Pests and Pesticides
2021 Small Grains Report: Southcentral and Southeast Idaho Cereals Research & Extension Program
Packed with tons of agronomic data, disease ratings and end-use quality data — interspersed with reports about planting and weather conditions, insect and diseases issues and more — this 160-page...
2022 Small Grains Report: Southcentral and Southeast Idaho Cereals Research & Extension Program
Packed with tons of agronomic data, disease ratings and end-use quality data — interspersed with reports about planting and weather conditions, insect and diseases issues, and more — this 162-page...
Packed with tons of agronomic data, disease ratings and end-use quality data — interspersed with reports about planting and weather conditions, insect and diseases issues and more. This 146-page...
Agronomics of Leasing Fields for Potato Production
Leasing or renting fields for potato production may make it easier for growers to either start an agricultural career or expand one but be forewarned: gather as much background information as you...
Alaska Field Guide to Potato Pests and Beneficial Insects in English and Russian
This 128-page pocket-sized manual helps potato field workers scout for and identify economically important diseases, insects and weeds in potato crops in Alaska. Each pest or beneficial insect is...
This publication offers information for the alfalfa grower on various parasitic nematodes that affect their crops. It covers the distribution, life cycle, symptoms, impact and management strategies...
Barley Thrips Biology and Control
The barley thrips is a pest in Idaho that has caused economic damage in barley crops. This publication covers the damage, description, distribution and biology of barley thrips as well as treatment...
Barny the Barn Owl Coloring Book
Teach children about crop ecosystems with this attractive 14-page coloring book. In it, youth learn about the ecological role of barn owls on a farm by meeting Barny, an adorable little raptor.
Biology and Management of the Potato Tuberworm in the Pacific Northwest
Since 2000, potato tuberworm, a difficult-to-control insect pest, has been detected in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. This publication describes its distribution, hosts, identifying characters and...
Buckwheat Production West of the Cascades
Naturally gluten-free, buckwheat has a variety of culinary uses regionally and internationally. Learn about market opportunities, how to establish a strong stand, and the best management and...
Bumble Bee Parasites and Conservation in the Pacific Northwest
Nearly thirty species of native bumble bee call the Pacific Northwest home and provide important pollination services, even pollinating certain crops more effectively than honey bees. With this in...
Centrocoris volxemi—A Newly Introduced Idaho Insect
Centrocoris volxemi is an introduced non-native true bug (insects with piercing-sucking mouthparts) that has been expanding its known range in the United States since 2020 and Idaho the year after.
Cereal Cyst Nematodes: Biology and Management in Pacific Northwest Wheat, Barley, and Oat Crops
Cereal cyst nematodes reduce yields of wheat, barley and oats in the Pacific Northwest states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington. It is estimated that these pests reduce wheat profitability in these...
Cereal Grass Aphid: A Newly Invasive Pest in North America
Cereal grass aphid is a newly invasive aphid pest in North America. It colonizes cultivated crops like wheat, barley and oat, sucking their juices and using them as host sites for reproduction,...
A pest of small grains, the cereal leaf beetle now occurs in 29 Idaho counties. Learn about its host plants, appearance, life cycle, damage and control recommendations. Five color photographs...
Chemical Weed Control in New Spring-Seeded Alfalfa
Weed management is one of the most important practices in alfalfa production, particularly in new seeding. This bulletin briefly discusses two chemical-based approaches: preemergence or preplant...
Cleaning and Disinfecting Potato Equipment and Storage Facilities
One important step in preventing the spread of potato diseases from field to field is the careful cleaning of equipment used in potato fields and by the effective cleaning of storage facilities...
Clover Root Curculio in Alfalfa: Identification, Biology, and Management
This publication helps growers in Idaho, Oregon and Washington to identify clover root curculio infestations and to design an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for managing clover root...
Cultural Management of Clearwater Russet Potatoes
The Clearwater Russet is a russet-skinned potato variety developed by the Pacific Northwest Variety Development Program that was released in 2008. Its excellent processing quality helped to...
Different Treatment Options for Russian Olive
Russian olive is a thorny, small and highly invasive tree that thrives in southern Idaho's arid climate. The sometimes shrubby tree often crowds out native vegetation areas along the banks of...
Early Blight Biology and Control in Potatoes
With a focus on Idaho conditions, this publication describes the symptoms and disease cycle of early blight in potatoes and recommends control measures including cultural control, resistant...
This publication outlines the beneficial environmental and economic impact of nematode research on the Idaho agricultural industry. It has information on the historical perspective of research,...
Emerald Ash Borer: A Potential Threat to Idaho Urban Landscapes
Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive metallic wood-boring beetle. It has decimated millions of ash trees in the United States and is spreading further west. Learn the signs and symptoms of an...
A sturdy envelope contains this series of 15 fact sheets designed to help farm and ranch managers conduct employee training on health and safety topics. Each fact sheet can be used as a master for...
Field Guide for Integrated Pest Management in Pacific Northwest Vineyards
To produce high-quality wine and juice grapes, effective pest management is essential. The second edition of Field Guide for Integrated Pest Management in Pacific Northwest Vineyards addresses this...
Field Guide to Potato Pests in English and Spanish
$5 This 130-page pocket-sized manual helps potato field workers scout for common diseases, insects and weeds which can impact potato yields. Scouting is an important part of Integrated Pest...
Grasshopper Management in the Pacific Northwest
Grasshoppers are common plant-feeding insects in the Pacific Northwest but large numbers of them can devastate crops like alfalfa, cereals, corn, potatoes and grasses. This publication will help...
Haanchen Barley Mealybug: A New Pest of Barley Emerges in Idaho
A new pest in at least four varieties of barley, the Haanchen barley mealybug, was found for the first time in southern Idaho's Bingham, Bonneville, Caribou, Jefferson and Madison counties in 2003.
Help Protect the Famous Idaho Potato: Diagnose and Control Late Blight in Your Home Garden
Potato and tomato plants are susceptible to late blight, a disease caused by a fungal-like pathogen that caused the Irish Potato Famine of 1845–52. The disease is still with us today and continues...
Herbicide-Resistant Weeds and Their Management
Keep weeds in your fields from becoming herbicide resistant by rotating among herbicides regularly. Learn how and why in this publication. Especially useful is a color-coded chart to help you...
How to Reduce Bee Poisoning from Pesticides
Covers causes of bee poisoning in the PNW, signs and symptoms of bee poisoning, and ways growers, beekeepers and pesticide applicators can reduce bee poisoning. Includes extensive tables listing...
Idaho Forage Handbook (third edition)
This comprehensive information source for anyone who grows forage in Idaho or neighboring states covers topics from species and variety selection to pest control to harvest management, hay storage...
Idaho Spring Barley Production Guide
Barley is one of Idaho’s most important crops. Although its harvested acreage has decreased in the past twenty years, the state is still the nation’s top barley producer. Published in 2003, this...
Identification and Habits of Key Ant Pests in the Pacific Northwest
This publication describes the 12 most common ants characterized as structural pests in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. Drawings and descriptions follow an introduction to ants and their general...
Identifying the Corn Blotch Leafminer
Large populations of corn blotch leafminer, a pest recently discovered in Idaho, can lead to crop losses similar to those caused by hail. This publication describes the pest and its impacts on corn...
Improving Sprayer Accuracy: Simple Methods for Correct Calibration
Improper sprayer calibration is not only expensive but can damage farm crops and impact human and environmental safety. This publication gives detailed instructions, including mathematical...
Inland Pacific Northwest Pasture Calendar
The Inland PNW Pasture Calendar is a comprehensive guide intended to help improve grassland management of forage-livestock systems in the region. From eight chapters and eighteen appendices, learn...
Integrated Pest Management for the Wheat Head Armyworm Complex in the Pacific Northwest
The wheat head armyworm complex is comprised of two armyworm species, Dargida diffusa (Walker) and Dargida terrapictalis (Buckett), which caused recent and sporadic damage to cereal crops in the...
Integrated Pest Management of Aphids in Cereals
Insect and disease pests are prevalent in both residential and commercial food production settings, meaning that a large number of Idahoans contend with them each year. Part of an integrated pest...
Integrated Pest Management of Armyworms
Insect and disease pests are prevalent in both residential and commercial food production settings, meaning that a large number of Idahoans contend with them each year. Part of an integrated pest...
Integrated Pest Management of Cutworms
Insect and disease pests are prevalent in both residential and commercial food production settings, meaning that a large number of Idahoans contend with them each year. Part of an integrated pest...
Integrated Pest Management of Fusarium Dry Rot in Potato
Insect and disease pests are prevalent in both residential and commercial food production settings, meaning that a large number of Idahoans contend with them each year. Part of an integrated pest...
Integrated Pest Management of Leafy Spurge
Leafy spurge is a highly invasive and aggressive weed that forms dense stands, significantly reducing the carrying capacity of rangelands or pastures by 50% to 75%. Part of an integrated pest...
Integrated Pest Management of Pea Aphids in Legumes
Insect and disease pests are prevalent in both residential and commercial food production settings, meaning that a large number of Idahoans contend with them each year. Part of an integrated pest...
Integrated Pest Management of Pea Leaf Weevil in Legumes
Insect and disease pests are prevalent in both residential and commercial food production settings, meaning that a large number of Idahoans contend with them each year. Part of an integrated pest...
Integrated Pest Management of Pea Weevil in Peas
Insect and disease pests are prevalent in both residential and commercial food production settings, meaning that a large number of Idahoans contend with them each year. Part of an integrated pest...
Invertebrate Pest Management for Pacific Northwest Pastures
Several species of insects (arthropods and gastropods) live in pastures of the Pacific Northwest, but unfortunately many of them can reduce its productivity. This well-illustrated publication...
Italian Ryegrass Management in Inland Pacific Northwest Dryland Cropping Systems
Widespread herbicide resistance in Italian ryegrass makes integrated weed management strategies difficult for this problematic weed. Learn about the multiple control methods and their combination...
Knotweed Shrubs: Identification, Biology, and Management
Being able to correctly identify the five knotweeds that grow in the Northwest can help you choose the best control strategies. Color photographs of the weeds accompany a detailed chart describing...
Large Raspberry Aphid (Amphorophora agathonica)
Large raspberry aphid, Amphorophora agathonica , is an important pest in red and black raspberries in the Pacific Northwest. It transmits plant viruses that cause decreased cane vigor and fruit...
Large Yellow Underwing: A Cutworm Pest in Idaho
Noctua pronuba (pronounced knock-TOO-ah pro-NEW-bah) is an accidentally introduced cutworm known as the large or greater yellow underwing for its distinctively colored adult moth stage. Learn the...
Managing Voles in Idaho Lawns and Landscapes
Voles can be managed without chemicals or with chemicals called "rodenticides." Nonchemical approaches include eliminating vole habitat, excluding voles from sensitive areas and trapping. Toxic...
Meadow Voles and Pocket Gophers: Management in Lawns, Gardens, and Croplands
Meadow voles and pocket gophers cause significant damage to rangeland, alfalfa, pastures and other agricultural crops in the Pacific Northwest. This publication helps you to manage the pesky...
Monitoring Insect Bucket Traps
Learn how to set up a bucket trap for monitoring flying insects. This method allows farmers, gardeners or other pest managers to learn more about insects entering their crops. The method works by...
Nematodes Associated with Onion in Idaho and Eastern Oregon
The most common nematodes on onion in Idaho and eastern Oregon are root-lesion nematodes ( Pratylenchus spp.), root-knot nematode ( Meloidognye hapla ), stem nematode ( Ditylenchus dipsaci ) and...
No Such Thing as a "Murder Hornet": Asian Giant Hornet, an Invasive Species to Monitor
In 2019, an Asian giant hornet was spotted in Washington State, as well as in British Columbia, Canada. The invasive insect's siting, given its appetite for honeybees and its kill strategy (which...
This two-page fact sheet for use in the field offers recommendations for growing onions in Idaho, with pointers or information on growth stages and development, planting, fertilization, irrigation,...
Pantry Pest Guide: Common Insect Culprits in Homes and Kitchens of the Pacific Northwest
The purpose of this guide is to help residents in the Pacific Northwest to identify common insect pests that occur in pantries and kitchens. This guide is not meant to be all inclusive, but is...
Pasture and Grazing Management in the Northwest
$35 The comprehensive resource for anyone who manages livestock on pastures in the Northwest, this 214-page book offers pasture managers information and tools to enable their pastures and their...
Pest Friends is an educational strategy board game designed to help youth and adults understand the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), an ecosystem-based approach for managing pests...
Pesticide Record Keeping Using the OnePlan PAR
The publication describes state and federal record-keeping requirements that applicators can fulfill using Idaho's OnePlan Pesticide Application and Soil Fumigation Recordkeeping tool (PAR). It...
Pesticide Redistribution and Its Implications on Pesticide Efficacy
Pesticides that penetrate plant tissues or otherwise move to different parts of the plant may be more effective for some applications than pesticides that do not redistribute. Factor this property...
Plant-parasitic nematodes affecting small grain cereals in the Pacific Northwest
Discusses several species of plant-parasitic nematodes that occur where small-grain crops are produced in the Pacific Northwest. Covers nematode biology, symptoms of injury, yield constraints,...
Potato Tuberworm: A Threat for Idaho Potatoes
Potato tuberworm has damaged potato crops in Oregon and could threaten Idaho potatoes. This publication describes the pest, its life cycle, and the damage it causes and goes into ways to manage the...
Potato Virus Y Management for the Seed Potato Producer
One of the most serious challenges facing seed potato producers is managing Potato virus Y, which causes stunting, foliar damage, wilting and sometimes plant death, even though some potato species...
Reading and Understanding Pesticide Labels
A pesticide label is a legal document whose content protects users, consumers and the environment. This useful seven-page bulletin shows you how to read and understand this carefully crafted...
Rhizoctonia on Sugar Beet: Importance, Identification, and Control in the Northwest
In the 2000s, the incidence of root rot, which causes major sugar beet damage, increased in Idaho's Magic Valley. Learn about the different kinds that exist and which ones to look out for in the...
Root-lesion Nematodes: Biology and Management in Pacific Northwest Wheat Cropping Systems
Plant-parasitic root-lesion nematodes are microscopic parasites whose damage (which includes lesions and predisposing a plant to infection) is often difficult to identify. This 14-page publication...
Sampling Procedure to Diagnose Nematode Infestations
Nematodes are tiny wormlike plant pests that in the United States cause an estimated 10% drop in crop values annually. As Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Crop Production methods have...
Seis pasos para calibrar y optimizar los rociadores de aire para huertos y viá±edos
En seis pasos, aprenda a calibrar, optimizer y verificar la cobertura de un pulverizador de chorro de aire para asegurarse de que recibe cada gota en el cultivo. Autores: Gwen-Alyn Hoheisel, Lav R.
Sensor Sprayers for Specialty Crop Production
Sensor-controlled spray systems can help growers use fewer chemicals and less water while maintaining good pest control. Learn about the pros and cons of different types of sensor sprayers.
Six Steps to Calibrate and Optimize Airblast Sprayers for Orchards and Vineyards
In six steps, learn how to calibrate, optimize and verify coverage for an airblast sprayer to ensure that you are getting every drop to the crop. Authors: Gwen-Alyn Hoheisel, Lav R. Khot, Michelle M.
Soil Fumigation: A Tool for Sugar Beet Cyst Nematode Management
Nematodes are major sugar beet pests. One of the worst for growers in Idaho and eastern Oregon is the cyst nematode ( Heterodera schachtii ), which afflicts over half of the region's sugar beet...
Soil Insects and Other Arthropods in Palouse Agroecosystems
Soil arthropods play a significant role in the soil ecosystem. But producers tend to be more familiar with that of other soil creatures, like earthworms and microbes. To address the knowledge gap,...
Southern Idaho Dryland Winter Wheat Production Guide
Wheat is an important crop throughout Idaho, especially in the dryland cropping areas of southern Idaho. However, the region's rolling landscape with high-wind and water-erosion potential plus low...
Spring Barley Quick Facts (2023 Southern Idaho)
This two-page fact sheet offers recommendations for growing spring barley in southern Idaho, with pointers or information on growth stages and development, rotation and seeding, irrigation,...
Storage Management of Dakota Russet Potatoes
Dakota Russet is a multipurpose and popular potato cultivar whose Pacific Northwest acreage has expanded in recent years. With increased yields comes larger storage volumes. Based on the results of...
Sugar Beet Nematodes in Idaho and Eastern Oregon
Crop losses caused by sugar beet nematodes can reach 80%. Successfully retard the possibility of this outcome by learning about the life cycles of three nematode species and suggested control...
Sugar Beet Root Aphids: Identification, Biology, and Management
Sugar beet root aphids are well named because they are a common pest of the popular vegetable. They attack the roots, in severe cases reducing tonnage and sucrose levels by more than 30%. Yet few...
Sugar Beet Root Maggot: Identification, Biology, and Management
The sugarbeet root maggot is a serious pest in southern Idaho. Learn how to manage this harmful insect by designing an integrated pest management (IPM) program. The IPM approach combines cultural...
Sugarbeet Cyst Nematode: Impact on Sugarbeet Production in Idaho and Eastern Oregon
The sugar beet cyst nematode is the major pest that affects sugar beet production worldwide, accounting for more than 90% of losses caused by nematodes. The pest is particularly destructive in...
Twospotted Spider Mite on Sugar Beet: Importance, Identification and Management
Since 2012, sugar beet production in Idaho, Oregon and Washington has seen a significant increase in twospotted spider mites (TSSM) populations. This publication outlines the symptoms of a TSSM...
Using Entomopathogenic Nematodes for Crop Insect Pest Control
Nematodes (nonsegmented, elongated and colorless roundworms) can be beneficial or harmful to crops and other plants. The former (entomopathogenic nematodes) attack soilborne insect pests but are...
Utilizing Barn Owl Boxes for Management of Vole Populations
Because they consume large quantities of voles, barn owls can help to manage rodent populations in Idaho. This handy publication will help you to attract more of these natural predators with its...
Weed Control and Potato Crop Safety with Metribuzin
Effective use of metribuzin, a triazinone herbicide for weed control in potato fields, has evolved since our last publication a decade ago. This twelve-page update provides recommendations for...
Weed Control Methods for Perennial Crops
Weed control for perennial crops requires more than yearly tillage and crop rotation. Indeed, practices like repeated cultivation, herbicide application or their combination prove the best additions.
Western Corn Rootworm in Eastern Oregon, Idaho, and Eastern Washington
Western corn rootworm ( xDiabrotica virgifera virgifera ) is a notorious corn pest for much of the continental United States. Although it isn't as abundant in the Pacific Northwest, isolated...
Wireworm Biology and Nonchemical Management in Potatoes in the Pacific Northwest
Wireworms are among the most destructive soil insect pests, particularly of potatoes, corn, cereals and carrots. Worse, their numbers are resurging in the Pacific Northwest and Montana. This...
Wireworms in Idaho Cereals: Monitoring and Identification
Wireworms are among the most destructive soil insect pests, particularly of potatoes, corn, cereals and carrots. Worse, their numbers are resurging in the Pacific Northwest and Montana. This...