Spider Mites

Another week, another pest in this tough 2021 cropping season. This time it is one we do not see flare up this widespread very often. It is the two spotted spider mite in soybeans. The two spotted spider mite is a tiny pest that can cause damage quickly in dry and hot conditions hence why we are seeing it this year.
To scout for these mites, first start in the soybean field edges near ditches and other grassy areas. Begin looking for “stippling” of the leaves in the lower canopy like seen in the picture. If you see this or a light version of this in the lower canopy you likely have spider mites. Next, take a white sheet of paper and shake plants onto the white sheet of paper. You will see what looks like tiny dust particles running around on the paper, those are spider mites (view video). The threshold for spider mites is damage to the mid or upper canopy. If you begin seeing damage happening in the middle and upper canopy of your soybeans and not just on the very bottom leaves, it is time to spray. If the field begins to turn yellow from the road, you need to look into the problem, if it is indeed spider mites, you will be losing yield rather quickly at that point. Feel free to call your agronomist for any questions or concerns. 

Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vob83r0BLHw 

Jackson Gregory, Belgrade Cooperative Agronomist