The abnormally cool, wet spring has delayed planting across Kentucky.  Although farmers are understandably eager to begin planting corn, planting into cool, wet soils can increase the risk of seedling blight. Causes Seedling blights are caused by several soil- or…

Stripe rust (Figure 1) was observed at a very low incidence in wheat research plots at the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center in Princeton (Caldwell County) late last week.  Also last week, stripe rust was detected in Gallatin…

In western Kentucky, wheat aphid monitoring has not detected the presence of this bug so far. This doesn’t mean that aphids are not in fields. They are out there at such low numbers that they cannot be detected through our…

Biology & Phenology of Dectes Stem Borer in Kentucky The adult Dectes stem borer, Dectes texanus texanus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is a long horned beetle approximately 3/8 inch long and gray in color. It has long, slender antennae that can be…

With soybean rust being observed in late August in Giles County, Tennessee (south-central TN), and with Hurricanes Harvey and Irma potentially carrying and depositing spores of the soybean rust fungus along its path, the detection of soybean rust in Kentucky…

Do we need to be concerned about bees feeding on honeydew produced by sugarcane aphids in sorghum fields? This is a question heard on repeated occasions when visiting sorghum fields infested by sugarcane aphids, and it was recently e-mailed to…

The use of cover crops in Kentucky is on the rise with more farmers looking to gain an edge wherever they can.  Cover crops have many benefits, including keeping soils in place over winter, improving soil quality, and in some…