Retired University of Minnesota IPM and professional scapegoat. Still exploring biology of agricultural and wild landscapes.
Joined October 2012
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780 Photos and videos
Mar 24
No point in letting IL have all the fun. I've never been accused of being optimistic but, I doubt this a problem on only one MN farm.
blog-crop-news.extension.umn…
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Feb 22
Congrats to the USA hockey team on the gold medal! Heck of a game by the goalie!
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Jan 23
Temperatures here are down to -20F so far this morning. In areas with no snow cover, this might lower soil temps enough to increase western corn rootworm egg mortality.
Also on the bright side-the pollen count is currently very low.
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Jan 10
It was onlyba matter of time I suppose.
Glufosinate-Resistant Waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) Confirmed in Illinois farmdoc.illinois.edu/field-c…
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25 Sep 2025
Numerous calls on corn earworms in late planted corn. Insecticides have limited effectiveness inside ear husker. Moths are abundant in my garden now (did not confirm sp.). Need to do better on monitoring late migrants.
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15 Sep 2025
A consultant in SC MN sent photos of severe fall armywom infestation in an oat cover crop. The larvae were nearly full grown. It might be worth checking any emerged fall cereals, lush grass hay ground an possibly very late-planted sweet corn.
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22 Sep 2025
The Oreus (aka minute pirate bugs) must be running out of mite and aphid prey. Sunny weather in SW MN has brought them out to do some test feeding on humans. Good bugs gone bad-happens every fall.
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18 Sep 2025
The zinnia patch is seeing 8 or more monarchs at a time and several painted ladies. Hummingbirds are busy at the feeders too.
It takes a lot of fuel on the trip south.
Soybean harvest starting and a lot of silage cut.
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16 Jul 2025
Variable MN infestations based on planting date, rainfall, field size, and buckthorn.
SWROC soybean aphid populations have developed to 100% plants infested with low # of aphids/plant. Any optimism in thos pic?.
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15 Jul 2025
Visited the SWROC western corn rootworm site this AM. Western corn rootworm pressure in continuous corn much higher here than 2024.
It's early, male beetles are just beginning to emerge and no females..
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9 Jul 2025
Looks like extended diapause rootworm problems could be more prevalent in MN corn this year.
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18 Jun 2025
Soybean aphids are easy to find on V4 soybeans at UM UM SWROC near Lamberton MN. Too early to panic but may want to scout indicator fields earlier this year.
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15 Jan 2025
Research update meeting at the UMN SWROC today. A new experience not presenting this year.
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14 Jan 2025
Western corn rootworm eggs are seeing an open winter and cold soil temps. Will 2025 continue to see lower rootworm populations in SW MN?
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9 Oct 2024
This evening's insect pest report.
Too dry here for mosquitoes but, as fall progresses and they run out of small invertebrate prey such as aphids, swarms of minute pirate bug's switch to human prey. When good bugs go bad.
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5 Oct 2024
I'm not aware of this disease being confirmed in MN. However, depending on vector survival and movement, this may be another corn disease to keep in mind in the future.
x.com/KSUCropdiseases/status…
4 Oct 2024
Corn stunt spiroplasma, a new threat to @kscorn , is now confirmed in 26 counties.
For more info 👉 eupdate.agronomy.ksu.edu/art…
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23 Sep 2024
I found a second brood white-lined sphinx moth caterpillar feeding on purslane in my garden. In MN, this species overwinters as a pupae.
Unfortunately, I have either too few caterpillars or too much purslane.
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