Farmers on the High Plains are experiencing an infestation of Hessian Flies this growing season. And there’s not much to be done about it, says Agriculture.com.
The proliferation of Hessian flies is due in part to the mild fall weather. Last year, Hessian flies were found in nearly every county in southern Kansas. And now the problem has extended to this growing season. The insects are flying wild in the winter wheat fields of Oklahoma, southern Kansas, and eastern Colorado. The problem this year has been that many farmers again planted winter wheat well before the Hessian fly-free date. This has given the insects a leg up on the 2016 wheat crop.
The Hessian flies can severely affect crops. Infected wheat fields show stunting or dead spots. The entire stand may be lost, especially if significant infestation occurs shortly after germination while plants are in the seedling stage.