Tag Archives: Soybean

Pest Update and 2020 Insect Thresholds

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This week we have been finding low numbers on insect pests in cotton, grain sorghum and soybeans. Cotton ranges from 1/3 grown square to mid-bloom. While most fields are below threshold, we have found a few fields with 30-40 cotton fleahoppers per 100 plants. Continue to monitor for cotton fleahoppers until bloom and treat when they exceed an economic threshold of 15 per 100 plants. Blooming cotton has had significant bollworm moth flights this week but so far, egg numbers have been low. Bollworms are important pests and should… Read More →

Unique Production Season Ahead

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When I first moved down to Port Lavaca, at a crop tour, growers were talking how much experience they had farming.  One replied he had “1 year experience, 40 times.” I think there is a lot of truth to that statement.  It seems each year presents it’s own production challenges. So how is 2020 different from other years? There are two obvious differences: lower than normal rainfall and higher than average temperatures. Much of insect and plant activity occurs as a response to three variables. These variables are… Read More →

Stink Bugs in Cotton and Soybeans

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While many fields are harvest ready, stink bugs are potential pests in the cotton and soybean fields that have yet to reach maturity. Cotton should be scouted for stink bugs until 350 heat units, or approximately 15 days, after the field has cutout (<5 NAWF).  Scout by opening 20-25 one-inch bolls and inspecting the bolls for evidence of internal feeding. Treat a field with more than 20% evidence of internal feeding. Soybeans are susceptible to stink bug damage until the beans reach maturity. Some entomologists would say soybeans… Read More →

Stink Bugs in Soybeans

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Soybeans fields are blooming and setting pods. This means they are in the most susceptible stage for yield and quality losses from stink bugs. We have been running through soybean fields and finding a few stink bugs. So far, we have yet to find stink bugs at threshold levels but all fields should be inspected weekly for stink bugs. There are several species of stink bugs capable of causing yield loss including green, southern green, brown and red banded stink bugs. The most damaging stink bug we are… Read More →

Stink Bugs in Sorghum, Cotton and Soybeans

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We have reached the time of the growing season when Stink Bugs are the primary pest in most of the row crops on the Texas coast. Sorghum maturity is from bloom to soft dough and will be susceptible to stink bugs until hard dough. Scout for stink bugs and headworms using a bucket to beat sorghum heads into until you have sampled 10.  Then stop and count the stink bugs and headworms in the bucket.  This should be done at 10-20 places per field and average the number of stink bugs… Read More →