DuPont Agronomist Says Scout for Cutworms

Jun 25, 2014

Scout, scout, scout your fields! That’s the advice that DuPont Pioneer is telling growers. And what are you looking for? Cutworms.

Cutworms are caterpillar-like (moth larvae) pests that hide under the soil during the day and come out at night and feed on plants. There are several different species of cutworms that attack a wide range of plants and field crops. Perhaps the most common species are the black cutworm and the variegated cutworm. Managing cutworms requires regular monitoring and field management.

DuPont Pioneer says some areas of Western Canada are already experiencing significant cutworm outbreaks. According to Bree Kelln, a Duoint Pioneer Agronomist from Southern Saskatchewan, scouting remains the best tool to determine what thresholds are.

“Any ground that has grown a pulse in the past two years should be scouted, beginning with the hilltops,” she explained. “Plants that appear purple and have weak stems are likely victims. It is important to note that late seeded and stressed canola smaller than four leaf are at highest risk.”

Scouting suggestions:

Continue normal scouting over the next 7-10 days
When rain is in the forecast – a contact and ingestion production will help reduce any further damage (this should be done prior to rainfall). Use a registered insecticide.
Don’t wait too long to assess fields. In cases where there is significant pressure, entire field crops can be destroyed within days

See image below for a picture of cutworms:

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.