Monthly Archives: June 2019
Insect Pest Update
Dr. David Kerns, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Cotton: Cotton fleahoppers (CFH) have been extremely bad in cotton this year throughout the eastern half of Texas. In the Brazos River Bottom we have fields running 100-150% CFH infestation based on terminal inspections; the threshold is 10-15%. These large populations are the result of ample rainfall and production of weedy host harboring CFH. The good news is CFH are easy to kill with the right insecticides. The bad news is the CFH are continually reinvesting sprayed cotton and… Read More →
Mid-Season Assessment of Rhizobium Nodulation in Texas Peanuts and Other Legumes
Dr. Calvin Trostle, Extension Agronomy, TAMU Dept. of Soil & Crop Sciences, Lubbock, (806) 746-6101, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu; Dr. Emi Kimura, Extension Agronomy/State Extension Peanut Specialist, TAMU Dept. of Soil & Crop Sciences, Vernon, (940) 552-9941, emi.kimura@ag.tamu.edu June 6, 2019 Note: The following comments address field observations primarily for the Texas High Plains peanut production region but are applicable to other Texas regions as well. We discuss other legume crops in the document as well. Legumes are a valuable asset in any Texas crop rotation. They offer a… Read More →
Mid- to Late-Season Weed Control Options for Peanut
Weed pressure seems higher this season due to better than average soil moisture. Herbicides applied preplant and at planting have been effective, but new weed flushes following rainfall or irrigation are likely as soil applied herbicides are dissipating. Herbicides applied at early-postemergence that do not have soil activity are also prone to allow new weed flushes. In other words, good early season weed control may need some attention because previously applied herbicides have dissipated over time. So what options do we have from now to early peg stage?… Read More →
2019 Alternative Crop Options after Failed Cotton and Late-Season Crop Planting for the Texas South Plains
With continued rains in much of the Texas High Plains, many farmers are far behind on planting goals for cotton and some other crops. Some farmers began indicating by June 3 that after yet another rain they would no longer trying to plant cotton. So, this places our High Plains of Texas farmers in a possible replant decision on a failed crop, usually cotton, or pushes planting back so much that cotton or other full-season crops are no longer viable. What to do? What are my options?… Read More →
Identification of Early-Season Stand Loss and Seedling Diseases of Cotton
Early-season stand loss of cotton could be the result of fungal pathogens or, in the case of some fields in the Upper Coast counties (e.g. Wharton and Fort Bend), high populations of reniform nematodes. Seedling death from fungi can vary from season to season and severe impacts are usually associated with cool, wet conditions at planting or shortly after emergence. Although the damage from stand loss can’t be undone during the current season, losses in future crops are somewhat preventable. In contrast, stand loss from… Read More →