Arkansas farmer Matt Miles has seen how planting dates can not only help improve yield but also his battle against pests. Staying ahead of potential pest problems has proven to be the best line of defense.
Last year showed how dry conditions create the perfect playground for a few yield-robbing pests. The conditions could be ripe again for drought-loving pests to emerge.
The drought in the West is producing many firsts, as farmers and ranchers grapple with dire decisions including pulling their cattle off federal lands early. Now many worry they won't source enough feed for winter.
Extreme drought conditions have plagued the West, northern Plains and parts of the Midwest this growing season, which is the ideal environment for the jumping insect.
As Arkansas farmers work to battle an outbreak of fall armyworms, entomologists say the pest is proving to be devastating in later planted crops. And as farmers see increased pest pressure, the costs are adding up.
Emerging pest pressures can create problems for farmers every year. And as certain pest pressures build, Farm Journal Associate Agronomist Missy Bauer says the issues are often geography based.
With drought causing spring wheat to shrivel, the heat next week will be lethal for that portion of the crop barely hanging on. Now, grasshoppers are preying on battered fields, possibly shrinking the crop to zero.
From too much rain to not enough, to the intensity and direction of the wind, weather plays a vital role in the the amount of pests farmers see from year to year. Agronomists and entomologists debunk myths with facts.