The United Sorghum Checkoff Program recently released eight videos on sugarcane aphid management for 2017. The video series provides growers with information received from the Sorghum-Sugarcane Aphid Research Exchange Meeting held in January of this year where nearly 60 researchers from across the country shared the results of checkoff-funded research conducted in 2016.
“These sugarcane aphid videos are a way to provide growers with the information they need to have a successful growing year with sorghum,” Brent Bean, Sorghum Checkoff agronomist, said in a news release. “The sugarcane aphid continues to affect sorghum growers, and we want to make sure farmers are equipped with the latest information on how to best identify and manage the pest.”
The video series discusses topics such as sugarcane aphid biology, tolerant versus susceptible hybrids, insecticide rates and applications, control with other pests, late season control, integrated pest management and pre-planting decisions.
In the videos, Bean summarizes the research data and best practices concluded from the research and exchange meeting and provides growers with steps they should take to defend against sugarcane aphids.
“The key to managing the sugarcane aphid is having access to all available information,” Bean said. “There are numerous factors involved with managing this pest, including hybrid selection, planting date and thresholds. Growers should understand all factors that can affect sugarcane aphid management in sorghum.”
The Sorghum Checkoff is committed to meeting farmers’ needs through research and education. The sugarcane aphid management video series serves as an opportunity for the checkoff to provide this needed information to growers in a convenient and easily-accessible way.
The full video series can be found on the Sorghum Checkoff’s YouTube channel.