2024
Evaluating control methods for a new leaf-mining pest of soybean in Minnesota (year 2 of 3)
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
(none assigned)
Lead Principal Investigator:
Robert Koch, University of Minnesota
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
24175
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Leveraged Funding (Non-Checkoff):
No other funding has been secured for research on this pest. We will seek complementary funding from the Minnesota Rapid Agricultural Response to further evaluate the biology and interactions between soybean tentiform leafminer and soybean plants, and additional management tactics.
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Institution Funded:
Brief Project Summary:
The soybean tentiform leafminer is a native insect that has recently developed the ability to feed on soybean. The levels of leaf injury caused by this pest are alarming and could threaten soybean yields. Therefore, urgent work is needed to evaluate potential control methods for this pest. The work proposed here is the second year of a three-year project focused on evaluating control methods that could be used to respond to this pest. First, certain insecticides with translaminar activity (ability to move through leaves) proved effective at controlling this pest in the first year of this project. Further work is needed in this second year to evaluate additional insecticides, particularly...
Information And Results
Project Summary

The soybean tentiform leafminer is a native insect that has recently developed the ability to feed on soybean. The levels of leaf injury caused by this pest are alarming and could threaten soybean yields. Therefore, urgent work is needed to evaluate potential control methods for this pest. The work proposed here is the second year of a three-year project focused on evaluating control methods that could be used to respond to this pest. First, certain insecticides with translaminar activity (ability to move through leaves) proved effective at controlling this pest in the first year of this project. Further work is needed in this second year to evaluate additional insecticides, particularly those with the ability to move through leaves to contact the insects inside the mines. This field efficacy trial will be performed in the field of a cooperating farmer. Second, leafmining insects are generally attacked and killed by multiple parasitic wasps, and our preliminary work has found that the soybean tentiform leafminer is attacked by several species of parasitic wasps. However, further work is needed in this second year to characterize the community of parasitic wasps attacking this pest and quantify the levels of mortality they inflict on the pest populations. Results of this proposed work will allow us to develop integrated pest management recommendations including chemical and biological controls for this pest.

Project Objectives

1. GOAL: To build the foundation for the development of management programs for soybean tentiform leafminer, we propose the following goals and objectives:
OBJECTIVES:
1. Evaluate the efficacy of insecticides against soybean tentiform leafminer in soybean fields
2. Assess diversity and impacts of parasitic wasps attacking soybean tentiform leafminer populations

Project Deliverables

This project will provide several important deliverables that will advance management programs for
soybean tentiform leafminer in Minnesota. This project will produce foundational knowledge on
chemical and biological control against this pest. This knowledge will help farmers determine which
insecticides to use against this pest and if natural control provided by parasitic wasps can help suppress
infestations. This knowledge will be housed on the UMN Extension website and made widely available
to farmers and the agricultural community through our extension programming (see communication
plan above) and through the communication channels of Minnesota Soybean. Finally, this project will
facilitate the continued training of post-doctoral in Entomology, who will gain expertise in pest ecology
and integrated pest management.

Progress Of Work

Final Project Results

Benefit To Soybean Farmers

Soybean tentiform leafminer is a new pest that poses a threat to soybean production. Currently,
knowledge about this pest in soybean is limited and little is known about potential management tactics.
This limits the ability of farmers to prepare for and respond to the pest. Investment in this project will
enable us to provide recommendations to inform farmers about how to effectively manage this pest.
More specifically, recommendations for chemical and biological controls will be generated to help the
farmers protect their crops.

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.