Tag Archives: Cotton Bollworm

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 →

Cotton Update 6/9/22

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Cotton plants in most fields have 14-18 nodes on the plant and 5-7 nodes above white flower (NAWF). Spotty rains fell over the past week but the forecast does not look very promising for additional rainfall. Fortunately, the insect pressure continues to be relatively low but continue to watch for stink bugs and bollworm. For stink bugs, inspect the inside of 1-inch bolls to see if feeding caused warts or stained lint on the inside of the boll. We are in the third and fourth weeks of bloom… Read More →

Cotton Update 6-3-2022

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We have received varying amounts of rain across the Mid-Coast over the past week. While some fields received over 5 inches, others got less than a 1/2-inch. Cotton fields range from drought stress to fair. Most fields have 12-15 nodes on the plant and are in the first or second week of bloom and plants have 6 to 9 nodes above white flower. Fruit retention is very good with more than 90% fruit set. Plants are mostly shorter than normal. In cotton fields, we are looking for stink bug… 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 →

Nodes Above White Flower

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Counting Nodes Above White Flower (NAWF) is a good way to monitor a cotton field’s maturity after bloom. The process is done by finding the first position white flower and counting the number of nodes (branches) above the branch with the white flower. The last node to count is the highest node with an unfurled main stem leaf (at least 1-inch wide). NAWF is useful for management of your cotton crop. By tracking NAWF, you can see how the crop is maturing compared to an expected growth curve. … Read More →