Still haven’t had a rain? I can’t spin this. If you are not irrigating or had a good rain, drought is seriously hurting yield potential. So what does this mean in terms of insect control? There is talk about abandoning the crop or discontinuing insect management. In some cases, it makes sense to relax treatment thresholds, but we need to maintain Continue reading
As reported by NASS on July 9, 2012
SCATTERED SHOWERS PROVIDE A LITTLE RELIEF. A slight break from record setting temperatures came at weeks’ end and was due to several rounds of scattered showers and thunderstorms. Soil moisture levels are still extremely short and more rain will be needed for crops and pastures to rebound from the prolonged drought conditions. Crop conditions continued to decline last week. Pastures have been the hardest hit by the high temps and short moisture supplies with three quarters of the acreage rated in very poor-to-poor condition. Continue reading
Some places have received much needed rain and chances are good for scattered showers the rest of this week (7/7-7/12). Don’t be surprised if you find large numbers of squares on the ground after a good rain and some cloudy conditions. This response is frequently seen in cotton that has been drought stressed. Essentially the plant is trying to build more biomass to support later fruit at the expense of current squares. When this happens monitor plant growth closely and use plant growth regulators accordingly.
Much of our rain-fed (dryland) crop has about a bale of yield potential. Rain will improve yield, but will likely cause a fruiting gap leading to two crops on the same plant. While more yield is a good thing, this will also increase the period of scouting and maintaining insect/weed control. Harvest aid decisions will need to be based on a field by field basis to make sure we are maximizing yield and not sacrificing quality (discounts for micronaire and color). We will cross the harvest aid bridge when we get there, it is just some food for thought to help with late season planning.
Corn, soybean, and wheat prices are up with cotton prices down for the week. The September U.S. Dollar Index traded before the close at 83.59, up 1.84 for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average before the close traded at 12,717, down 163 points since last Friday. Crude Oil traded at 84.64 a barrel mid-day, down 0.32 a barrel for the week. A weak U.S. employment report spurred concerns that Continue reading
Just another “bug if the week” entry featuring the black stink bug (Proxys punctulatus). I get one or two calls each year about this insect which shows up periodically in field crops. The black color, conspicuous white spot on its back, spined shoulders, and black and white legs make the adults easy to identify. I see the black stink bug most commonly on cotton where it will feed on plants and is also reported to occasionally prey on caterpillars. It is uncommon enough in Tennessee to just be a curiosity. I don’t know what the immature stages look like, and pictures are apparently hard to come by.
Don’t Forget the UT Soybean Scout Schools Next Week! These are 1.5 – 2 hour programs dealing with crop and pest management. Scouting notebooks and sweep nets will be provided while Continue reading
Below are the results of a spider mite trial sprayed last week in Gibson County (40 PSI, 10 GPA, FF80015). Ratings were taken 4 and 7 days after application. Continue reading
I have put together a few thoughts on management decisions that producers should consider during the current drought. Please click on the link below.
2012 Crop Management Decisions in Drought Continue reading