Grain sorghum acres are way down this year, but those who are growing sorghum should start scouting for sugarcane aphids now. Based on my counterparts reports in more southern states, I suspect there are already low numbers of aphids in some fields. This pest thrives in hot weather, so populations can spread and build quickly. Serious infestations that go untreated can cause catastrophic yield loss. Continue reading
Threecornered alfalfa hoppers, snails, Japanese beetles, and plant bugs … should you be worried? I’ve had a variety of calls this week, but the most frequent call has been about Continue reading
Recent research in the Mid-South has convinced me that threecornered alfalfa hopper (TCAH) is almost exclusively a pest of only small soybeans. We’ve had a relatively mild winter. Tennessee is on the northern edge of threecornered alfalfa hopper home range, and warm winters generally means higher populations. That appears to be the case in 2016. Late planted soybean such as Continue reading
Our earliest cotton is beginning to square, and I think a few reminders are in order. Continue reading
There was some good news today as the EPA approved the Section 18 requests allowing the emergency use of Transform in cotton for the control of tarnished plant bugs. Continue reading
Other than a few calls about slugs, thrips are the primary pest of concern. Although there seems to be a lot of excitement out there, I’m not seeing anything too out of the ordinary. Thrips populations seemed to have peaked, and Continue reading
I recently forwarded information about commenting on the Section 18 request that would allow the use of Transform WG insecticide for control of plant bugs in cotton. Now, the EPA has opened a 30-day comment period for the new Transform label under consideration. There are several important components of the new label. Most importantly, it excludes any use on cotton. The proposed label and any comments you would like to make can be made until June 17 on the following website: https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0889.
The Section 18 for the use of Transform (sulfoxaflor) use in cotton in the states of AR, MS and TN will have a 15 day comment period ending May 20, 2016. The link to post a comment is below. Please make a comment if you want your opinion counted.