Main
Utilities
2022 Annual Meeting
About
History
Our Business & Values
Board of Directors
Annual Reports
2021 Annual Meeting
Member & Credit Applications
Management Team
Locations
Careers / Carreras
Scholarships
Donations & Sponsorships
Store
Contact Us
Finance
Patron Access And Portal
Member & Credit Applications
Input Financing
Annual Reports
Finance Team
Donations & Sponsorships
Grain
Cash Bids
Futures Market Overview
Grain Team
GCC Market Commentary
Market Commentary
Grain Discount Schedules
Grain Price History
Locations
Programs
Brokerage Services
Weather
Agronomy
Seed
Crop Nutrients
Crop Protection
Custom Application
Agronomy Links
Input Financing
Agronomy Team
Locations
Recent Videos
Ag Tech
FieldReveal
R7 Tool
Climate FieldView
Soil Moisture Sensors
Variable-Rate Seeding
Ag Tech Team
Locations
Petroleum
Consumption Billing
Market Intelligence
DEF
Antifreeze
Petroleum Team
Total Protection Plan
Bulk & Packaged Lubricants
Farm & Commercial Deliveries
News
Announcements
Links
GCC Events
GCC News
AnswerTech
Customer Portal
Dashboard Login
Locations
Contact Us
Careers
Cash Bids
Patron Access
Search for:
facebook-icon
twitter-icon
instagram-icon
vimeo-icon
Cash Bids
Contact Us
Customer Portal
Patron Access
Dashboard Login
Locations
News
>
GCC News
>
Combatting Peepus Marshmallowcus
Combatting Peepus Marshmallowcus
Apr 01, 2022
Print
Share
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Peepus Marshmallowcus or otherwise known as "Peeps" have returned to parts of Southwest Kansas. Here's what you need to know to combat this noxious pest.
Peepus Marshmallowcus at mature stage. [Stock Photo - 2019]
"Peeps" is essentially a fungus. It comes from the Ascomycota family and once the colorful spores emerge, it can spread like wildfire," says GCC Agronomist, Jerrald Rowan. "The most common colors Peeps can produce is yellow or pink but there are known to be a few others, though they are rarer."
Peeps also take on a couple different shapes that are akin to animals so they've been classified as either Bunny Peeps or Chick Peeps. Chick Peeps were the first classification discovered but over the years the bunny classification emerged and has almost taken over in certain areas.
Says Rowan, "Yeah you tend to see more of the Chick class along more of the corn belt region, and mostly the bunny class out here in the plains. We did have some of the Chick class but the Bunnies have all but nearly choked the Chicks out."
So what's the threat of Peeps exactly? "The Peeps cycle begins when a conidium lands on foliage and becomes attached to the host surface through production of spore tip mucilage. This is followed by a series of developmental steps: germination, tube growth, formation of a specialized cell known as an appressorium, emergergence of a peg, and subsiquently invasive growth in the host, diverting resources away from the crop and into the host," says a scientific journalist from ScienceDirect.
"Once you see the formation of the white fungus at the button stage in the fields, you're too late," says Rowan. "A proactive approach is the name of the game to get ahead of this disease. It can greatly affect your yield if not caught early."
Peepus Marshmallowcus at button stage. [Stock Photo - 2019]
Rowan says GCC has a number of products to combat Peeps. "We've got several solutions with two to three modes of action. Propiconazole and Trifloxystrobin are a couple key ingredients that we've really seen do a great job at erradicating this fungus if caught early enough. Another mode of action that seems to work exceptionally well is to just eat them."
Contact your local agronomist or e-mail aprilfools@gccoop.com for more information.
Read More News
Business Units & Splits Reminder
Feb 03, 2023
As we approach the start of another busy agronomy season, we encourage all our customers to make time this winter to visit with your agronomist or with any of our Crop Production accounting staff...
Molz Cooperative Scholarship Taking Applications
Jan 30, 2023
Are you a graduating high school senior who has a parent who works for the Garden City Co-op? Maybe you have a parent or grandparent who is a farmer and does business with the Garden City Co-op...
Stock Up on Oil, Grease and Gift Cards!
Jan 27, 2023
Earn a $50 gift card for every 100 gallons of high-quality Cenex oils, hydraulic fluids and gear lubes you buy between November 1st 2022 and February 28 2023!