The season’s early onset of drought-like conditions has several insects on the move early. Plant bugs and stink bugs are moving from their wild host plants into cotton earlier than farmers usually expect. Alabama Cooperative Extension System entomologist Ron Smith says the plant bug situation is not one producers are unfamiliar with, but earlier action will be required to keep ... Read More »
• By Angus Catchot • I have had quite a few calls this year about threecornered alfalfa hoppers in cotton. There have been a few treatments on limited acres to date. In the past damage has usually been confined to field borders, but again this year it seems to be more widespread across whole fields in the areas where they ... Read More »
• By Scott Stewart • Good early-season management of tarnished plant bugs relies on a sweep net, monitoring square retention, and making timely insecticide applications as needed. During the first two weeks of squaring, the recommended treatment threshold is an average of eight or more plant bugs per 100 sweeps. After that, treatment is recommended anytime of infestations average 15 ... Read More »
As if Mid-South producers don’t have enough on their minds with rutted fields, flooding and late planting, now an influx of insect pests has made their lives even more difficult. And it’s not limited to just one crop, either. Cotton “This has been one of the lightest thrips we’ve experienced in a long time,” says Gus Lorenz, extension entomologist for ... Read More »
• By Dominic Reisig • With more cotton starting to square, ALL cotton in North Carolina should be scouted so we maintain acceptable square load to bring us into blooming (see this previous article for how to scout and use thresholds for plant bugs prebloom). Dr. Sally Taylor, Virginia Tech, has been performing bioassays with tarnished plant bugs from Virginia ... Read More »
Ginger Rowsey: Thanks for listening to Call of the Week. Our guest is Dr. Scott Stewart, University of Tennessee Integrated Pest Management Extension specialist. Scott, what’s your call of the week? Scott Stewart: The call of the week has been thrips control, and that will continue until next week, but I’m also going to start getting calls about plant bugs. ... Read More »
Rain in the forecast is a welcome change from the lingering dry conditions Alabama producers have battled this spring. Producers generally plant cotton between April 20 and the first week of June. Although early spring weather was conducive for planting, the end of May was hot and dry, creating significant challenges for stand establishment. Alabama Extension cotton specialist Dr. Steve ... Read More »
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