A lot has happened over the last month with the Sugarcane
aphid (SCA). Here is a brief timeline of what we have learned from monitoring
and overwintering study results on the High Plains.
April 4
Tommy Doederlein (Extension Agent – IPM, Dawson and Lynn
Counties) has reported successful SCA overwintering between Lamesa and
O’Donnell. This is the second year in a row that Tommy has found successful
overwintering in his cages by the SCA, although last year’s results were not
conclusive. To date, this is the most northerly location of SCA overwintering.
April 25
Xandra Morris (Extension Agent – IPM, Hill County) has found
winged aphids in Hill County on Johnson grass where they overwintered.
April 29
Blayne Reed (Extension Agent – IPM, Hale, Swisher, Floyd
Counties) has reported successful SCA overwintering in Hale Co. Johnson grass
inside the overwintering cage had adults and nymphs, while the Johnson grass
outside the cage did not have any aphids. To date, this is now the farthest
north we have found SCA to have overwintered, by about 80 miles.
May 3
Dr. Pat Porter (Extension Entomologist) and I found SCA on
Johnson grass in Lubbock County about six miles east of New Deal. We found adults, several nymphs, and one alatoid (a nymph that will soon
become a winged adult). This early May finding is almost a full eight weeks
before the first sighting of SCA in Lubbock Co last year (found on June 27,
2015).
May 6
Xandra Morris (Extension Agent – IPM, Hill County) has found
SCA feeding on sorghum near Itasca. There were only one or two aphids per
colony, with less than 1% of plants containing aphids.
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| SCA on Johnson grass in Lubbock Co on May 3. Photo: Pat Porter. |
Texas A&M Agrilife Extension has put together some
excellent material on SCA management for grain and forage sorghum. Contact or
stop by your local county extension office for more information!
