We received several reports of tadpole shrimp (TPS) problems this year. One field I visited had to be replanted due to TPS damage. Flooding of this field took a long time, resulting in checks that were flooded for more than 10 days before the field was seeded. This might have allowed enough time for the shrimp to develop and reach high numbers by the time seeds were starting to germinate. The grower drained to field and this killed the TPS, but after reflood, we saw a second TPS hatch. A pesticide had to be used to protect the replant.
My theory is that the dry winter is to blame for the spike in TPS activity this year. Fields were really dry and flooding took longer than usual. Additionally, because everyone was trying to flood at the same time, in many areas there wasn't enough water for a fast flood. As in the field described above, some checks were flooded for several days before seeding, giving the TPS an advantage.
I'm conducting an experiment with an experimental compound for TPS control. So far, it looks promising, but we'll have to wait some time before we can draw any final conclusions.
