Specialist Speaking- Ben McKnight

Ben McKnight
TEXAS

As I write this in early July, cotton in the Lower Rio Grande Valley is progressing with recent hot and dry weather, with some fields approaching 30% open boll. By the time you are reading this, cotton harvest should be gearing up in this region and further north in the Coastal Bend region. Many cotton fields in the Upper Gulf Coast are in full bloom and progressing quickly with recent hot daytime temperatures. Considerable rainfall over May and June has now turned into hot and dry conditions in the Brazos Bottom, prompting growers to begin irrigating where possible to get the crop across the finish line.

Protecting developing bolls from insect damage during the flowering and boll setting timeframe is imperative to protect yield as it is developing. In South, East, and Central Texas, a few different species of stink bug, including southern green stink bug, green stink bug, and brown stink bug, can be problematic in cotton this time of year. These species can move into cotton from numerous alternate host plants, including many adjacent grain fields. Remaining active in scouting and boll sampling for these pests during this time of year and treating as needed based on action thresholds is essential to prevent significant boll damage, especially in years with heavy stink bug pressure.