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[AgriLife Today] Fall armyworms are on the march

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By: Adam Russell

OVERTON – Fall armyworms are on the march in parts of Texas.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agents in a few of the agency’s districts have reported increased armyworm activity in hayfields and pastures over the past few weeks. Dr. Vanessa Corriher-Olson, AgriLife Extension forage specialist in Overton, said producers should expect an increase in armyworm numbers following recent rains and cooler temperatures in areas of the state.

“I was getting calls about them before the rain,” she said. “They like cooler temperatures and wet conditions in the spring and fall, so we could see a swell in their numbers.”

Armyworm moths can lay up to 2,000 eggs that hatch in two to three days, according to a 2015 report by AgriLife Extension entomologist Dr. Allen Knutson. There are four to five generations per year.

Corriher-Olson said armyworm caterpillars are picky eaters that prefer highquality, fertilized forage typically found on fields maintained for hay production. They are a common pest of Bermudagrass, sorghum, corn, wheat, rye grass and many other crops in north and central Texas.

Producers should scout each morning for armyworms, she said. Armyworms are night feeders that try to avoid daytime temperatures.

Armyworms are green, brown or black in color and can be identified by the white inverted Y on their head. They can grow up to 1 inch in length when mature.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZlhX9mSkRU

The pest got its name because they appear to march across hay fields, consuming the grass in their path.

The threshold for insecticide spray treating a pasture is three or more armyworms per square foot, Corriher-Olson said. Armyworms in those numbers should be treated immediately. Armyworms in the last two or three days of their larvae stage consume 85 percent of their diet.

Corriher-Olson recommends insecticides labeled for armyworm control in pastures and hayfields. She said applicators should always follow all label instructions on pesticide use and restrictions.

“You don’t need to wait a day if their numbers are at threshold,” she said. “They are going to do a lot of damage quickly. If you find them in the morning, spray that day.”

More information about armyworms can be found in Knutson’s report The Fall Armyworm – Pest of Pastures and Hay at: http://foragefax.tamu.edu/files/2015/08/Armyworm-Fact-Sheet-2015.pdf.

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Farm & Ranch

Ag Elsewhere: Wyoming

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By Tressa Lawrence

Despite some blue skies, March can still bring sub-zero temperatures to Wyoming as calves hit the ground.

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Ag Elsewhere: Montana

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By Lindsey Monk

Welding on some corrals before dark. It’s been a mild winter in Montana so far, knock on wood.

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Land Market Report: January Land Sales

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By Jared Groce

The rural land market in North Texas has had a fairly stale start to the year, with the number of transactions closed being minimal so far. There has been an increase in call volume from buyers, and some are turning into contracts, but I feel like we are still a little slower than we usually are at this time of the year. The “experts” are expecting fewer transactions in 2024 as compared to 2023, and they may be correct, because election years always seem to be slower. Once the election is over, and regardless of who wins, things seem to pick up once again. It is a strange phenomena that just seems to happen every four years.

With the amount of growth that we are currently experiencing here, I do not expect things to get any cheaper. More people means more houses, and they have to have land to build those houses on.

To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

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