In this extra podcast, Matt O'Neal discusses a recent change to the Iowa bee rule with Betsy Buffington. Betsy works for The Pesticide Applicator Training Program at Iowa State University. She has created a publication about the bee rule, which can be found at the Iowa State University Extension publication office as PAT 47. Visit https://www.extension.iastate.edu/store/ for more information.
We are getting close to the end of the season and soybean aphids have exceeded the threshold level in northern Iowa. Erin has come back from spraying research plots to share with us updates on timing, product choice and assessing the need for an insecticide during this aphid outbreak.
Also, Matt is going to be interviewed by WHO-TV this Friday. Look for a segment either Friday nite or during the weekend (23-25 Aug) about conserving bees.And finally, this episode is dedicated to Robert Pettis, our #1 fan.
In this episode, Matt and Erin interview the 2016 Gunderson Memorial Seminar speaker, Dr. Ric Bessin. Ric is a professor and extension entomologist at the University of Kentucky. His areas of extension and research interests range from row crops to specialty crops, and has a focus on IPM. Their conversation starts off talking about agriculture in Kentucky compared to Iowa.
He also shares observations about early season pests, like wireworms, and moves to brown marmorated stink bug, an invasive species causing havoc in Kentucky. Ric was also a Peace Corps volunteer before graduate school, and where he spent time beekeeping. He shares an interesting story about using bees to help with pain management.