ANSWER (AG QUIZ 6/8): We did a little more rootworm quizing. WCR & NCR - how many instars? THREE. How long do those larvae feed on corn roots? ABOUT 4-6 WEEKS.

ANSWER (AG QUIZ 6/5): Western corn rootworm (A. Held, J. Grandin & B. Mitchem answered the questions correctly). Which comes out first? A is the male. Which comes out first? The male. What does the proportion of male to female look like? Many more females than male.

This week on #BIFR, Ken discusses standing water in crops, nitrogen concerns after heavy rains, weed control, rootworm scouting, and preparing for early tar spot pressure. podomatic.com/podcasts/cropt…

Western corn rootworm egg hatch is underway across Kansas. Now is the time to start planning root evaluations and monitoring management effectiveness. Read more: agronomy.k-state.edu/eupdate… #kstateagronomy

Maybe he was thinking about rootworm, it is corn growing season.

6-9-26. Lightning bugs are out in force. Early this year. Must be because some of you planted on Mother’s Day 😁If you’re worried about corn rootworm, now is the time to look for feeding.

Bayer’s prediction about 2026 rootworm severity and farmers using persistent biocontrol nematodes for enhanced rootworm control

THE SHORT BALD AGRONOMIST AG QUIZ FOR 6/8/26 (ANSWERS W/IN 24-48 HOURS): Let's do a little bit more of a rootworm quiz. WCR & NCR larvae - how many instars? How long do those larvae feed on corn roots?

Horses love corn. Horses love corn so much it’s ranked second only to oats in their favorable food items This horse is offered grocery store corn and he won’t eat it “The food in the store is not real food anymore” We have to stop spraying our foods with poisons, corn in America is routinely sprayed with a range of herbicides, insecticides and fungicides Herbicides (weed killers) are applied to 96% of corn acres: - Glyphosate (Roundup): Widely used, especially on GMO Roundup Ready varieties of most field corn. Applied pre- and post-emergence - Atrazine: One of the top herbicides used on 65% of acres for broadleaf weeds. - Others include Mesotrione (47%), acetochlor (34%), S-metolachlor (27%) Insecticides applied to 14% of acres: - Lambda-cyhalothrin, bifenthrin, chlorpyrifos, tefluthrin. Targeted at pests like corn rootworm, cutworms, etc. Fungicides applied to 19% of acres: -Pyraclostrobin, propiconazole, azoxystrobin. Used for diseases like gray leaf spot or northern corn leaf blight

#AgPhDRadioUpdate | Spray Volunteer Corn Early Will you spray volunteer corn on your first pass, second pass, or both when you spray your soybeans?   If you do not control volunteer corn quickly when you see it in the spring, you will likely run into 3 major issues.  First is something very few people talk about, and that’s the elimination of the rotational benefit of soybeans.  If corn rootworms find that volunteer corn, which they almost certainly will, they only need to feed there for a few weeks before they pupate, often by late June or early July.  If you don’t kill the corn until late June or early July, you will likely have a big rootworm population next year.  The second reason to spray volunteer corn early is it’s a lot easier to control.  Once it gets past 6 inches tall, you often need to use a higher rate of herbicide.  Finally, volunteer corn means yield loss.  This weed is not just an eyesore.  It can often take several bushels off your soybean yield.

This week's eUpdate has articles on weed control after #wheat harvest, late-planted #soybeans, a new online fall armyworm monitoring network, #corn rootworm status, and more! agronomy.k-state.edu/eupdate…

Corn rootworm is one of our biggest corn insects pests. Help track populations in 2026 by joining the Corn Rootworm Trapping Network! Learn more: crops.extension.iastate.edu/… @ashleyn_dean @ErinHodgson_ISU #CornRootworm #AgExtension #IPM

Great way to apply persistent biocontrol nematodes against rootworm. A number of acres inoculated using this equipment in 2026 in Iowa and Illinois

It was great setting up the fourth year of corn rootworm eavesdropper experiments today!