IPM Update – Cotton Growth and Fleahoppers

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Cotton maturity ranges from 5-6 leaf to third-grown square.  Continue to scout for cotton fleahoppers, I have fields with more than 40 per 100 plants.  The Economic Threshold is 15 per 100 plants so these field should be treated to prevent square loss.  Some fields or parts of fields are yellowing due to excessive soil moisture making nitrogen less available.  This should be corrected once the soil dries if the field was properly fertilized. I have had several conversations about the temperatures we have had so far this… Read More →

IPM Update – Sorghum Midge

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Sorghum fields range from V5 to bloom.  Fields that are blooming are in the damage window for sorghum midge. MANAGING INSECT AND MITE PESTS OF TEXAS SORGHUM  ENTO-PU-170 The sorghum midge is one of the most damaging insects of sorghum in Texas, especially in the eastern half of the state. The adult sorghum midge is a small, fragile-looking, orange-red fly with a yellow head, brown antennae and legs, and gray, membranous wings. During the single day of adult life, each female lays about 50 yellow-white eggs in the… Read More →

Cotton IPM – Matchhead square cotton

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Cotton fields range from 2-3 leaf to 11-12 leaf. Many fields have squares with the older fields at or a little beyond Matchhead square. Fields of squaring cotton should be scouted 1-2 times per week for cotton fleahoppers.  The cotton fleahopper can cause yield losses and delayed maturity by feeding on young squares, causing them to fall off the plant.  Smaller squares are more sensitive to fleahopper feeding. Once a square is 1/4 inch in width, it is thought to be safe from the cotton fleahopper.  Fields are… Read More →

Cotton IPM Update – Cotton Fleahopper

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Cotton fields range from seedling to 9-10 nodes, or pinhead square. With the beginning of the fruiting process we enter into the damage window of the cotton fleahopper. Fleahoppers can cause economic losses by feeding on small squares, or flower buds, causing the fruit to abscise and fall off of the plant. The resulting square loss can delay crop maturity and reduce yields. Treatment should be considered when cotton fleahoppers are present in numbers above 15 per 100 plants. Text below from “Cotton Fleahoppers” The adult fleahopper is… Read More →

Cotton IPM Update – 2-6 leaf cotton

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Cotton Maturity ranges from cotyledon to 6-leaf cotton with squares beginning to be visible. It has been fairly windy over the past few weeks and we need to be able to distinguish between thrips feeding and wind damage. Thrips can be sampled either visually by looking closely at the underside of leaves and the plant terminal, or by beating the plants into a white cup or on a black cloth. Links to two good videos demonstrate scouting thrips and thrips management are at the bottom of this post…. Read More →