Current Topic of Concern: Wheat Midge

Wheat midge adults are orange and look like a mosquito but are about half the size.  Adults emerge from the soil in late June or early July and lay eggs on wheat heads.  Immature midge (larvae) feed on wheat kernels reducing quality or eliminating kernels altogether.  Each fall extension agents from across the state take soil samples in wheat stubble to determine the abundance of overwintering wheat midge.  This year we’ve seen some of the highest numbers of wheat midge since the survey began in the outbreak years of the mid-1990’s.  Planting date is key as wheat planted early or late will miss the emergence of wheat midge adults.  Properly timed insecticides are an effective control for wheat midge.  The two questions producers should ask before applying an insecticide for midge control are the following:

1.  Is wheat in the susceptible stage (heading to mid-flowering)? 

2.  Are midge adults in wheat fields and are they numerous enough for the spray to be economical?

Late sprays can cause more harm than good as the key natural enemy of wheat midge are more affected than the pest.  For more information on wheat midge management check the links below or contact Dan Waldstein, Crop Protection Specialist, at the North Central Research Extension Center in Minot (857-7682, daniel.waldstein@ndsu.edu).

http://kmot.com/News_Stories.asp?news=47858

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/pests/e1330.pdf

http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/entomology/entupdates/Wheat_Midge/owbm.htm

http://ndawn.ndsu.nodak.edu/wheat-midgedd-form.html