Q&A
by Farrell Allison, Crop Quest Division Manager, Greensburg, Kan.
A. While army cutworms generally start to cause crop damage from January to March, the infestation actually begins during the fall when moths lay their eggs. This fall, we had a very heavy moth flight, so expect to see damage from army cutworms in susceptible fields.
Army cutworms are more noticeable in fields with vegetation during late fall and early winter, such as pastures, wheat fields and particularly alfalfa fields with late growth. Crops planted adjacent to these types of fields will be the hardest hit by army cutworms. So far this year, treatments have been applied in Comanche and Kiowa counties and cutworm infestations have been found at different levels throughout the area.
Treatment levels for army cutworms are largely dependent on the amount of crop growth in the field. Fields with less growth are more susceptible to cutworm damage. In addition, the amount of damage caused by 2 to 3 worms per square foot will increase with the same number of pests as the cutworms grow larger. Treatment is more effective when the pests are small and before crops are damaged.
Your Crop Quest consultants will continue to look for fields with damage throughout February, March and into April. For more information on insecticide treatments, timing or product-use guidelines, contact Crop Quest at (620) 225-2233.
