The 2013/14 soybean growing season has been challenging for many growers with very low rainfall and high temperatures until late March. Crop stress was sometimes wrongly attributed to insect pests although a number of crops were infested with more unusual pests such as etiella. The high temperatures also increased the impact of lucerne crown borer in infested crops.
Severe and sustained bean podborer (Maruca vitrata) outbreaks were widely reported in mungbeans over the past 2 summers.. Populations in excess of 100 larvae per square metre were observed in many crops. If left uncontrolled such populations not only impact on crop yield by reducing pod set, they also severely damage the pods that are set and delay harvest maturity…. Read more »
Damaging bean podborer (Maruca vitrata) populations of up to 100+ larvae/m2 have been observed in flowering and podding mungbeans in the South Burnett, Dawson Callide and Central Highlands. Although podborer is not an uncommon pest in these regions during wet summers, very high populations can inflict devastating damage with zero pod set observed in some crops where the pest is… Read more »