Rains and warmer temperatures have promoted rapid growth over the past week. Now that the root zone has expanded and N uptake has increased exponentially, expect very rapid plant growth in areas which have adequate moisture as we move into flowering. For those who have not applied an early shot of a plant growth regulator (PGR), you should consider doing so very soon. Several points should be considered when attempting to regulate growth in 2015. Continue reading
Threecornered alfalfa hoppers (TCAH) are a common insect, especially in late planted soybean. Recent data from Mississippi State University strongly suggests that economic damage is only likely to occur in small soybeans, typically those less than Continue reading
This is a repeat from an article from last year at about this same time. Japanese beetles are beginning to show up in numbers. Fortunately, they seldom cause economic injury to field crops. In soybean, treatment is recommended Continue reading
We finally received word that Transform WG has been approved for emergency use to control sugarcane aphids in sorghum during 2015. Restrictions are identical to last year (see below). Continue reading
We are closing in our early squaring for the earliest planting cotton, so now seems to be a good time to review insecticide management strategies. First I will remind you that treatment thresholds for preflowering plants bug infestations are based primarily on sweep net sampling and square retention. The goal is to Continue reading
The annual UT Cotton Scout School will be held on Friday, May 29th in Room A at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center (605 Airways Blvd, Jackson). Registration will begin at 8:00 AM with the official program starting at 8:30. It will end with a lunch, but those interested can attend a short ‘go to the field’ session after lunch. We hope to increase the hands-on portion of the program this year. Topics will include crop development, insect and weed identification, scouting techniques, and more. No registration fee or preregistration is required.
With a substantial increase in sorghum acres, there are a lot of questions about managing insect pests. Sorghum will typically require more insect management then corn, especially in the Bt corn era. This means we are more likely to need one or more foliar insecticide applications. Below are some steps you should be thinking about for managing insects in grain sorghum. Continue reading
There are about 1000 North American species and most larvae in this family are slender, hard-bodied and shiny, which is how they got the name “wireworms”. Many are found in the soil where they feed on newly planted seeds and roots of plants, including some important crops such as corn, cereals, cotton, beans, and potatoes. Continue reading