Aphids that plague sorghum fields return to Kansas

The sugarcane aphid has officially returned to Kansas, according to a K-State Extension Office report.

The tiny Southern pests have threatened grain sorghum, or milo, fields in the Sunflower State the previous two years. Kansas is the nation’s leading producer of grain sorghum.

Aphids were reported and confirmed in fields in Sumner and Cowley counties this week.

“We didn’t know when they would be here. A lot of it just depended upon the weather,” said Sedgwick County Extension agent Zach Simon. “Some of the winds coming out of the south definitely helped push them further north.

“We’re not surprised they’re here,” Simon added. “But obviously we didn’t want to see them.”

Officials are scouting fields but haven’t determined how far north the aphids have spread.

“We don’t know if this is just localized or very spotty, like in a field here but not the next field,” Simon said. “We don’t really have a feel for that yet.”

Last year, some sorghum producers saw heavy yield losses due to sugarcane aphids. The pest spread to 36 Kansas counties, making it close to the Nebraska border, according to Kansas State University.

Producers will be able to use two insecticides this season, Transform and Sivanto. The state was granted an emergency-use label that will allow producers to use Transform after it was initially banned by federal authorities.

Extension officials encourage sorghum producers to check their fields early and often. Simon said he thinks producers will learn the lessons of last year and take the threat seriously.

“We definitely have a better understanding how serious of an issue these aphids can be,” Simon said. “It does help to have a season under our belts.”

Extension officials will talk with producers about sugarcane aphids on Monday. The talk is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at the Lion’s Club building in Oxford. Call 620-221-5450, 620-441-4565 or 620-326-7477 to register.

This story was originally published July 21, 2016 at 2:23 PM with the headline "Aphids that plague sorghum fields return to Kansas."