As another week of the growing season passes, pests have become more prevalent in fields.

Iowa State University Extension Field Agronomist Mike Witt says that detrimental factors to field health have started to become more noticeable, and are therefore being reported more. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio the latest information farmers are sharing with him.

“I haven’t heard (of) a lot of pests in the soybean fields as of yet. With corn, corn rootworm would be the pest that we’re hearing about. If you have corn on corn fields, or other scenarios like that, the beetles have really started to come out when it comes to corn rootworm. So if you’re looking at those, make sure that you have a plan for that type of scenario that is economically feasible.”

Witt mentions that the most reported pest isn’t coming from corn or soybean fields, but rather the alfalfa pastures. He adds that alfalfa weevils have been reported in the area over the last month, and it just seems like no matter what is used to try and get rid of them, they just won’t go away.