Author Archives: l-francis
Managing Volunteer Corn in Cotton
by Jourdan Bell, Assistant Professor and Extension Agronomist, Amarillo, Texas; Peter Dotray, Professor and Extension Weed Specialist, Lubbock Texas Volunteer corn can be a significant problem in corn:cotton rotations under all tillage systems, but especially in no-till and limited tillage systems. Volunteer corn can result from grain loss at harvest due to poorly adjusted combines, late season hail damage, hybrid selection with poor ear retention, and/or lodged corn plants that dropped corn. If ear rots are present during the corn phase of the rotation, producers may opt to… Read More →
Did recent rains come too late for the South Texas cotton crop?
by Josh McGinty and Gaylon Morgan, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service The 2018 season in South Texas has been a tough one. In southernmost areas, a dry winter and spring meant planting moisture was scarce, while excessive rainfall was a common problem that delayed field preparation and planting in the Upper Gulf Coast. Since planting, excessive heat, wind, and very limited rainfall has been a common occurrence across South Texas, leading to severe moisture stress and early cutout (5 nodes above white flower) in many fields. Then on… Read More →
Blacklands and River Bottom Insect Pest Update – June 14
by Dr. David L. Kerns, Professor and IPM Coordinator Crops have been suffering from intense heat and lack of moisture over the past 2 weeks but we are hoping for some relief over the next 3 to 4 days. The high temperatures and lack of moisture have contributed significantly to some severe pest problems, namely cotton fleahoppers and spider mites. As vegetation in the landscape dries up, these pests are forced to seek other food sources and have moved into cotton throughout much of the Blacklands and the… Read More →
Corn Growth Stages and Post Emergent Herbicide Timing
by Jourdan Bell, Texas A&M AgriLife Assistant Professor and Agronomist – Amarillo Post emergent herbicide applications are necessary for season long weed control. Post emergent corn herbicide labels define the latest growth stage for which herbicide applications can be made without causing crop injury. Herbicide applications past the recommended application stages can result in significant crop injury. For some herbicides, later applications can be made according to the label, but drop nozzles are recommended to prevent herbicides being sprayed in the whorl. Some herbicide labels provide a recommended… Read More →
Update on Off-Target Movement and How to Minimize the Risk of Enlist Herbicides Moving Off-Target
by Gaylon Morgan, Pete Dotray, and Scott Nolte Numerous complaints have been received from the off-target movement of auxin herbicides in parts of South and East Texas over the past two weeks. Due to the extremely high sensitivity of cotton to 2,4-D, it is not too surprising that most of the incidents appear to be off-target movement of 2,4-D. In much of Texas, observing 2,4-D injury in cotton is common, but some of the incidents this year do appear to be from applications in row crops. We do… Read More →
Cotton Replanting Decisions in 2018
by Gaylon Morgan, Tom Isakeit, and David Kerns The 2018 season has been a challenging one for many cotton producers in the much of South and East Texas. The multiple spring cold fronts, high winds, and lack of rain have caused multiple issues in cotton stand establishment. Many growers have had and many more are trying to make the decision on whether to replant of not. Below are some considerations for making replant decisions, and some management recommendations for thin stands. Replant or not? The primary consideration should… Read More →