All posts by Scott Stewart, West TN Research & Education Center

05 Aug 2014

White Sugarcane Aphids Found in Tennessee Sorghum

05 Aug 2014
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The white sugarcane aphid (WSCA) has made it well into Tennessee. On August 5th, I found relatively low populations on heading grain sorghum within the city limits of Jackson. The previous nearest find to Tennessee was in northern Mississippi and across the river from Memphis (Crittenden Co., AR). Thus, it is conceivable this insect could show up in any sorghum field in West Tennessee. It is important that everyone start scouting for this insect and report suspected infestations. Continue reading →


31 Jul 2014

Cotton Insects – Be Prepared to Spray

31 Jul 2014
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I did a pretty through job in last week’s article about addressing insecticide treatment options in cotton. We’ve been collecting a lot of data this week in our trials, primarily targeting plant bugs, and I’ve seen nothing to change my opinions. The top performers list include Acephate/Orthene, Transform and Bidrin in tests with many tarnished plant bug nymphs. Various mixes of these products with each other or with a pyrethroid insecticide are also performing well. When you start with the top performing insecticides, it is often the timing and interval of applications that makes the biggest difference in insect control. Continue reading →


30 Jul 2014

Fall Armyworm in Double-Cropped Soybean

30 Jul 2014
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There have been several reports of fall armyworms in wheat beans. Fields with weedy grasses or volunteer wheat are especially prone to infestations. The larvae start out on grasses and move to soybean (usually after a herbicide application takes the grass out). However, fall armyworms can sometimes make an appearance even if the fields are not grassy. Continue reading →


26 Jul 2014

Insecticides – So Many Names!

26 Jul 2014
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By request, I am providing a list of active ingredients and trade names (see below). This does not include all examples. Feel free to make comments about other “generic” trade names you may be using. Please keep in mind that formulations may vary considerably, and thus, rates may need to be adjusted accordingly. Also, not all products be labeled for the same crops. It is your responsibility to follow instructions on the insecticide label. The information below is also available in UT’s insect control recommendations for field crops. Continue reading →


26 Jul 2014

Crunch Time for Insect Management in Cotton

26 Jul 2014
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The next 2-3 weeks is traditionally the most critical window for managing insect pests in cotton. We are setting the bolls that will make or break our crop, and it is harder to recover from significant boll injury than it is to compensate for the loss of early season. This mid-flowering window is the time when immature plant bugs, stink bug, and bollworm infestations may all coincide. Moth traps are beginning to show the onset of our traditional bollworm flight. Continue reading →