Cotton – Although plant bug populations remain lighter that usual, we are now seeing treatment levels in many fields. It’s time to switch to the drop cloth for best results. The treatment threshold for tarnished plant bug beginning at first flower is 3 tarnished plant bugs per drop cloth. You should maintain this threshold until about NAWF5+250 DD60s, at which time Continue reading
Although pressure is currently below average, it is increasing, which is to be expected as we enter the early blooming window. We have limited but good options to control plant bugs in blooming cotton. I often tell folks that if you call me once bloom starts, I’ll often only mention 4-5 products, sometimes in combination. Those include Acephate/Orthene, Diamond, Transform, and Bidrin. Vydate also gets and honorable mention. These are the core products suggested for mid-season plant bug control. Below are some treatment options I like, in no particular order. However, Continue reading
A reminder that moth trap catches are reported weekly for corn earworm (bollworm), tobacco budworm, and southwestern corn borer. You can find these data under the Quick Links menu of this web site which takes you to the link below.
http://www.utcrops.com/BlogStuff/2020MothTrappingData.pdf
We are also seeing an increase in bollworm moth catches. I’m hopeful many of these moths will target later corn rather than cotton or soybean, but Continue reading
Below is a link to the recorded presentation of the 2020 UT Soybean Scout School that was presented today via Zoom. Set aside a little time if you intend to watch. Also keep in mind that much of the same information is available on our other internet resources including http://utcrops.com/soybean/VSSchool.htm and https://guide.utcrops.com/soybean/.
Recording of Soybean Scout School (1h 46 min)
Weed management is dominating calls to UT Extension specialists this week. Larry Steckel answers those frequently asked questions in this episode. Scott Stewart joins him to discuss insect management issues to look out for as we enter July. Listen.
Because of restrictions due to the COVID-19 situation, the UT Soybean Scout School will be offered by Zoom from 9:00-11:30 AM on Wednesday, July 8th. The Zoom link is provided below. However, a password is required. Please contact Ms. LaDonn Kelso (dkelso2@utk.edu) or myself (sdstewart@utk.edu) to obtain the meeting password.
The Soybean Scout School provides training for understanding soybean growth and development and the identification, scouting and basic management of pests including insects, weeds, and disease. Pesticide re-certification points and Continue reading
It’s been a generally quite week for insect problem but below are some reminders and suggestions.
Cotton: Most cotton is past the stage where thrips are a concern. Tarnished plant bugs will now be our primary focus for much of the season. Thus far, most reports indicate a slow and sporadic start with plant bugs, but treatments are now being made more widely. However tempting, I encourage people to avoid using Continue reading
Below are a few reminders as much of the crop will begin squaring in the next week. It’s too soon to know what kind of plant bug year we will have, but there are a couple of truism that generally hold. When we have a wet spring, and particularly a cool spring, infestations in cotton often start a little later than normal. The weedy hosts of tarnished plant bug will stay attractive longer, holding the bugs longer before they migrate into cotton. However, we often since higher than normal populations during mid and late season under the same circumstance. Second, Continue reading