COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS — Fighting off armyworms to protect much-needed crops
With cooler temperatures and a significant amount of rain throughout the lone star state, forage and crop producers are doing their best to fight a familiar insect.
Texas A&M AgriLife extension overton forage specialist, Vanessa Corriher-Olsen, said armyworms are populating around various crops to the moisture from the rain we received and harvesting forages can produce a large number of them since they don't consume dry plants.
Armyworms can also consume freshly cut grass and has moths that can lay up to two thousand eggs that hatch in two to three days.
"If we allow the armyworms to destroy, to consume all of that forage, that reduces grazing area for livestock, that reduces the amount of hay that is produced to feed cow later. As far as other crops, it has a huge impact on our agricultural systems," says Corriher-Olsen.
She suggests producers use pesticides applications on two or more armyworms per square foot and scout more often and every morning for armyworms.
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