The bollworm flight overall this year has been low, slow and a trickle flight. Moth traps indicate that we have an increase in moth activity in spots and this is occurring later in the season than normal. Bollworm can be a significant pest of cotton and soybeans, particularly late soybeans that are just flowering during the flight. As such, the large 2021 wheat crop that was planted to double crop soybeans in June and July will need to be monitored. Wide row soybeans are especially attractive to moths. Continue reading
If I were to ignore the calendar, I’d rate Tennessee’s cotton crop as above average. Another half inch of rain would be nice, but considering, it appears things are progressing nicely. Unfortunately, we are staring at the last effective bloom date with fewer fruiting branches and subsequently fewer bolls on each plant than I’ve observed since I arrived in Tennessee. In this blog, I highlight a few decisions which we will have to make in the coming weeks and reasons why this crop may fail to fall within the same yield ranges we’ve observed in recent years. 
