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XIX. Small
Grain Insects
R. D.
Hudson and G. D. Buntin
Georgia’s small
grain producers increased plantings in 1996. Wheat was harvested for grain from
350,000 acres from 1995. Yields of wheat averaged 48 bushels per acre, a near all
time record for most Georgia wheat producers. Wheat prices increased as a result of
continued world grain shortages. Prices for wheat averages $4.40 per acre for top
quality.
Barley yellow dwarf,
an aphid vectored virus, continues to increase in importance in some areas of
Georgia. Populations were somewhat lower than 1995, but still of significant
importance. As a result, aphids have become the primary insect pest problem
associated with small grains. Hessian fly continues to be a problem in some fields
planted to the older wheat varieties. Cereal leaf beetle continues to increase in
importance in the northern part of Georgia.
Estimates of Losses and Control Costs |
Rank |
Insect |
Cost of Control |
Damage |
Total |
1 |
Aphids |
$420,000 |
$850,000 |
$1,270,000 |
2 |
Hessian fly |
252,000 |
924,000 |
1,176,000 |
3 |
Cereal leaf beetle |
105,000 |
155,000 |
260,000 |
4 |
Armyworms |
105,000 |
103,000 |
208,000 |
5 |
Stink bugs |
53,00 |
103,000 |
156,000 |
6 |
Chinch bug |
26,000 |
96,000 |
122,000 |
| |
Total |
$961,000 |
$2,231,000 |
$3,192,000 |
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| Information Pertaining to Control of Major Small
Grain Insect Pests in Georgia in 1996 |
Insect |
No. Acres Needing Control |
No. Acres Treated |
No. of Acre Applic. |
Avg. Cost Per Unit Treated1 |
Yield Loss on Units Treated2 |
Yield Loss on Units
Untreated2 |
Aphids |
88,000 |
56,000 |
1.0 |
$12.00 |
25,000 |
168,000 |
Hessian fly |
35,000 |
21,000 |
1.0 |
$7.50 |
42,000 |
168,000 |
Cereal leaf beetle |
18,000 |
14,000 |
1.0 |
$7.50 |
2,000 |
25,000 |
Armyworms |
18,000 |
14,000 |
1.0 |
$7.50 |
10,000 |
13,000 |
Stink bugs |
14,000 |
11,000 |
1.0 |
$5.00 |
7,000 |
17,000 |
Chinch bug |
14,000 |
4,000 |
1.0 |
$7.50 |
10,000 |
20,000 |
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1 Excluding application costs.
2 Yield units measured in bushels.NOTE: These estimates were derived from
400,000 acres of wheat. |
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