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Bob Griffin
Griffin Ag-Consulting
Jonesboro, Arkansas
In high school, I started out as a cotton scout for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service and continued scouting for two summers while in college at the U of A. At that point, I changed my major to plant protection pest management with a concentration in entomology, plant pathology and agronomy. After graduating, I started testing new insecticides at what is now the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station in Marianna. In 1987, I started my own business — Griffin Ag-Consulting.
Last year was wet, then dry, and we had extreme temperatures. It got really hot. The cotton looked good, the fruit was there, but we didn’t know what the crop was going to do. As it turned out, we had a good year. As far as insect pressure, we had some thrips and spider mites, but worms were not a concern. Tarnished plant bug was our major pest although the pressure wasn’t too bad.
Thrips And Tarnished Plant Bug Control
To control thrips, Intrepid Edge® is the best insecticide we have, and it works effectively. The insecticides we used in the past are not effective anymore. About 90% of the time, we treat once and are done, especially if we have good growing conditions. If the weather turns off cold and wet, and the cotton sits there for a month before it takes off growing, thrips will wear it out. In this case, an application of Intrepid Edge insecticide works really well.
After the cotton has been squaring for a week or two, we scout for tarnished plant bug with sweep nets through the first week of bloom because we have adults then. After the cotton starts blooming, we switch over to shake sheets because the immatures are easier to see. If we have an influx of adults, we’ll go back to sweep nets. With sweep nets, if we have more than eight adults or immatures per 100 sweeps, that is treatment level. If we find three plant bugs per five feet with a shake sheet, that’s our treatment level.
When I see plant bugs at treatment level, I’ll start using Transform® WG insecticide at 2 ounces per acre. I want to save it for when I need a heavy hitter. After 10 days, we come back with our second application of Transform WG insecticide. Nothing else has the residual activity Transform WG insecticide does. I use it every year on every acre.
The best practice is to always use the most effective product at the correct rate. Be timely and don’t cut corners. The most expensive treatment is the one that doesn’t work.
