This article really pertains to insect management to all crops, but I’ll highlight a couple of relevant scenarios. A lot of the comments relate to a common theme. Insect management is often reactive. Spraying too early decreases effectiveness, often increase overall control costs, and unnecessarily select for resistance. Many of our most commonly used insecticides offer Continue reading
Without a doubt, the Milan No-Till Crop Production Field Day is one of the most far-ranging agricultural field days in the nation. The event is a junction for producers with varied farming interests. Tours will cover topics as diverse as row crop sustainability, beef cattle production, natural resource management, unmanned aerial systems and even the compatibility of honeybees and agriculture. Registration is free and begins at 6 a.m. CDT, with the first tours leaving at 7 a.m. A total of 16 tours are on the agenda. Continue reading
UT’s annual Soybean Scout Schools are set for the dates and times below. These field-side programs last 2-2.5 hours and address general crop management including plant development and management of weed, disease and insect pests. As always, scouting supplies and sweep nets are Continue reading
Many of our treatment thresholds for defoliating pests in soybean are based on percent defoliation and growth stage. This is an important component of our IPM recommendations because we are often dealing with a complex of pests, many of which nibble on leaves. This includes bean leaf beetles, Japanese beetles, and several Continue reading
Many consultants are reporting a real upswing in tarnished plant bug numbers in cotton this week. This includes our own cotton here in Jackson. Much of the cotton is at bloom, plus or minus a week, and tarnished plant bugs appear to be just about the only pest in most fields. A few people have reported seeing some brown stink bugs, but I’m not too worried about them until this cotton has a few more bolls on it. The common question has been … what should I spray? Below I’ve listed some options with Continue reading
Our trap lines are indicating low moth activity for corn earworm, tobacco budworm, and southwestern corn borer (link to Excel file). In moth traps this last week, we only caught an average of 7 corn earworms (a.k.a., bollworms) and less than 1 tobacco budworm and southwestern corn borer per trap. Continue reading
Some phone calls and some personal observations indicate that tarnished plant bugs are getting more common … not blow out but building. This is not surprising as the crop begins to grow. In cotton approaching bloom, this would be the time to consider applying 4-6 oz of Diamond if threshold levels of adults are found in fields. Remember that a tank-mix partner to control adults is generally needed with Continue reading
I recently posted an article about being on the watch out for fall armyworm infestations in soybean (link here). This is especially important to think about anytime in the next several weeks if grassy weeds are common in a field. However, this also indicates a potentially early start in pastures, and be especially watchful in Bermudagrass. It seems early, but it appears fall armyworms are Continue reading