It’s almost time to scout your soybean fields for aphids

This year’s soybean crop may be breaking records, but that does not keep them immune from pests. Aphid season is nearly here, and they can pose a real threat to yields.

Iowa State University researchers say the relatively new pest can wipe out as much as 40 percent of a crop. The soybean aphid was discovered in the U.S. back in 2000 and has since spread in the upper Midwest and parts of Canada.

Pest management specialists say scouting is essential and that includes all parts of the field, not just the outskirts. The best time to scout is around the first week of September.

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