Monthly Archives: July 2015

Tough Choices in Insect Management due to Early Fruit Losses

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Cotton planted in March has been cutout for several weeks and the younger cotton, planted in May is around 5 Nodes Above White Flower (NAWF). We are finding evidence of stink bug feeding in fields where we are able to find 1-inch bolls.  In these fields it is important to note when the field reaches 5 NAWF.  Cotton fields are considered safe from most insect pests, including stink bugs, once the field is 350 heat units (HU) beyond 5 NAWF. A Heat Unit is calculated by averaging the… Read More →

Crop Scouting Field Meeting – July 13

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Time: Monday, July 13, 9:00 a.m. Location: Calhoun County, Cotton field at corner of FM 1679 and Sanders Rd. Topics: Scouting Cotton and Sorghum CEU: 1 hour IPM

Economic Thresholds of Pests in Sorghum Heads

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Maturity of sorghum fields varies widely across the Texas Coast.  While some fields have had harvest aids applied and are being harvested this week, other fields are just beginning to head.  Sorghum maturity is complicated even more in some fields which have parts of the field blooming while other areas of the field are at hard dough. Varying maturity within a field makes for tough decisions on what to protect from insect pests.  Will the young heads be mature when the more mature heads are ready for harvest? … Read More →

Crop Scouting Field Meeting – July 6

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Time: Monday, July 6, 9:00 a.m. Location: Calhoun County, Cotton field at corner of FM 1679 and Sanders Rd. Topics: Scouting Cotton and Sorghum CEU: 1 hour IPM

Nozzle Selection for Sugarcane Aphid Control

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Proper application techniques for controlling sugarcane aphids is essential for obtaining adequate control of these insects.  The labels for both Sivanto and Transform contain instructions on using plenty of water when treating sorghum fields.  Both recommend using 10 gallons per acre or more. The reason for the higher application volumes is because this aphid tends to populate the lower canopy.  Lower application volumes will get less canopy penetration, especially in narrow rows. Last week, I looked at coverage in the lower canopy using water sensitive paper.  We place… Read More →