Author Archives: Stephen Biles

Corn Leafhopper Management Suggestions

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The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Entomology Group has produced a bulletin for corn leafhoppers.  I encourage you to read this to learn about the insect, disease, and management suggestions.  The bulletin can be found here:  https://agrilife.org/mid-coast-ipm/files/2024/10/ENTO-PU-229-Corn-Leafhopper-and-the-Red-Stunt-Disease-Complex.pdf  Previous posts about corn leafhoppers can be found here:  https://agrilife.org/mid-coast-ipm/tag/corn-leafhopper/

IPM in Fall Corn Production

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There are several growers who have planted corn crops for fall production. Much of the fall corn is sweet corn crops but other purposes exist as well including tourism. Insect issues can be more severe for fall planted corn and the crops should be monitored for pest insects. The three more likely insect pests that may develop into problems include fall armyworms, corn leaf aphids and corn leafhoppers. The corn leafhopper is the insect of greatest concern; not just because of what it can do to the current… Read More →

Crop Tours

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Crop tours will be held this week and next week in Refugio, Victoria and Calhoun Counties. The schedule will be as follows: June 12 Austwell Crop Tour, Austwell Community Center starts at 7:30 am with Breakfast and Registration. Bonnieview Crop Tour, Bonnieview Community Center Registration at 3 pm with speakers and tour to follow June 18 Victoria Crop Tour: Dacosta Hall Registration at 7:30 am with tour first followed by inside program. Port Lavaca Crop Tour: Bauer Exhibit Building Registration at 2:30 pm with Speakers first followed by… Read More →

Headworms in Grain Sorghum

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Grain sorghum maturity ranges from milk to hard dough.  Sorghum fields that have not reached hard dough should be scouted for headworms and stink bugs.  And all sorghum should be scouted for sugarcane/sorghum aphids. We have not found aphids in colonies greater than 20-40 feet in size.  Most of these are being consumed by beneficial insects such as lady beetle, lacewing, and syrphid fly larvae. What was most noticeable this week was worms in younger sorghum fields.  The older sorghum in soft dough or beyond did not seem… Read More →

Cotton in Bloom and IPM

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Many of the cotton fields in South Texas are in bloom. Once cotton is blooming, we need to change our scouting methods. Plant water use is increasing rapidly and the insects that cause yield loss are changing. Now is the time to start counting Nodes Above White Flower (NAWF). This will help you know how the crop is progressing and when insects stop being an economic pest. Count NAWF by finding the first position white flower and counting the number of nodes (branches) above the branch with the… Read More →