In Nebraska, NTB reported that researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are alerting farmers about a pest affecting soybean crops across the state. The bright orange larvae of the Soybean Gall Midge have been detected in Saunders County since late May, and more recently in Lancaster and Otoe Counties, according to the Soybean Gall Midge Alert Network.
“It’s a brand new species, not just to the US, but to science. So we didn’t have a record of it anywhere in the world, until late 2018, early 2019,” UNL researcher Justin McMechan said.
McMechan explained that the Gall Midge is now found in most soybeans outside of the south-central parts of Nebraska, affecting about 90% of soybean acres. The pest has been found in states across the Midwest, including South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota, although Nebraska is the first state to report sightings in 2025. He says soybeans with fissures at the base of the plant are at risk of soybean gall midge infestation. The larvae damage the base of soybean plants, particularly along field borders, leading to issues such as weeds, underdevelopment and crop death.
In the eastern part of the state, where the pest is most present, McMechan reported past yield losses of between 12 and 34 bushels along field borders, with some fields left unharvestable.
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Category: Food & Agriculture
