by Suhas Vyavhare, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Lubbock, TX With the daytime highs over 100 degrees almost each day, cotton is squaring with some fields starting to bloom. Although we have received light and spotty showers, we need more over the next couple of weeks for the cotton to continue to grow. Insect pressure remains very low in most places. I know only of a couple of fields that needed to be treated for cotton fleahoppers (Swisher County) so far. Cotton fleahoppers are generally considered… Read More →

by  Dr. Calvin Trostle, Extension Agronomy, Lubbock, 806-746-6101, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu Dr. Ed Bynum, Extension Entomology, Amarillo, 806-677-5600, ebynum@ag.tamu.edu Wherever sunflowers are grown in Texas (this year mostly in the High Plains), a standard and essential part of managing the crop is controlling sunflower (head) moth. When moth pressure is moderate damage to the sunflower crop from the larval feeding alone has an economic impact, and the subsequent opportunistic Rhizopus head rot infection can devastate yields. Sunflower moth control measures in our opinion rank in the following order: 1) timing,… Read More →

by Suhas Vyavhare and Blayne Reed, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service The high temperatures, high humidity, and the passing of light cotton showers over the last couple of weeks have been very conducive for rapid crop growth and development. Most cotton fields on the Southern High Plains are past the 5th true leaf stage and are sporting pinhead through ¼ grown squares. This should mean they are no longer vulnerable to economic damage by thrips. There are some late fields and re-planted fields which can still be injured… Read More →