Question:

There are some runner Peanuts here in Halifax County that have been graded Seg 2 due to Burrower Bug damage. There were Virginia type in the same area with no damage.

Both types of Peanuts were planted after the first week of May on a conventional tilled bedded field.

Are you aware of that anywhere else in the state?

Is there anything that could have been done to prevent this?

Jordan:

I don't think this is a variety issue, but I would say that runners are often later maturing than Virginia types, and that might leave the runners more susceptible to penetration by burrower bug over a longer period of time (less developed hull is more susceptible, likely similar to what we say with southern corn rootworm.) But, I'd be cautious on that unless the two market types were in the same field. The pest is sporadic in a field and certainly in a "community." A load can go Seg 2 from a hot spot in the trailor. Unexpected. That could have been from one or two baskets in a section that got hit by the probe at the buying point.

The only thing we can do right now is moldboard plow. Please don't tell Tom Harris I said those two words. We currently do not have an insecticide and there are no cultural practices that reduce the risk (other than moldboard plow.) Unfortunately for your neck of the woods, risk is higher in reduced tillage. Likely because this soil-borne insect eastblishes tunnels in absence of tillage. The moldboard plow buries the ones in the field and they take a while to tunnel back up. Of course, this insect can move into fields after planting.

Reisig:

I agree with David. We have a student working on some management options, such as tillage, insecticides, and varieties, but we don't have answers yet. These are very spotty insects, even within a single field. Sorry we can't help more.