Photo and article by Luis Espino, Rice Farming Systems Advisor, Butte and Glenn Counties
The armyworm monitoring season has started. The first traps were set on April 19, and two more sites were set up on April 30. More traps will be set up in the following weeks as growers finish their ground work and get ready for planting.
Interestingly, the first set of traps caught an unusual high number of western yellowstriped armyworm moths, about 20 per night for the last 10 days. It is not clear what this will mean for rice, but we will monitor closely.
Like last year, the trap numbers will be updated on the UC Rice On-line website once more sites are established.