Small brown moths that have been observed countywide present more of a challenge for agricultural producers than their size might indicate.

Kingfisher County OSU Extension Agriculture Educator Bryan Kennedy has sent specimens to the Oklahoma State University entomology department and they have been identified as the moth that produces the armyworms that can wreak devastation on young small grain crops.

At this stage, producers need to be on the lookout for the moths. With current low prices for wheat, producers will be conscious of the cost of control measures.

The county had a heavy infestation of armyworms last fall because of its unusually heavy rainfall, resulting in difficulties for producers to initiate control measures.

Kennedy said some producers looking for early small grain pastures have already dusted in grain fields this fall. Consistent scouting of newly planted fields is the key to preventing significant damage in newly planted fields.

Early morning and late evening are the best times to find the moths if they are there as they avoid daylight, Kennedy said.

If armyworms appear, they are much easier to control while they are small. At the final pupal stage when worms are about two inches long they are much harder to kill and can destroy a newly established winter pasture in a short time, he said.

Lawns are a target for armyworms, so homeowners need to be alert for the pests also.

Kingfisher is pretty and green for this time of year after recent rains and livestock in pastures appear fat and healthy.

But Kennedy said there are things to be watching for.

Summer weather is ending and plants are changing as they mature.

Kennedy said one producer informed him that he lost two calves on pasture recently.

Kennnedy said prussic acid and nitrate poisoning –  both capable of killing livestock – can surge quickly in forage grasses this time of year.

Even using the best management practices can’t prevent all losses; cattle are known for sticking their heads through a fence and-seating grass outside the pasture itself, Kennedy pointed out.

Johnsongrass and related forages – sudangrass, milo and sorghum-sudangrass crosses – are particularly known for toxicity when under stress.

The greatest danger comes at frost but other conditions can cause toxicity.

When plants are under stress they can produce a chemical prussic or hydro-cyanide acid (HCN) – more commonly called cyanide. Smaller, younger growth plants, especially plants less than a foot tall produce more of the toxin than more mature plants.

Kennedy reminded that stagnant pools of water standing in pastures can develop bacteria that cause illness – even death – in livestock that drink it.

The extension office can test water from such pools for bacteria.

Anaplasmosis, a livestock disease transmitted by biting insects, is another livestock problem producers may need to be on the watch for.

Fly tags and spraying are usual control measures.

Kennedy says he is receiving numerous samples of hay for testing for toxicity before it is fed to livestock.

The extension office has a testing system available that can provide an immediate answer on hay that is questionable – a “drop test” using a strip of acid-poison sensitive material. Hay that tests questionable can be sent to Oklahoma State University laboratories for more thorough testing.

There is no charge for the extension office drop test. A fee is required for the OSU testing.

Kennedy said that for most conclusive results hay samples must be taken across an entire field.

No test is foolproof, he said, because conditions can change from spot to spot across a field.

Kennedy reminded that the extension office provides soil testing.

He called it an important management tool that allows producers to know more precisely what their land needs.

“It’s a cheap way to know what soil needs to produce a crop more efficiently,” he said.

Test samples need to come from across the field to be planted to give a clearer picture of fertilizer needs. They can allow producers to save costs by not adding an unneeded fertilizer.

“Soil testing is the only way to know the chemical condition of your soil, Kennedy explained.  “ With the correct chemical and nutrient balance, all of your plants will grow better.  A soil test allows you to determine the right amount of soil amendments or fertilizer that needs to be added to your soil for growing healthy plants.”