Pests & Diseases

Although many vertebrate pests cause problems in alfalfa, the most frequent offender is the pocket gopher (hereafter gopher; Thomomys spp.).

Insect pressure in alfalfa continues to build as the warm weather encourages both plant and insect development. Following is an overview of some of the primary insects growers may see in their alfalfa fields this year, as well as scouting and management tips to address them.

Although a few weeks early this year, we are entering that time period when potato leafhoppers are being collected and thus, might become a concern in alfalfa.

Flies are one of the most difficult pests to manage and, although they cannot be totally controlled, it is possible to reduce populations and irritation to livestock.

This easy three-minute video takes you into the field to show how to scout and manage alfalfa weevil by following IPM practices and University of Wisconsin recommendations.

View the clip at the bottom of the article.

Warmer-than-normal spring temperatures have accelerated the development of biennial weeds in pastures and along roadsides. "A problem that we would typically think about dealing with sometime in mid-May is rearing its ugly head now," said University of Illinois extension educator Robert Bellm.