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South Dakota Ag News Headlines
Sound Management Practice for Gall Midges
South Dakota Ag Connection - 08/16/2018

SDSU Extension asks South Dakota soybean growers to help them develop an effective treatment for gall midges by contacting SDSU Extension staff if the pest is discovered in your fields.

"By visiting impacted fields, our team will be able to have an opportunity to develop the best management practice for prevention or management of this pest," said Adam Varenhorst, assistant professor & SDSU Extension field crop entomologist.

When Varenhorst or other SDSU Extension staff visits a field, they collect samples of the gall midge larvae from live plants to aid in the research.

"Now that we know this pest is having a negative impact on soybean fields, we are working diligently to find solutions for soybean growers," Varenhorst said.

"The first step in figuring out a management approach will be identifying the pest so that we might better understand when and how it is infesting soybean," he said.

If your field is infected with gall midges, contact Varenhorst by email, 605.688.6854 or contact your local SDSU Extension Regional Center, contact information can be found at iGrow under the Field Staff icon.

Does my field have gall midges?

Like their name suggests, gall midges form galls or abnormal swelling in infested plants. In soybean, these swollen areas appear near the soil surface. The stem will look woody and will snap like a twig if pressure is applied.

"So far, these cases seem to be more prevalent in areas where soybean have been grown for at least two consecutive years or previously infested soybean residue is nearby a new soybean field," Varenhorst said.

However, he explained that there are also many cases of gall midge larvae infestation that only affect the border of a field (Figure 1).

"This suggests that the flies are emerging from previous residue and moving into the new crop," he said.

There are also cases where this edge effect is being observed near CRP or pastures.

To learn more about scouting for gall midges, review this iGrow article.

Suggested treatments?

At this point in time, SDSU Extension staff are not recommending late season foliar sprays for this pest.

"Gall midge larvae are generally found at the base of the plant underneath the epidermis. This makes it very difficult to get foliar sprays to come into contact with the larvae," Varenhorst said. "It seems that the gall midges in soybeans are restricting water and nutrient flow through the stem, which removes the potential effects that a systemic foliar insecticide might otherwise have."


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