Category Archives: Cotton

Week Ending May 17 – Complete moth trapping results for bollworm (corn earworm), tobacco budworm, beet armyworm and southwestern corn borer are linked below. Clearly, the warm winter resulted in good survival of overwintering larvae as southwestern corn borer moth catches continue to be very high is some locations including traps located in Continue reading →

UT Cotton Scout School on Friday, May 25^th at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center in Jackson. Registration will begin at 8:00 AM (no fee or preregistration required). The program will end with a box lunch and a go-to-the-field session for those interested after lunch.

Actually, thinking of thrips as raining from the sky is pretty accurate; and we are getting a pretty good flood in most areas.  Many people are reporting 2-15 thrips per plant on cotton from the cotyledon stage up to the second true leaf.  These calls are pretty easy to answer.  Spray if multiple thrips are present on plants with less than two true leaves.  Certainly apply a foliar insecticide if the first or second true leaf has obvious signs of thrips injury … Continue reading →

False chinch bugs are a pest that can kill cotton and soybean seedlings.  I see them in a few fields almost every year, but they are causing more widespread problems this year, with reports from Madison, Gibson, Haywood and Hardeman Counties.  Infestations almost always occur in Continue reading →

As reported by NASS on May 14, 2012

WEEKEND SHOWERS WELCOMED BY FARMERS

Showers and thunderstorms provided some needed relief this weekend, but it has been so dry recently that all regions of the state continue to need a general soaking rain. Crops continue to develop at rapid rate well ahead of normal. Corn planting is complete, all emerged and in mostly good condition. Cotton and soybean planting and tobacco transplanting were the main farm activities last week. Fertilizing, spraying post-emergence herbicides and hay harvest were also major farm activities. The wheat crop is ripening and farmers expect to begin harvest within the next two weeks. Continue reading →

 Dear Colleagues

The University of Tennessee Weed Tour will be on Thursday, June 21 at the West Tennessee Research & Education Center in Jackson, TN.  Registration will start at 8:30 A.M. and the tour will begin at 9:00 A.M.. Continue reading →

The weed control in cotton has gotten off to a rough start in a number of fields.  In some fields the flowering Palmer amaranth has grown back from the paraquat burndown near planting. Continue reading →

The last week of April and first week of May were extremely dry in some portions of west TN causing producers to chase moisture and plant seed deeper than usual.  Heavy rain in some areas follwing planting on May 7th caused some soil surface sealing and crusting. Each year many producers are forced to replant cotton due to adverse conditions. Replanting is one of the most difficult decisions to make and second guessing is very common.  Continue reading →

The phone has been ringing regularly the last few days with reports of fairly high thrips numbers, mostly adults, on seedling cotton.  Most of our cotton is less than the two leaf stage.  I’m not too surprised considering the wheat is drying down just as our cotton is emerging.  Averages of 2 – 8 thrips per plant are being reported, with a few Continue reading →

From Chris Main, Brian Leib, David Verbree, and Larry Steckel. 

Rainfall continues to be spotty across Tennessee. Some locations have continued to have adequate moisture while other areas continue to miss the passing thunderstorms. Continue reading →

Scouring Rush

Over the past several years many have had concerns about scouring rush creeping into crop production areas.  Scouring rush is not a typical agronomic weed. It normally grows along fence rows, ditch banks, and low lying areas.  However, in long term no-tillage production systems scouring rush is increasingly encroaching into crop production areas. 

Continue reading →

As reported by NASS on May 7, 2012

SCATTERED SHOWERS PROVIDE LITTLE RELIEF

Unusually high temperatures and sunny days combined to minimize the benefits of scattered showers that fell in many areas across the state. Reporters in all regions reiterated the need for a general soaking rain. Row crops were holding on with three-fourths of the corn and winter wheat acres rated in good-to-excellent condition. Crop development continues to advance well ahead of the normal pace. Pastures declined some from the previous week, but cattle were reported to be mostly good condition. Other farm activities this week included post-emergence herbicide and fertilizer applications, cutting hay, scouting for insects and diseases, harvesting strawberries, and continued assessment of freeze damage on fruit crops. Continue reading →