2021 has been an unprecedented year for fall armyworms, not just here in Iowa but other states as well. There have been many questions regarding how to manage fall armyworms in hayfields and cover crop fields. The moths of the corn strain fly in from Texas and the Mexican Gulf Coast.There are two strains of fall armyworms.Here is some background that may help explain some later comments. The moths of the rice strain fly in from Florida and the U.S.Their favorite targets are corn, sorghum, and cotton. The Fall armyworms have a complete life cycle – egg, larva, pupa, adult (moth).Their favorite targets are rice, alfalfa, millets, forage grasses (including many cover crops), and turf. This cycle repeats itself about every 30 days. We had the first round in Lee and Des Moines Counties about 25 days prior to the events north of Highway 92, so the above-normal temperatures we had sped up the development a little. And as we cool down going into fall, the timeframe will be lengthened a few days.Fall armyworms cannot overwinter here, so the first good freeze event will destroy them.Whether there will be a problem in another year literally depends on which way the wind blows. Fall armyworms tend to be nocturnal, so scouting at that time will give the best perspective of the current situation.
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