Author Archives: Stephen Biles

2021 Cotton Variety Trials

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The results of the Cotton Variety trials for South Texas can be found at the link below: PRELIMINARY 2021 RACE and Monster summaries Other Variety and Hybrid Trial Results can be found at varietytesting.tamu.edu 

Time to Test the Soil for Nutrients

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Fertilizer cost has been rising over the past year creating more need to test the soil in your fields for nutrient content and fertilizer recommendations.  Since 2013, we have sampled fields and found soil nitrogen levels ranging between 11 and 168 lbs N per acre. This can be a opportunity to reducing costs without affecting yields. On average, fields can save $15-$20 by reducing fertilizer rates based on soil tests to 24″. You may find this service from several different sources including your IPM program in Calhoun, Refugio… Read More →

Harvest Aid Test

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A cotton Defoliation Demo was sprayed last Monday (8/23) with a second application made Today (8/30). The demo is located in Victoria County on Kainer Rd. Just north of Raven Rd. Drop by and take a look when you get the chance. Treatments are as follows:

Fall Armyworms in Bermudagrass Hay Fields

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All summer we have seen high numbers of fall armyworms in bermudagrass hayfields and pastures. Last week, I sprayed a Fall Armyworm insecticide control trial in a bermudagrass hayfield near Port Lavaca. To further complicate things, the field received rainfall 3 days after applications. This typifies what we have been experiencing this year. When scouting with a sweep net, we found very high numbers of fall armyworms. Pre-treatment  counts averaged around 250 worms per 5 sweeps. The economic threshold I use is 25 per 5 sweeps. In this… Read More →

Cotton Near Cutout

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Much of our cotton fields are at or near cutout.  The fields we have been in this week range from 2-6 nodes above white flower (NAWF).  Keep in mind the time for a white bloom to  mature into an open boll is around 50 days. We are finding bollworms in non-Bt and 2-gene Bt cotton such as Bollgard 2 and Twin-Link cotton varieties.  I have not found much damage or worms in the 3-gene cotton varieties containing the VIP gene. Treat cotton fields when square and boll damage… Read More →