Troubles unrelenting for many area farmers w/ Information on how to control armyworms

By Mike Surbrugg

msurbrugg@joplinglobe.com

NEVADA, Mo. — First, there was the drought in 2006. Then came a late freeze in April. Now, a whole lot of rain, bugs and disease are taking turns punishing farm fields in the region.

On Monday, Pat Miller, University of Missouri Extension agronomist in Nevada, said wheat fields in that area have diseases in addition to freeze damage. Weevils, cut worms and armyworms also are appearing in many fields, and fungus is in some trees, shrubs and field crops, she said.

“The alfalfa fields have a lot of bugs,” she said.

She and other extension specialists in the area recommend farmers consider cutting fescue now to beat armyworms and to get better quality hay.

“We seldom get this done because of rain or being too busy in other fields and get around to cutting fescue later,” she said.

Jay Chism, extension agronomist, Lamar, said he has received many calls from farmers asking about armyworms in grass and wheat fields.

Fields should be checked late in the day or at night. Spraying is economically justified with an average of four half-grown or larger armyworms per square foot, he said.

Armyworms got their name because they seemingly march across fields, leaving little in their aftermath.

County extension centers can recommend control procedures.

As fields dry, expect a lot of fescue to be cut and baled, said John Hobbs, an extension specialist who farms in McDonald County.

Wheat crop forecast

The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts Missouri’s wheat crop will total only 31.5 million bushels, down 36 percent from 2006. However, the Kansas crop could be up 24 percent to 361 million bushels, the same rate of increase as predicted for the nation. The Oklahoma wheat crop is forecast at 161 million bushels, up 97 percent from 2006, but Northeast Oklahoma is expected to have less wheat production.