This is the Sugarbeet Report, bringing you the latest information from NDSU throughout the sugar beet growing season. The sugar beet root maggot has done its damage, so now our focus turns to other pests that may be threatening the crop. To help us out is Mark Boetel, NDSU Extension entomologist. Mark, what are the insect issues for growers here in August?

There have been several reports of growers needing to spray for lygus bugs. That's something that comes up nearly every late summer, so that's something to be watching for. Probably will be continuing to be a problem or at least an issue to watch out for the next couple of weeks. Most of the reports have been from the MnDak growing area as well as actually even more so down in Southern Minnesota. Leaf miners have also been reported. It's mostly been spotty though. They're widespread. They're not extensive but they're occurring throughout much of the growing area in pretty low numbers but they're almost never a economic concern. Certainly, it's kind of concerning when you see symptomology like that but it takes a lot of leafminer injury to really become economic. Another issue to watch out for is certainly the dry weather that we've had, the last couple of weeks for many growers is grasshoppers. We gotta kinda watch out for outbreaks of that insect to occur. The beets are pretty far along now, so one thing that growers need to keep in mind is the pre harvest interval on the label of their insecticides. So we wanna make sure that those are adhered to as we approach pea pre pile for the sugar beet producers.

What's the root maggot doing right now?

Right now, they are pretty well done feeding. I'm observing a very rare one here and there with our root digging that's happening now, our rating that's happening. For the most part, the populations have moved down, getting ready to overwinter. Really no injury is occurring now. Whatever was going to happen has happened as far as root maggot feeding injury but we'll be going out and surveying grower fields in the next couple of weeks actually for two to four weeks time and we'll survey growers' commercial fields throughout the growing area or really the insects range, scoring that entry to see how well the insecticides worked this year and how successful those applications were and then that will sort of help us build the forecast for 2027.

Mark, there's another plot tour coming up. What are the details?

There's a NDSU Sugarbeet plot tour occurring at NDSU's Prosper Experiment Farm. That's gonna be held on Tuesday, August 11, and it begins at 10AM sharp. The topics that are going to be included will be weed and insect control in Sugarbeet. An additional nice thing is that a on farm lunch will be served as well.

Thanks, Mark. Our guest has been Mark Boetel, NDSU Extension entomologist. This is the Sugarbeet Report, bringing you the latest information from NDSU throughout the sugar beet growing season.