are still not seeing green peach or soybean aphid.

The Sabin trap has not been functioning correctly (the fan wasn't running).  Make sure you are scouting in this area as we have not been able to get accurate counts.  The problem has been fixed and next week’s numbers should accurately reflect vector numbers in the area.

So Keep Scouting!!

Scouting for aphids in potatoes:
- Select leaves from the lower to mid canopy.  Lower, older leaves will have more established colonies and aphids prefer the balance of nutrients found here; aphids are rarely found on leaves in the upper canopy.
 - Avoid leaves on the ground or in contact with the soil.
 - In seed potatoes there is only a threshold for PLRV (10 aphids/100 leaves), reactive application of insecticides an effective control for PVY.
 - The use of feeding suppressing insecticides, such as pymetrozine (Fulfill®) or flonicamid (Beleaf®) and refined crop oils, such as Aphoil and JMS Stylet Oil, at or prior to field colonization by aphids may reduce the transmission of PVY within fields. Some other insecticides, such as clothianidin (Belay®), imidacloprid (Admire Pro® or Provado®), and spirotetramat (Movento®), have also been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of PVY. 
- In table stock potatoes, a treatment threshold of 30 aphids /100 leaves should deter yield loss due to aphid feeding.


Friday, July 18, 2014

Trap Catches Identified to July 18.

Here are the trap catches from the sites we received up to July 18.  Note that sites are on different schedules to send in trap catches (spreading out our identification workload).

Nate reports there are higher number of aphid vectors at the Ada, Forest River, and Linton II sites this week.  However, most sites are still seeing very low numbers of aphids.  Overall numbers are low compared to data from the previous two years of this project and this is most likely due to the cool weather and rain we've had this summer.  As temperatures increase we expect to see aphid numbers to increase as well.

Species included English grain aphid, cowpea and buckthorn aphids.  No green peach or soybean aphids were recovered this week.  Soybean aphid populations are low in northern MN and ND but are starting to establish in SW MN and this species is dispersed by wind. 

So, until next week…

Keep Scouting!!

Scouting for aphids in potatoes:
- Select leaves from the lower to mid canopy.  Lower, older leaves will have more established colonies and aphids prefer the balance of nutrients found here; aphids are rarely found on leaves in the upper canopy.
 - Avoid leaves on the ground or in contact with the soil.
 - In seed potatoes there is only a threshold for PLRV (10 aphids/100 leaves), reactive application of insecticides an effective control for PVY.
 - The use of feeding suppressing insecticides, such as pymetrozine (Fulfill®) or flonicamid (Beleaf®) and refined crop oils, such as Aphoil and JMS Stylet Oil, at or prior to field colonization by aphids may reduce the transmission of PVY within fields. Some other insecticides, such as clothianidin (Belay®), imidacloprid (Admire Pro® or Provado®), and spirotetramat (Movento®), have also been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of PVY. 
- In table stock potatoes, a treatment threshold of 30 aphids /100 leaves should deter yield loss due to aphid feeding.




Friday, July 11, 2014

Trap Catches Identified to July 11.

Here are the trap catches from the sites we received up to July 11.  Note that sites are on different schedules to send in trap catches (spreading out our identification workload).  As more sites come in, we'll identify their trap catch and update the site on the fly.

We're getting vectors at a few more locations but still seeing low numbers.  Nine of the sites from which we received trap catches had at least one aphid vector.  High counts were at our Linton sites with three and four vectors.  Ada, Erskine, Forest River, Hallock, Hoople, Langdon, and Staples collected no vectors.

Species captured include buckthorn, bird-cherry oat, green bug, english grain, sunflower, cowpea, and pea aphids.  These are all medium efficiency vectors.

Until next week…

Keep Scouting!!

Scouting for aphids in potatoes:
- Select leaves from the lower to mid canopy.  Lower, older leaves will have more established colonies and aphids prefer the balance of nutrients found here; aphids are rarely found on leaves in the upper canopy.
 - Avoid leaves on the ground or in contact with the soil.
 - In seed potatoes there is only a threshold for PLRV (10 aphids/100 leaves), reactive application of insecticides an effective control for PVY.
 - The use of feeding suppressing insecticides, such as pymetrozine (Fulfill®) or flonicamid (Beleaf®) and refined crop oils, such as Aphoil and JMS Stylet Oil, at or prior to field colonization by aphids may reduce the transmission of PVY within fields. Some other insecticides, such as clothianidin (Belay®), imidacloprid (Admire Pro® or Provado®), and spirotetramat (Movento®), have also been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of PVY. 
- In table stock potatoes, a treatment threshold of 30 aphids /100 leaves should deter yield loss due to aphid feeding.





Thursday, July 3, 2014

Trap Catches Identified Up To July 03

Here are the trap catches from the sites we received.  Note that sites are on different schedules to send in trap catches (spreading out our identification workload).  As more sites come in, we'll identify their trap catch and update the site on the fly.

A lone green peach aphid, the most efficient PVY vector, was collected from Hoople and Buckthorn aphid showed up at several sites.  Overall though, aphid numbers remain low with no aphids collected at several sites.

By next week we hope to have all sites up and running in order to represent aphid populations across the entire seed potato growing regions of Minnesota and North Dakota. 

We wish everyone a happy and safe Fourth!

Until next week…

Keep Scouting!!

Scouting for aphids in potatoes:
- Select leaves from the lower to mid canopy.  Lower, older leaves will have more established colonies and aphids prefer the balance of nutrients found here; aphids are rarely found on leaves in the upper canopy.
 - Avoid leaves on the ground or in contact with the soil.
 - In seed potatoes there is only a threshold for PLRV (10 aphids/100 leaves), reactive application of insecticides an effective control for PVY.
 - The use of feeding suppressing insecticides, such as pymetrozine (Fulfill®) or flonicamid (Beleaf®) and refined crop oils, such as Aphoil and JMS Stylet Oil, at or prior to field colonization by aphids may reduce the transmission of PVY within fields. Some other insecticides, such as clothianidin (Belay®), imidacloprid (Admire Pro® or Provado®), and spirotetramat (Movento®), have also been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of PVY. 
- In table stock potatoes, a treatment threshold of 30 aphids /100 leaves should deter yield loss due to aphid feeding.



Friday, June 27, 2014

Trap Catches Identified up to June 27*


Here's the trap catch up to June 27.

All of the traps are now in and hopefully all locations will start sending in their weekly catch by next week.

So fqar this summer, aphid catches remain low and most of what we're finding in several locations are non-vector species (these are aphid species which can be found in potato, but do NOT transmit PVY - so no danger there).  We include the numbers of non-vectors just to let you know that aphids are dispersing during this time period (and that the traps are working!).

Forest River in ND had the highest trap catches with 5 vector species.  We haven't found any green peach aphids or soybean aphids in any location so far this year but it's early yet.  This week Black bean aphid was by far the most common vector species found in the traps.

As in the past two years, we’ll be supplying the data in both tabular and graphic formats.  This season has had a slow start, with late planting.  There have been a couple of wind events that could possibly bring aphid vectors into the region from the south.  Keep an eye on fields!

Scouting for aphids in potatoes:
- Select leaves from the lower to mid canopy.  Lower, older leaves will have more established colonies and aphids prefer the balance of nutrients found here; aphids are rarely found on leaves in the upper canopy.
 - Avoid leaves on the ground or in contact with the soil.
 - In seed potatoes there is only a threshold for PLRV (10 aphids/100 leaves), reactive application of insecticides an effective control for PVY.
 - The use of feeding suppressing insecticides, such as pymetrozine (Fulfill®) or flonicamid (Beleaf®) and refined crop oils, such as Aphoil and JMS Stylet Oil, at or prior to field colonization by aphids may reduce the transmission of PVY within fields. Some other insecticides, such as clothianidin (Belay®), imidacloprid (Admire Pro® or Provado®), and spirotetramat (Movento®), have also been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of PVY. 
- In table stock potatoes, a treatment threshold of 30 aphids /100 leaves should deter yield loss due to aphid feeding.



Friday, June 20, 2014

Welcome to the 3rd season of Aphid Alert II




Welcome to the 3rd season of Aphid Alert II – assessing the weekly distribution of aphid vectors of Potato Virus Y in Minnesota and North Dakota.  We added several sites this year and hope to expand to more than 20 sites for the season.

The first week’s catch is in and identified.

As in the past two years, we’ll be supplying the data in both tabular and graphic formats.  This season has had a slow start, with late planting.  There have been a couple of wind events that could possibly bring aphid vectors into the region from the south.  Keep an eye on fields!

Scouting for aphids in potatoes:
- Select leaves from the lower to mid canopy.  Lower, older leaves will have more established colonies and aphids prefer the balance of nutrients found here; aphids are rarely found on leaves in the upper canopy.
 - Avoid leaves on the ground or in contact with the soil.
 - In seed potatoes there is only a threshold for PLRV (10 aphids/100 leaves), reactive application of insecticides an effective control for PVY.
 - The use of feeding suppressing insecticides, such as pymetrozine (Fulfill®) or flonicamid (Beleaf®) and refined crop oils, such as Aphoil and JMS Stylet Oil, at or prior to field colonization by aphids may reduce the transmission of PVY within fields. Some other insecticides, such as clothianidin (Belay®), imidacloprid (Admire Pro® or Provado®), and spirotetramat (Movento®), have also been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of PVY. 
- In table stock potatoes, a treatment threshold of 30 aphids /100 leaves should deter yield loss due to aphid feeding.