Mike Stanyard – NWNY Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops Team Leader and Field Crops Specialist
I was out in winter barley fields this week in Genesee, Orleans and Monroe Counties. SY Tepee that was planted earlier (September) is flowering). Those planted a little later were heading out but no flowers yet. Time for fungicide applications! A couple of fields have already been sprayed with Caramba or Prosaro earlier this week. Others will be ready this weekend.
Also, scout for insects prior to the fungicide applications. In one field I was able to find Cereal Leaf Beetle (CLB) eggs and larvae that had just hatched (black shiny and 1/8” long). All those that we found were down in the canopy. Eggs are very small, orange and usually on the top surface of the leaf right on the midrib. They are sometimes laid end to end in a row of 2 to 4. Best to spray for them now while you are going over the field with your fungicide.
Common armyworms (CAW) could also be a concern right now. We have been catching high numbers of moths in pheromone traps the past couple of weeks. Females like to lay their eggs in grassy fields and winter grains. We are getting reports of very small larvae (1/8” – 1/4”) being found in grass fields in Jefferson County by Mike Hunter yesterday. It is very hard to find them when they are this small. You will have to look at eht bottom leaves of the plant for feeding injury. You will see small pieces of the leaves missing. They are nocturnal and will hide in the dead leaves at the base of the plant during the day. Watch for blackbirds diving into the field. This is a sure sign that CAW are present!
