Impact of hail damage on soybean gall midge (Resseliella maxima Gagné) infestation and larval abundance in eastern Nebraska

Soybean gall midge (SGM, Resseliella maxima Gagné) is one of the most important pests of soybean in the Midwest with the potential to cause up to 100% yield loss along field edges. From 2011 to 2017, farmers in eastern Nebraska reported orange larvae in their fields suspected to be SGM and were primarily associated with soybean compromised by disease or hail damage. Although SGM was identified as a new species in 2019, its interaction with hail damaged plants remained unclear. To investigate this interaction, field studies were conducted in 2022 and 2023 in eastern Nebraska to evaluate the impact of hail damage on SGM larval abundance. A simulated hail machine inflicted injury on soybean plants at three different stages of development. With varying levels of injury, a hail damage rating was developed, and larval abundance was recorded at each injury point on the stem. Results indicated that hail-damage plants had significantly greater SGM infestation than undamaged plants. These findings improve our understanding of the interaction between SGM and hail injury, providing insight into how hail injury influences infestation and the potential risk following a hail event.