Stink Bugs. Thus far stink bug populations in soybean appear to be relatively low. In particular I have not seen or heard many reports of green stink bugs, which is usually our primary species. At this time of year, they often concentrate in the earliest soybean fields (those setting pods).
Our treatment threshold for stink bugs in soybean changed a couple of years ago. UT now suggests a threshold of 36 stink bugs per 100 sweeps from R1 to R7 . Continue reading
It was announced last week that a new insecticide containing the active ingredient sulfoxaflor, Transform 50 WG, was granted a Section 18 for use in Tennessee (link to previous article). Transform is made by Continue reading
So far I would have to say we’ve started out normally with tarnished plant bugs in cotton. There are treatment level plant bug populations present in some but not all fields. There have been reports of clouded plant bugs in the mix, and Continue reading
This is just a heads up that there have been a few reports of cotton fleahoppers in cotton. This insect belongs to the plant bug family and can cause substantial square loss if present in sufficient numbers. Continue reading
We are at the stage of development when questions are coming in about the value of spraying insecticides on field corn at early tassel. This is usually a piggyback application where a pyrethroid insecticide is added to the fungicide. The potential value of this Continue reading
Frank Herry with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture collected kudzu bugs from kudzu in Polk County on 5/30/12 and Hamilton and Bradley Counties on 5/31/12. It was only a matter of time before this invasive insect found its way into our state. Since kudzu bugs were first found in Georgia in 2009, it has spread rapidly to cover most of Georgia and South Carolina. More recently, it has spread into much of North Carolina and several counties in Florida, Alabama, Virginia and now Tennessee. Kudzu bugs can occur in soybean at very high numbers, sometimes several hundred or even thousands per 25 sweeps. This insect has caused documented yield losses in soybean exceeding 30% if Continue reading
Transform, a new insecticide containing the active ingredient sulfoxaflor, has received an emergency use exemption for SOME counties in West Tennessee for the control of tarnished plant bug in cotton. This product Continue reading
There have been a few reports of spider mites and a little bit of spraying in cotton. This does not come as a big surprise as we have been hot, dry and spraying aggressively for thrips. The spider mite treatment threshold in cotton is when 30-50% of plants are affected and Continue reading