By: Miles Bannan Posted at: 05/25/2012 07:40 AM
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) - The mild winter and early spring that were a boon for Upper Midwest farmers are contributing to headaches they are starting to deal with now.
Agweek reports that weed and insect problems that farmers don't encounter in a typical year are popping up. One example is astor leafhoppers, which are seldom a problem but are surfacing in the Dakotas and Minnesota.
And the arrival of normal weed and insect problems is accelerated. Alfalfa weevil larvae are expected to be active and damaging plants in western South Dakota several weeks earlier than normal.
The Argus Leader reports another problem is that weeds in some South Dakota fields are developing resistance to the herbicide glyphosate, a popular weedkiller. Glyphosate resistance has been a problem in other parts of the country for years.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
