Insect pressure was discussed during the University of Minnesota Extension Small Grains Plot Tour at Brooks. “We started noticing incidents of wheat stem sawfly to increase in Minnesota,” said Jochum Wiersma, small grains specialist, University of Minnesota Extension. “It’s been an ink stain that’s slowly spreading.” Wiersma described wheat stem sawfly as a nuisance, but said they can have a bigger impact if not managed. Sawflies do not fly far and larvae cannot survive without a hollow stem host. Planting field edges with solid stem varieties helps to keep populations from spreading.
