Montana producers in the Golden Triangle are preparing for potential grasshopper population surges and sawfly outbreaks that could threaten crops in the region.
Watch an Ag producer explain the challenges:
"Two years ago, they were horrible. They were mowing off the edges of wheat," said Stina Decker, a producer near Chester.
The worst of the grasshopper and sawfly problems in central and north central Montana occurred two years ago, according to local farmers.
"Pretty much everybody had to spray for them," Decker said.
While Montana's Golden Triangle — the state's prime grain growing region — has yet to see the worst of these pests in recent years, alarm bells are ringing in eastern and southern portions of the state.
"Yeah, the grasshoppers kind of knocked back a little bit this last year, so I think it'll just continue to get better. And we've got good varieties to beat the sawflies," Decker said.
Grasshoppers pose a significant threat as they chew through the green of the wheat faster than plants can regrow, while sawflies lay eggs by boring into the stems, weakening the plant structure.
"We definitely notice them when they're in our bins or in the hopper on the combine, increasing our cost of production and kind of making it a headache for most farmers," Decker said.
Insects aren't the only concern for producers. With a dry early winter last year and limited spring rainfall, drought conditions are also on many minds.
"They say there's moisture coming," Decker said. "Things are looking dry. But again, we're really dependent on those timely rains to keep our production going."
