A3O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 17, 2000
Alfalfa Weevils
After First Cut
NEWARK, Del.— According
to Joanne Whalen, cooperative
extension integrated pest man
agement (IPM) specialist at the
University of Delaware, a lar
ger-than-normal infestation of
alfalfa weevils has resulted in
significant damage to alfalfa in
the Delmarva region.
Kent County Extension agri
culture agent Gordon Johnson
and Whalen have spoken to al
falfa growers in that county con
cerned about the lack of
regrowth on alfalfa after the
first cutting. Calls to central and
southeastern Pennsylvania and
Maryland’s Eastern Shore con
firm a similar situation there.
“Although the lack of re
growth has been attributed to
everything from cultural prac
tices and fertilizer to disease and
herbicide injury, the IPM staff
have pinpointed the primary
culprit as alfalfa weevil feeding
on the crown buds,” Whalen
said. “Fields harvested very
early or very late appear to be
regrowing normally, but those
cut around May 15 are not.”
Since regrowth for
second cutting gener
ally comes from the
stem buds, new growth
will appear slow be
cause plants will now
have to regrow from
the crown buds. Most
stands should survive
this damage. Whalen
predicts, adding that
at least one cutting
will be lost.
Whalen said that
damage is most severe
in areas in which
weevil pressure was
heavy before the first
cutting and controls
were not used. It ap
pears that the damage
was done soon after
cutting. While larvae
the typical feeding
stage of this pest
have already pupated,
sometimes adults can
be found feeding on
crown buds as well.
This type of damage,
however, has not been
seen since the late
1950 s to early 19605.
“It’s been so long
since this phenomenon
has been seen that we
weren’t sure what we
were up against. From
literature of 40 years
ago we’ve learned that
larvae and adult al
falfa weevils can pre
vent or significantly
delay regrowth,”
noted Whalen. “Fa
vorable overwintering
conditions and warm
weather in March
have combined to
make for earlier and
heavier weevil popula
tions.”
Since significant
weevil populations
have not surfaced in
recent years, parasite
populations may be
lower, too, the IPM
specialist said.
In order to mini
mize the damage to
the stand, Whalen
suggests delaying the
second cutting for 35
to 38 days, allowing
some flowering before
harvesting. If weevils
were present before
harvest and the Held
was not sprayed,
check immediately
after harvest for weevils feeding
on new buds. Apply a treatment
if one to two weevils per crown
are found.
“Potato leafhopper damage
on weakened plants will be more
injurious than normal, so it is es
sential that growers also scout
fields for potato leafhopper to
prevent further stress to the
stand,” Whalen said. “Leaf
hoppers have been in the area
since early May. We are starting
to nymphs, which can quickly
damage fields.”
She advises scouting for
potato leafhopper adults and
nymphs as soon as regrowth is
observed. Treatment thresholds
are as follows:
• In alfalfa three inches or
less, the treatment threshold is
20 per 100 sweeps.
• In alfalfa four to six inches
tall, the treatment threshold is
50 per 100 sweeps.
•In alfalfa seven to 11 inches •
tall, the threshold is 100 per 100
sweeps.
• In alfalfa 12 inches or taller,
the threshold is 150 per 100
sweeps.
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If fields are extremely
stressed, reduce these thresholds
by one-third.
Les Vough, University of
Maryland Extension agronomist
and forage crop specialist,
agrees with Whalen that re
growth damaged by alfalfa wee
vils should be cut at a 35- to 38-
day interval.
“Keep in mind this means 35
to 38 days from the time re
growth begins, which may have
been two to three weeks ago and
just now is beginning to grow,”
he said. “Also, let the second
cutting go to about 25 percent
bloom, since plants must pro
duce new growth from the
crown buds. A summer drought
is predicted, so extra recovery
time will be beneficial, and an
adequate fall recovery period
will be more critical this year be
cause of the damage.”
For more information about
the alfalfa weevil infestation,
contact your county extension
office.
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Donate $250,000 To Charity
AMES, lowa Dairy Relief,
Inc. (DRI), a charitable founda
tion, has forged an unprece
dented relationship with
another nonprofit Midwestern
organization.
National Farmers Organiza
tion, serving America’s farmers
and ranchers since 1955, and its
dairy producer-members, have
donated more than $250,000 to
DRI, a gesture which not only
helps undernourished people of
the world, but also contributes to
the well being of the nation’s
dairy farmers.
For two years, DRI has do
nated thousands of pounds of
U.S. dairy products to alleviate
hunger worldwide. In fact, DRI
donations have reached people
in Albania, Bosnia, Columbia,
Haiti, Honduras, Kosovo, North
Korea, the Palestinian West
Bank, Romania and Uzbekistan.
DRI works with other charitable
relief organizations as well as
the U.S. Department of Agricul
ture and USAID to arrange for
the distribution of dairy prod
ucts to the poor.
“National Farmers is quite
pleased to be a part of this win
ning effort against hunger,” said
Gene Paul, national policy ana
lyst for National Farmers who
mheim, PA (Lancaster Co.)
also serves as president of DRI.
“It’s not often that one pro
gram significantly helps both
the donor and the recipient in
this particular way.”
U.S. dairy farmers have re
cently been plagued by
perceived oversupply and low
prices. Several Midwestern pro
ducers, looking for a way to
reduce supply and raise prices,
fostered the idea of a charitable
organization.
With the backing of National
Farmers and other national
dairy cooperatives, DRI was
bom. “We believe there is a
niche that needs to be filled in
terms of making sure that high
quality dairy products are do
nated to those in need,” said
Carl Baumann of Highland 111.,
a dairy producer named execu
tive director of DRI earlier this
year. “No other relief agency or
charity is focused exclusively on
dairy product contributions, and
that’s DRl’s great opportunity. I
think that given the great nutri
tional value of milk and other
dairy goods, we have a great
product to offer those in need.”
For more information about
Dairy Relief, Inc., contact Carl
Baumann at (618) 654-3676 or
cjbaum@papadocs.com.
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