The risk of injury from Banvel to nearby, susceptible plants has been a problem. 

 Spraying early before soybeans are planted or at least while they are small is one 

 way to help minimize the risk, 



JOHN SONGRASS- SORGHUM CROSSES 



Much of the grain sorghum seed grown in the United States is produced in areas 

 where johnsongrass is also found. Although seed companies take precautions, john- 

 songrass pollen apparently can carry considerable distances to pollinate sorghum 

 plants. The result can be occasional seeds that look like grain sorghum, but ones 

 that will produce off- type plants. The amount of viable seed in the heads of these 

 off- type plants may vary; also, the nature of the roots and rhizomes. 



To help prevent the possible introduction of these off- types as potential weed prob- 

 lems, try to obtain some assurance from your seeds man that the sorghum seed you 

 buy will be free of this problem. 



SPECIAL NOTE TO COUNTY EXTENSION ADVISERS 



The Illinois Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industries (in cooperation 

 with the State Department of Conservation, Division of Forestry and the United States 

 Department of Agriculture) is planning an extensive survey for the detection of gypsy 

 moths throughout Illinois this year. A trapping program for adult moths is being 

 initiated. The State Forestry personnel will begin setting these traps this week 

 and through the month of June. The traps are weatherproof, yellow, cardboard cylin- 

 ders about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and 4 inches long. They will be attached to 

 trees in inconspicuous places. 



The traps are identified as gypsy moth traps. Curiosity- seekers are to contact their 

 county Extension Adviser for further information. The inside of the trap is lined 

 with tanglefoot, a sticky substance, to hold the moth captive. A piece of cotton 

 at one end contains Disparlure, a highly effective sex attractant. 



Gypsy moths have recently been found in Missouri, coming in on camper trailers that 

 were in the infested area in the eastern United States last summer. There is con- 

 cern that the same thing could easily happen in Illinois. The gypsy moth is a serious 

 pest of shade trees, both evergreens and deciduous trees, stripping the foliage and 

 sometimes causing the death of these trees. It is a problem now about as far west as 

 central Pennsylvania. Localized infestations found in Michigan a few years ago have 

 been eradicated. 



READ THE LABEL AND FOLLOW ALL PRECAUTIONS 



This weekly report was prepared as follows: 



INSECTS: H.B. Petty, Steve Moore, Roscoe Randell, Don Kuhlman , and Tim Cooley , College 

 of Agriculture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , and the Illinois Natural 

 History Survey. 



WEEDS: Ellery Knake, Department of Agronomy . 



PLANT DISEASES: M.C. Shurtleff and Ed Burns, Department of Plant Pathology. 



AG COMMUNICATIONS : Ray Woodis. 



The information for this report was gathered by these people, staff members, county 

 Extension advisers, and others, in cooperation with the USDA Agricultural Research 

 Service, Plant Pest Control Branch. 



