Dr. Scott Stewart just finished a study involving 60 years of weather data. The results may surprise you. In this podcast, he’ll discuss the data and potential impacts on insect pest dynamics in Tennessee. Listen.
It is uncertain how big our moth flight will be this year. As usual, bollworm moth catches have been generally low to this point. However, you can expect activity to slowly increase, with a peak in moth activity occurring the last week of July and the first week of August. With the decreasing efficacy of pyrethroid insecticides and increasing tolerance to some Bt toxins, you should plan on using Continue reading
Below are links to the presentations given at the 2018 Tennessee Grain Conferences and they can also be found at http://utcrops.com/presentations.htm.
2018 Tennessee Grain Conferences
In addition to the East, Middle and West TN Grain Conferences and the Cotton Focus event, UT Extension is hosting a series of meetings to be held throughout the state to prepare growers for the upcoming season. These meetings will focus on variety selection, insect and plant disease management, weed management, and other current crop production topics.
Below is a list of the production meetings to be held in January and February. Please contact your local UT Extension office for more details on time and location. Continue reading
Heat unit accumulation has been the big question over the past week. Mild temperatures settled over Tennessee during early August and there is some concern that the crop may not be maturing as quickly as noted in years past. While I agree the weather has been quite comfortable, we are currently very close to the 30 year average heat unit accumulation trend noted from 1980-2010.
They’re back, but they don’t scare me! It is very unusual to see economic damage from Japanese beetles in cotton, soybean, or corn. They may cause defoliation in all crops. I’ve never seen enough defoliation in cotton or corn to justify treatment. On a few occasions, I’ve seen enough defoliation in soybean to catch my attention. They will hang around for a while, so in combination with other defoliators, they may cause enough damage Continue reading
Moth traps catches clearly indicate that the first generation flight is peaking (link to moth trap catches). Local moth catches may vary considerably, and that is why we suggest running pheromone traps on your farm if you are growing non-Bt corn. The highest trap catches are on farms in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuges, primarily because they are not allowed to grow Bt corn. Please link to the publication below for more information about the management of this pest. Below, I’ve also provided the suggested treatment threshold for southwestern corn borers in non-Bt corn during the whorl stage. Continue reading
The new publication, “W 403: Verticillium Wilt in Tennessee Valley Cotton” provides background on Verticillium wilt, summarizes recent variety trial results, and highlights other practices that can reduce the impact of the disease. Continue reading