Ronnie Schnell, Assistant Professor and State Cropping Systems Specialist, College Station Statewide: Sugarcane aphids were a major pest in grain sorghum during 2014, affecting most production regions of Texas. While direct yield loss was not an issue for many growers, excessive honey production resulted in reduced harvest efficiency for some growers. Aphids located in the upper canopy and grain heads before harvest are a concern (Figure 1). As growers look for options to manage sugarcane aphids, planting hybrids with genetic resistance to the sugarcane aphid will be a… Read More →

Dr. Clark Neely, Small Grains/Oilseeds Extension Specialist – College Station, TX 2-4-15 February is typically a time of year that wheat growers are more concerned with topdressing nitrogen and controlling weeds than controlling diseases; however, this topic has been on the minds of many growers in recent weeks. It is not uncommon to see small amounts of leaf rust in the fall, particularly on early planted wheat for grazing, however, rust presence generally declines throughout the winter months for most of the state as freezing temperatures will often… Read More →

Thomas Isakeit, Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist. Topguard (flutriafol) finally has a section 3 (full registration) label for control of Phymatotrichopsis root rot of cotton (“cotton root rot”).  This label is permanent and will permit Topguard use in all states where cotton root rot is a problem, not just Texas.  Additionally, there is also a section 18 label for Texas for 2015, which was requested just in case full registration was not granted in time for the growing season. However, the intention of the makers of Topguard, Cheminova… Read More →