Blacklands and Upper Gulf Coast Crop Update
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8/27/2021 (audio file)
Kate Crumley:
We have started picking cotton and harvesting soybeans. The season is pretty well wrapping up here.
David Kerns:
We will be defoliating cotton in the next couple of weeks, but we have no significant pest pressure currently.
Tyler Mays:
Our season is quickly coming to an end, we’ll be defoliating in the next couple of weeks. The youngest cotton is at 10% open, and the oldest is about to be defoliated. We are picking up a few aphids, so we need to keep an eye on those to avoid any issues before harvest
David Drake:
We’re in the middle of corn harvest currently. We are seeing a bit of pre harvest sprouting in our corn as well, but I have not heard issues with grain quality from that yet. Sorghum is ready for harvest, and our sugarcane aphids are present. Aphid numbers are very high in the johnson grass. There’s no insect pressure in the soybeans, and they are drying down or still setting pods. Cotton is starting to open, so we need to watch some of the aphids that were present out there. When we start to look for defoliants, it may be good to select a defoliant that can provide some weed control as well.
Kate Crumley:
We have started picking cotton and harvesting soybeans. The season is pretty well wrapping up here.
David Kerns:
We will be defoliating cotton in the next couple of weeks, but we have no significant pest pressure currently.
Tyler Mays:
Our season is quickly coming to an end, we’ll be defoliating in the next couple of weeks. The youngest cotton is at 10% open, and the oldest is about to be defoliated. We are picking up a few aphids, so we need to keep an eye on those to avoid any issues before harvest
David Drake:
We’re in the middle of corn harvest currently. We are seeing a bit of pre harvest sprouting in our corn as well, but I have not heard issues with grain quality from that yet. Sorghum is ready for harvest, and our sugarcane aphids are present. Aphid numbers are very high in the johnson grass. There’s no insect pressure in the soybeans, and they are drying down or still setting pods. Cotton is starting to open, so we need to watch some of the aphids that were present out there. When we start to look for defoliants, it may be good to select a defoliant that can provide some weed control as well.
8/20/2021 (audio file)
Kate Crumley:
Our grain is mostly out and soybeans harvest is starting. A couple of cotton fields were defoliated this week, and several will be defoliated next week.
David Kerns:
Our cotton is pretty far along, but some is still susceptible to our recent stink bug re-infestation. We’ve also had spider mite numbers on the rise. Most of our cotton is not susceptible to damage from spider mites, but a few fields are. We have a few soybeans still susceptible to insect damage, and we need to keep scouting for stink bugs in those. Our stink bugs have mostly been browns and greens.
Tyler Mays:
The corn harvest has been slightly delayed by rain. Our corn yields have been highly variable this year depending on our earlier weather conditions. The cotton is starting to open up, especially on the western side of the county. Last week I was picking up aphids, but I’ve not seen any this week. I am seeing some premature defoliation caused by disease and potassium deficiency.
David Drake:
Corn harvest was in full swing prior to rains, and our yields have been fairly poor due to weather. Grain sorghum is ready for harvest, and we are still seeing some sugarcane aphids. Soybeans haven’t had much stink bug pressure, but we do have some brown spot. I anticipate our soybean yields will be good. The later cotton is starting to bloom, and the earlier is at cutout. We still have aphids in cotton fairly heavy. We are still getting calls about armyworms in our area as well, and we’re starting to see bermudagrass stem maggots.
Kate Crumley:
Our grain is mostly out and soybeans harvest is starting. A couple of cotton fields were defoliated this week, and several will be defoliated next week.
David Kerns:
Our cotton is pretty far along, but some is still susceptible to our recent stink bug re-infestation. We’ve also had spider mite numbers on the rise. Most of our cotton is not susceptible to damage from spider mites, but a few fields are. We have a few soybeans still susceptible to insect damage, and we need to keep scouting for stink bugs in those. Our stink bugs have mostly been browns and greens.
Tyler Mays:
The corn harvest has been slightly delayed by rain. Our corn yields have been highly variable this year depending on our earlier weather conditions. The cotton is starting to open up, especially on the western side of the county. Last week I was picking up aphids, but I’ve not seen any this week. I am seeing some premature defoliation caused by disease and potassium deficiency.
David Drake:
Corn harvest was in full swing prior to rains, and our yields have been fairly poor due to weather. Grain sorghum is ready for harvest, and we are still seeing some sugarcane aphids. Soybeans haven’t had much stink bug pressure, but we do have some brown spot. I anticipate our soybean yields will be good. The later cotton is starting to bloom, and the earlier is at cutout. We still have aphids in cotton fairly heavy. We are still getting calls about armyworms in our area as well, and we’re starting to see bermudagrass stem maggots.
8/12/2021 (audio file)
Kate Crumley:
Our corn and sorghum is mostly harvested, and our corn yields have mostly been good. The cotton is opening, we have a few places still susceptible to stink bug damage but insect numbers have been fairly low. We should start defoliating next week. The soybeans are wrapping up, and we have fairly low stink bug pressure in those.
David Kerns:
The sorghum is mostly out. Corn harvest is going well, and yields have been good., We’ve had some stink bugs in cotton.We’ve seen a flight of bollworms come in cotton, we are seeing survivorship in the dual gene cotton again. We are also seeing target spot in cotton as well, but nothing that justifies a fungicide treatment. In soybeans we are finding very few red banded stink bugs, and a few soybean loopers.
Tyler Mays:
Corn yields have been variable, but mostly above 100-120 bushels. The grain quality has been high. Sorghum yields haven’t been as good. Cotton has minimal issues, and the cotton is loving the warmer weather. We could use a rain on some of these fields as well. We are starting to see some open bolls as well. I am still picking up aphids in fields, but also high predator populations as well. With open bolls we need to watch aphids. We need to start thinking about what products we need for defoliation. We are 2-3 weeks out from defoliation.
David Drake:
Corn harvest has been slow to start, conditions have been drier this week. The early planted soybeans are looking good now. We aren’t currently seeing much insect pressure in those. In cotton we have some places with root rot. Aphid numbers have picked up, we are finding sugarcane aphids pretty heavy in some sorghum. The cotton also has heavy aphid numbers, but we have high beneficials as well. I have not found many bollworms or stink bugs in cotton. I am concerned about our low fruit set in late planted cotton. We still have armyworms and grasshoppers in pasture.
Kate Crumley:
Our corn and sorghum is mostly harvested, and our corn yields have mostly been good. The cotton is opening, we have a few places still susceptible to stink bug damage but insect numbers have been fairly low. We should start defoliating next week. The soybeans are wrapping up, and we have fairly low stink bug pressure in those.
David Kerns:
The sorghum is mostly out. Corn harvest is going well, and yields have been good., We’ve had some stink bugs in cotton.We’ve seen a flight of bollworms come in cotton, we are seeing survivorship in the dual gene cotton again. We are also seeing target spot in cotton as well, but nothing that justifies a fungicide treatment. In soybeans we are finding very few red banded stink bugs, and a few soybean loopers.
Tyler Mays:
Corn yields have been variable, but mostly above 100-120 bushels. The grain quality has been high. Sorghum yields haven’t been as good. Cotton has minimal issues, and the cotton is loving the warmer weather. We could use a rain on some of these fields as well. We are starting to see some open bolls as well. I am still picking up aphids in fields, but also high predator populations as well. With open bolls we need to watch aphids. We need to start thinking about what products we need for defoliation. We are 2-3 weeks out from defoliation.
David Drake:
Corn harvest has been slow to start, conditions have been drier this week. The early planted soybeans are looking good now. We aren’t currently seeing much insect pressure in those. In cotton we have some places with root rot. Aphid numbers have picked up, we are finding sugarcane aphids pretty heavy in some sorghum. The cotton also has heavy aphid numbers, but we have high beneficials as well. I have not found many bollworms or stink bugs in cotton. I am concerned about our low fruit set in late planted cotton. We still have armyworms and grasshoppers in pasture.
8/5/2021 (audio file)
Kate Crumley:
Our corn and milo harvest is wrapping up, the corn yields have been good, the milo hasn’t. The cotton is wrapping up, we have a lot of open cotton and not a lot of insect pressure. We need to be checking soybeans for stink bugs still. Last year we got hit pretty hard by red banded stink bugs, and we want to avoid that this year.
David Kerns:
We are harvesting corn and milo where it’s dry, and yields for both are looking pretty good. Most of our cotton has already been sprayed for stink bugs, and we’ve had good control. We’ve had stink bug numbers increasing toward Bell and Milam counties.
Tyler Mays:
We are harvesting corn and sorghum, and our corn yields have been very good. Our cotton is starting to reach and pass cutout, and we’re starting to get out of stink bug and bollworm susceptibility. Stink bug numbers are low. We have found some bollworm damage in our two gene cotton. If we stay warm and dry we need to be watching for spider mites.
David Drake:
We are waiting on corn to dry down to harvest, and we’ve been delayed by showers. The grain sorghum is pretty uneven as far as maturity in fields due to weather. We are finding sugarcane aphids in forage sorghums. Soybean pods are filling nicely, and we are not seeing stink bugs yet. We are not seeing many pests in cotton with the exception of aphids. There are some places that may justify treatment if the field is doing well. We have some bollworms, but not at high levels. We also have grasshoppers and armyworms in our pastures.
Kate Crumley:
Our corn and milo harvest is wrapping up, the corn yields have been good, the milo hasn’t. The cotton is wrapping up, we have a lot of open cotton and not a lot of insect pressure. We need to be checking soybeans for stink bugs still. Last year we got hit pretty hard by red banded stink bugs, and we want to avoid that this year.
David Kerns:
We are harvesting corn and milo where it’s dry, and yields for both are looking pretty good. Most of our cotton has already been sprayed for stink bugs, and we’ve had good control. We’ve had stink bug numbers increasing toward Bell and Milam counties.
Tyler Mays:
We are harvesting corn and sorghum, and our corn yields have been very good. Our cotton is starting to reach and pass cutout, and we’re starting to get out of stink bug and bollworm susceptibility. Stink bug numbers are low. We have found some bollworm damage in our two gene cotton. If we stay warm and dry we need to be watching for spider mites.
David Drake:
We are waiting on corn to dry down to harvest, and we’ve been delayed by showers. The grain sorghum is pretty uneven as far as maturity in fields due to weather. We are finding sugarcane aphids in forage sorghums. Soybean pods are filling nicely, and we are not seeing stink bugs yet. We are not seeing many pests in cotton with the exception of aphids. There are some places that may justify treatment if the field is doing well. We have some bollworms, but not at high levels. We also have grasshoppers and armyworms in our pastures.
7/29/2021 (audio file)
Kate Crumley:
We are harvesting corn and sorghum, we still have sugarcane aphids in sorghum that hasn’t been cut yet. In soybeans we have loopers, and still need to be looking for stink bugs. The cotton is wrapping up, we’re starting to see open cotton in places, but we do still have fields susceptible to stink bugs and a few to bollworms. We have low bollworm and low stink bug numbers. Most of the stinkbugs we are finding are brown stink bugs.
David Kerns:
We are starting to cut corn and sorghum. The cotton is finally drying out a bit, insect pressure has been pretty low, and our fields have mostly already been treated for stink bugs. The bollworm pressure is still pretty low, the egg lay has been low, and the flight we anticipated didn’t take place. We are seeing some fields with fall armyworms, but not at treatable levels. We are seeing some spider mites, and some aphids. Those are at low numbers, but is something to watch. In soybeans we are picking up soybean loopers now at below threshold numbers. The sugarcane aphid numbers have crashed this week in the fields I’ve checked.
Tyler Mays:
We’ve got corn harvest starting, and our sorghum is approaching harvest. Sugarcane aphids have dropped off in sorghum. The cotton is getting into cutout, and we are picking up a few aphids. Stink bug numbers have increased some and we’ve made some spray applications, we’re mostly seeing browns and greens. We also need to be watching spider mites since those are popping up.
Kate Crumley:
We are harvesting corn and sorghum, we still have sugarcane aphids in sorghum that hasn’t been cut yet. In soybeans we have loopers, and still need to be looking for stink bugs. The cotton is wrapping up, we’re starting to see open cotton in places, but we do still have fields susceptible to stink bugs and a few to bollworms. We have low bollworm and low stink bug numbers. Most of the stinkbugs we are finding are brown stink bugs.
David Kerns:
We are starting to cut corn and sorghum. The cotton is finally drying out a bit, insect pressure has been pretty low, and our fields have mostly already been treated for stink bugs. The bollworm pressure is still pretty low, the egg lay has been low, and the flight we anticipated didn’t take place. We are seeing some fields with fall armyworms, but not at treatable levels. We are seeing some spider mites, and some aphids. Those are at low numbers, but is something to watch. In soybeans we are picking up soybean loopers now at below threshold numbers. The sugarcane aphid numbers have crashed this week in the fields I’ve checked.
Tyler Mays:
We’ve got corn harvest starting, and our sorghum is approaching harvest. Sugarcane aphids have dropped off in sorghum. The cotton is getting into cutout, and we are picking up a few aphids. Stink bug numbers have increased some and we’ve made some spray applications, we’re mostly seeing browns and greens. We also need to be watching spider mites since those are popping up.
7/22/2021 (audio file)
Kate Crumley
We are still getting pop up showers, so our dry fields are spotty. Our corn and sorghum is ready to harvest, and combines are running where it’s dry enough. Most of our cotton looks okay, but that still depends on how well it drained. The bollworm and stink bug pressure is still low, but we are seeing some fields needing treatment for stink bugs. We’ve mostly seen brown stink bugs, but we are also finding greens and leaf-footed bugs. We also have fall armyworms and bermudagrass stem maggots in pasture.
David Kerns
We’re also getting pop up showers and it’s remained pretty wet. Our corn and most of the milo is almost ready to harvest. We’ve seen a lot of brown stink bugs, we’ve had a lot of aerial applications going out. There are also a lot of tarnished plant bugs out. We are cleaning those up with the stink bug applications. The bollworm numbers are still very light, and the Bt technologies are holding up well, but there is a full moon this weekend, and we could see another flight this weekend.
Tyler Mays
The corn is approaching harvest, the moisture is still a little high. Sorghum is getting close to harvest as well, and we are seeing some sugarcane aphids moving up. Cotton is fairly quiet, the bollworm numbers have dropped off, but again there could be another flight this weekend with the full moon. We are seeing low aphid numbers in cotton. We are seeing some stink bugs, most fields are under threshold, but a few are getting close. There are grasshoppers on our field margins still as well.
David Drake
We started to dry out, but got another rain this weekend. There are a few wheat fields that are still needing to be harvested. The corn is maturing, we’re a couple weeks from harvest. The grain sorghum is in the same boat, some are still filling grains. We aren’t seeing the worm pressure or sugarcane aphids yet. We aren’t seeing stink bugs, and are more concerned with grasshoppers. In cotton we have areas still susceptible to fleahoppers, the bollworm egg lay is down, but we have good control in our 2 or 3 gene cotton. We also still have grasshoppers and armyworms.
Kate Crumley
We are still getting pop up showers, so our dry fields are spotty. Our corn and sorghum is ready to harvest, and combines are running where it’s dry enough. Most of our cotton looks okay, but that still depends on how well it drained. The bollworm and stink bug pressure is still low, but we are seeing some fields needing treatment for stink bugs. We’ve mostly seen brown stink bugs, but we are also finding greens and leaf-footed bugs. We also have fall armyworms and bermudagrass stem maggots in pasture.
David Kerns
We’re also getting pop up showers and it’s remained pretty wet. Our corn and most of the milo is almost ready to harvest. We’ve seen a lot of brown stink bugs, we’ve had a lot of aerial applications going out. There are also a lot of tarnished plant bugs out. We are cleaning those up with the stink bug applications. The bollworm numbers are still very light, and the Bt technologies are holding up well, but there is a full moon this weekend, and we could see another flight this weekend.
Tyler Mays
The corn is approaching harvest, the moisture is still a little high. Sorghum is getting close to harvest as well, and we are seeing some sugarcane aphids moving up. Cotton is fairly quiet, the bollworm numbers have dropped off, but again there could be another flight this weekend with the full moon. We are seeing low aphid numbers in cotton. We are seeing some stink bugs, most fields are under threshold, but a few are getting close. There are grasshoppers on our field margins still as well.
David Drake
We started to dry out, but got another rain this weekend. There are a few wheat fields that are still needing to be harvested. The corn is maturing, we’re a couple weeks from harvest. The grain sorghum is in the same boat, some are still filling grains. We aren’t seeing the worm pressure or sugarcane aphids yet. We aren’t seeing stink bugs, and are more concerned with grasshoppers. In cotton we have areas still susceptible to fleahoppers, the bollworm egg lay is down, but we have good control in our 2 or 3 gene cotton. We also still have grasshoppers and armyworms.
7/15/2021 (audio file)
Kate Crumley
We are still muddy, and the corn and most of the sorghum is ready to harvest, but it is too wet. Our sorghum did sprout last week, and now we have high numbers of sugarcane aphids. The soybeans are being sprayed with fungicides currently, and we have some caterpillars and light stink bugs present. It’s mostly brown stink bugs. The cotton has very light bollworm pressure, but the stink bug pressure has gotten a bit higher than last week, it is mostly brown stink bugs. CORRECTION TO THIS EPISODE - Posted 7/16/21: : Transform label PHI for grain sorghum is now 14 days, not 7. Listen here.
David Kerns
In cotton we’re seeing light bollworm damage and egg lay, but we’ve seen high stink bug numbers, mostly brown stink bugs. In milo we’re starting to see sugarcane aphids. It would be a good idea to look at fields before treating with a harvest aid. We are seeing brown stink bugs in the soybeans. In pasture we’re seeing a lot of armyworms.
Tyler Mays
Our corn is being cut for silage, and the grain crops are approaching harvest. We are seeing sugarcane aphids in sorghum as well. Our cotton is blooming, and we have low egg lay and damage from bollworms. We are still finding grasshoppers, and they have been in cotton, but not with damaging levels yet. We are seeing low numbers of brown stink bugs, but no damage yet.
David Drake
Our corn is drying down, and we’ve got grain sorghum at multiple plant stages. Our soybeans haven’t had much stink bugs, and we’ve got a good pod set. The cotton is blooming, and we have low bollworm egg lay. There are a few places with We have tremendous fall army worm numbers in pastures.
Kate Crumley
We are still muddy, and the corn and most of the sorghum is ready to harvest, but it is too wet. Our sorghum did sprout last week, and now we have high numbers of sugarcane aphids. The soybeans are being sprayed with fungicides currently, and we have some caterpillars and light stink bugs present. It’s mostly brown stink bugs. The cotton has very light bollworm pressure, but the stink bug pressure has gotten a bit higher than last week, it is mostly brown stink bugs. CORRECTION TO THIS EPISODE - Posted 7/16/21: : Transform label PHI for grain sorghum is now 14 days, not 7. Listen here.
David Kerns
In cotton we’re seeing light bollworm damage and egg lay, but we’ve seen high stink bug numbers, mostly brown stink bugs. In milo we’re starting to see sugarcane aphids. It would be a good idea to look at fields before treating with a harvest aid. We are seeing brown stink bugs in the soybeans. In pasture we’re seeing a lot of armyworms.
Tyler Mays
Our corn is being cut for silage, and the grain crops are approaching harvest. We are seeing sugarcane aphids in sorghum as well. Our cotton is blooming, and we have low egg lay and damage from bollworms. We are still finding grasshoppers, and they have been in cotton, but not with damaging levels yet. We are seeing low numbers of brown stink bugs, but no damage yet.
David Drake
Our corn is drying down, and we’ve got grain sorghum at multiple plant stages. Our soybeans haven’t had much stink bugs, and we’ve got a good pod set. The cotton is blooming, and we have low bollworm egg lay. There are a few places with We have tremendous fall army worm numbers in pastures.
7/8/2021 (audio file)
Kate Crumley:
We have gotten a lot of rain this past week. Grain crops are wrapping up, and we have sorghum starting to sprout in the heads. We are also seeing sugarcane aphids in sorghum. We are finding some stink bugs in soybeans and cotton. Bollworm numbers are fairly low, but egg lay is present.
David Kerns:
In cotton we are seeing some bollworms and low levels of stink bugs. Next week we may be hitting the economic threshold though. Most of our milo is wrapping up, but we do have blooming sorghum and high midge numbers. We are seeing armyworms in pasture in high numbers.
Tyler Mays:
Corn is starting to dry down, silage fields are still being chopped, but most of our corn finishing up. Our sorghum is turning color, and we are not finding much insect pressure in those. Earlier sorghum does have midge. Most cotton got a good rain, and most is at peak bloom or early bloom. We have seen some bollworms flying and we are picking up egg lay. We are seeing some stink bug and lygus bugs. PGR and foliar potassium application decisions are being made currently.
David Drake:
We are still harvesting some late wheat. Our corn is widely varied on maturity. The sorghum is also varied as far as maturity, also due to weather. We have seen some sorghum webworm. Soybeans are blooming and filling pods, and have low insect pressure. We have armyworms in pasture. Cotton has two sets of crop maturity, almost blooming and at about 3-4 leaves. We have low insect pressure in cotton.
Kate Crumley:
We have gotten a lot of rain this past week. Grain crops are wrapping up, and we have sorghum starting to sprout in the heads. We are also seeing sugarcane aphids in sorghum. We are finding some stink bugs in soybeans and cotton. Bollworm numbers are fairly low, but egg lay is present.
David Kerns:
In cotton we are seeing some bollworms and low levels of stink bugs. Next week we may be hitting the economic threshold though. Most of our milo is wrapping up, but we do have blooming sorghum and high midge numbers. We are seeing armyworms in pasture in high numbers.
Tyler Mays:
Corn is starting to dry down, silage fields are still being chopped, but most of our corn finishing up. Our sorghum is turning color, and we are not finding much insect pressure in those. Earlier sorghum does have midge. Most cotton got a good rain, and most is at peak bloom or early bloom. We have seen some bollworms flying and we are picking up egg lay. We are seeing some stink bug and lygus bugs. PGR and foliar potassium application decisions are being made currently.
David Drake:
We are still harvesting some late wheat. Our corn is widely varied on maturity. The sorghum is also varied as far as maturity, also due to weather. We have seen some sorghum webworm. Soybeans are blooming and filling pods, and have low insect pressure. We have armyworms in pasture. Cotton has two sets of crop maturity, almost blooming and at about 3-4 leaves. We have low insect pressure in cotton.
7/1/2021 (audio file)
Kate Crumley
We’ve been dodging rain, and our insect numbers have been relatively low for this time of year. Our corn and sorghum are wrapping up, and the stink bugs have started to move into cotton. We need to be scouting for stink bugs and bollworms in cotton. Most of our cotton is at 6-8 nodes above white flower, and I expect to see some at cut out next week.
David Kerns
Cotton is blooming now and our bollworm numbers have picked up. The bollworm egg lay has been high. The viptera cotton is looking really good, but we are picking up a little square and terminal damage from bollworms. We have dual gene cotton at threshold as well, but there have been some complaints about product availability for bollworm treatment. Milo is reddening up, and the later milo has headworms and rice stink bugs. We’re starting to pick up stink bugs in cotton as well.
Tyler Mays
Corn is mostly at dent stage, and I’ve found a few fields with high numbers of grasshoppers causing defoliation on the end rows. We have a lot of sorghum that hasn’t headed out yet, so we need to keep an eye out for sorghum midge when those start to bloom. I’ve picked up a few headworms, but none above threshold yet. I have not seen many sugarcane aphids in milo. Our cotton is blooming, and we are picking up low bollworm egg lay. We have low flea hopper numbers in cotton that isn’t blooming yet, and I’ve seen some lygus bugs as well.
David Drake
We’re still trying to get our last bit of wheat out of areas with mud, we’ve had a few showers lately. Our corn is hot, and I think we didn’t get the root development with the wet weather we’ve had. Earworms are moving out of the corn, we will likely start to see bollworms flying in cotton soon. Our grain sorghum is heading and flowering, I haven’t picked up any sugarcane aphids, nor have I seen midge. We do have stink bugs. Chinch bugs are affecting some of our later planted grain sorghum and hay grazer. Our soybeans are growing well. We have high levels of grasshoppers. We have two groups of cotton, one set about to bloom, and another at 2 true leaves. The insect pressure in cotton has been fairly low this week.
Kate Crumley
We’ve been dodging rain, and our insect numbers have been relatively low for this time of year. Our corn and sorghum are wrapping up, and the stink bugs have started to move into cotton. We need to be scouting for stink bugs and bollworms in cotton. Most of our cotton is at 6-8 nodes above white flower, and I expect to see some at cut out next week.
David Kerns
Cotton is blooming now and our bollworm numbers have picked up. The bollworm egg lay has been high. The viptera cotton is looking really good, but we are picking up a little square and terminal damage from bollworms. We have dual gene cotton at threshold as well, but there have been some complaints about product availability for bollworm treatment. Milo is reddening up, and the later milo has headworms and rice stink bugs. We’re starting to pick up stink bugs in cotton as well.
Tyler Mays
Corn is mostly at dent stage, and I’ve found a few fields with high numbers of grasshoppers causing defoliation on the end rows. We have a lot of sorghum that hasn’t headed out yet, so we need to keep an eye out for sorghum midge when those start to bloom. I’ve picked up a few headworms, but none above threshold yet. I have not seen many sugarcane aphids in milo. Our cotton is blooming, and we are picking up low bollworm egg lay. We have low flea hopper numbers in cotton that isn’t blooming yet, and I’ve seen some lygus bugs as well.
David Drake
We’re still trying to get our last bit of wheat out of areas with mud, we’ve had a few showers lately. Our corn is hot, and I think we didn’t get the root development with the wet weather we’ve had. Earworms are moving out of the corn, we will likely start to see bollworms flying in cotton soon. Our grain sorghum is heading and flowering, I haven’t picked up any sugarcane aphids, nor have I seen midge. We do have stink bugs. Chinch bugs are affecting some of our later planted grain sorghum and hay grazer. Our soybeans are growing well. We have high levels of grasshoppers. We have two groups of cotton, one set about to bloom, and another at 2 true leaves. The insect pressure in cotton has been fairly low this week.
6/24/2021 (audio file) (9:00)
Kate Crumley:
Sorghum is being sprayed for burn down, and our corn is drying down. Cotton has light bollworm egg lay all over and we’ve found our first fields above economic threshold. We’ve started picking up stink bugs in cotton and soybeans.
David Kerns:
Cotton is in early bloom, and we are seeing more bollworm activity. We’ve had some fields treated for bollworms and we’re seeing flights. We have a lot of fields still susceptible to fleahoppers as well. We are finding a lot of brown stink bugs, and some of our soybeans will probably need treatment soon. We are also finding them in corn pretty heavy. South of Victoria we had some bollworms come through Widestrike 3, which has a viptera trait.
Tyler Mays:
Cotton is looking good, we are starting to see flowers. Fleahoppers are still above threshold in some places. We are starting to pick up bollworm egg lay as well. We are also picking up some headworms in sorghum, but we have not seen high sugarcane aphids numbers yet.
David Drake:
Our field activity has been mostly wheat harvest, we’ve got yields from 50 to 70 bushels. There is a small amount of sprouting going on. We got all of our cotton planted, and it’s popping up out of the ground. Thrips numbers and fleahopper numbers are down. We started to see some bollworm eggs this week. Our vip corn is clean, with no worms. We do have stink bugs in corn. The grain sorghum is blooming, and we haven’t had insect pressure in those.
Kate Crumley:
Sorghum is being sprayed for burn down, and our corn is drying down. Cotton has light bollworm egg lay all over and we’ve found our first fields above economic threshold. We’ve started picking up stink bugs in cotton and soybeans.
David Kerns:
Cotton is in early bloom, and we are seeing more bollworm activity. We’ve had some fields treated for bollworms and we’re seeing flights. We have a lot of fields still susceptible to fleahoppers as well. We are finding a lot of brown stink bugs, and some of our soybeans will probably need treatment soon. We are also finding them in corn pretty heavy. South of Victoria we had some bollworms come through Widestrike 3, which has a viptera trait.
Tyler Mays:
Cotton is looking good, we are starting to see flowers. Fleahoppers are still above threshold in some places. We are starting to pick up bollworm egg lay as well. We are also picking up some headworms in sorghum, but we have not seen high sugarcane aphids numbers yet.
David Drake:
Our field activity has been mostly wheat harvest, we’ve got yields from 50 to 70 bushels. There is a small amount of sprouting going on. We got all of our cotton planted, and it’s popping up out of the ground. Thrips numbers and fleahopper numbers are down. We started to see some bollworm eggs this week. Our vip corn is clean, with no worms. We do have stink bugs in corn. The grain sorghum is blooming, and we haven’t had insect pressure in those.
6/17/2021 (audio file) (13:33)
Kate Crumley:
We have midge in sorghum, as well as sorghum downy mildew. Corn has southern rust and fields have been treated at least once if not twice. Cotton is looking hot, and we started scouting for bollworms. We’ve just started picking up worms and eggs, as well as some stink bug damage.
David Kerns:
Corn looks good, and have varied corn earworm pressure. Damage is deeper in the ears probably due to the heat. I’ve heard about grasshoppers in corn. Cotton is looking better, and weed control is better since it’s dried enough to spray. Fleahopper and aphid numbers have decreased. Sorghum has small populations of sugarcane aphids, and we have sorghum midge. We are also finding brown stink bugs in sorghum.
Tyler Mays:
Corn is at late milk and dough stage, and we need to be watching for southern rust. Cotton looks good, but fleahopper numbers have been high and have required treatment in many places. Sorghum is starting to head and in some places pollinate. Sugarcane aphid numbers are low.
David Drake:
We are harvesting wheat, even with some muddy conditions. Lodging in wheat has been an issue, likely due to weather. Corn looks good, and is tasseling and silking. Bollworms are laying eggs in the silks. We have some weed problems in corn as well. Grain sorghum is delayed, we aren’t heading yet, and we have not had many sugarcane aphids. Cotton is up or being planted, and we have thrips.
Kate Crumley:
We have midge in sorghum, as well as sorghum downy mildew. Corn has southern rust and fields have been treated at least once if not twice. Cotton is looking hot, and we started scouting for bollworms. We’ve just started picking up worms and eggs, as well as some stink bug damage.
David Kerns:
Corn looks good, and have varied corn earworm pressure. Damage is deeper in the ears probably due to the heat. I’ve heard about grasshoppers in corn. Cotton is looking better, and weed control is better since it’s dried enough to spray. Fleahopper and aphid numbers have decreased. Sorghum has small populations of sugarcane aphids, and we have sorghum midge. We are also finding brown stink bugs in sorghum.
Tyler Mays:
Corn is at late milk and dough stage, and we need to be watching for southern rust. Cotton looks good, but fleahopper numbers have been high and have required treatment in many places. Sorghum is starting to head and in some places pollinate. Sugarcane aphid numbers are low.
David Drake:
We are harvesting wheat, even with some muddy conditions. Lodging in wheat has been an issue, likely due to weather. Corn looks good, and is tasseling and silking. Bollworms are laying eggs in the silks. We have some weed problems in corn as well. Grain sorghum is delayed, we aren’t heading yet, and we have not had many sugarcane aphids. Cotton is up or being planted, and we have thrips.
6/10/2021 (audio file) (11:52)
Kate Crumley
This week we started drying out a bit, and some folks have been able to get in the fields with a ground rig in places. Our corn is looking alright, and the sorghum is looking good as well. The earlier sorghum is starting to turn. Our soybeans are blooming and putting pods on as well. The cotton is starting to flower, and we are still picking up a few fleahoppers. we have found very few bollworm eggs so far, but have started scouting for them.
David Kerns
Our area is still wet, but we are starting to dry out. We do have weed pressure, I expect a lot of sprayers will be running soon. In cotton, our fleahopper numbers are still very high, and we have a lot of aphids pressure as well. Corn is looking pretty good, and overall our corn rootworm numbers have been pretty light. We aren’t picking up many headworms in sorghum yet, but we are picking up midge, and sugarcane aphids are also taking off. Soybeans are looking really good.
Tyler Mays
Weather conditions are drying out and getting warmer. Fleahoppers have blown up this week in cotton. Aphids are starting to be an issue in some fields as well. Weeds are a problem currently since we’ve been unable to treat for weeds recently with the rain. Corn is looking good as well. Sorghum is starting to boot, or is close to boot. Sugarcane aphids are present, but are not in high populations yet.
David Drake
We are still pretty wet, and have been unable to harvest our wheat. Some of our corn is silking, but there is inconsistency in plant stage and size in fields due to the weather. I am seeing some armyworms in the whorls, and we need to start looking for eagworms. Cotton is up to 6 true leaves, and thrips numbers are still high. Hopefully we’ll dry out soon and be able to get on top of our weed control.
Kate Crumley
This week we started drying out a bit, and some folks have been able to get in the fields with a ground rig in places. Our corn is looking alright, and the sorghum is looking good as well. The earlier sorghum is starting to turn. Our soybeans are blooming and putting pods on as well. The cotton is starting to flower, and we are still picking up a few fleahoppers. we have found very few bollworm eggs so far, but have started scouting for them.
David Kerns
Our area is still wet, but we are starting to dry out. We do have weed pressure, I expect a lot of sprayers will be running soon. In cotton, our fleahopper numbers are still very high, and we have a lot of aphids pressure as well. Corn is looking pretty good, and overall our corn rootworm numbers have been pretty light. We aren’t picking up many headworms in sorghum yet, but we are picking up midge, and sugarcane aphids are also taking off. Soybeans are looking really good.
Tyler Mays
Weather conditions are drying out and getting warmer. Fleahoppers have blown up this week in cotton. Aphids are starting to be an issue in some fields as well. Weeds are a problem currently since we’ve been unable to treat for weeds recently with the rain. Corn is looking good as well. Sorghum is starting to boot, or is close to boot. Sugarcane aphids are present, but are not in high populations yet.
David Drake
We are still pretty wet, and have been unable to harvest our wheat. Some of our corn is silking, but there is inconsistency in plant stage and size in fields due to the weather. I am seeing some armyworms in the whorls, and we need to start looking for eagworms. Cotton is up to 6 true leaves, and thrips numbers are still high. Hopefully we’ll dry out soon and be able to get on top of our weed control.
6/03/2021 (audio file) (11:29)
Kate Crumley:
Our crops could use dry weather. There are fungicides going out on the corn, and corn ear worms are moving. Corn without the viptera gene has ear worm pressure. Sorghum is at bloom and milk stage. The oldest cotton is starting to bloom, and we are still finding fleahoppers. Square retention is fair, and growers are often adding PGR in if they are making aerial applications for insecticide.
David Kerns:
Corn and sorghum are going well. There is a lot of northern corn leaf blight present. Cotton has heavy fleahopper infestations, and insecticide applications have been common. Acephate with 2oz of imidacloprid is a common treatment. We have low aphids in cotton as well. There are small patches of sugarcane aphids in sorghum. Sorghum is starting to head here.
Tyler Mays:
Corn is looking good, but could use a bit of dry weather. Northern corn leaf blight is spreading, and the weather is favorable for it. Cotton is starting to yellow from nitrogen loss due to the weather. Fleahopper numbers are beginning to pick up in cotton, and we still have thrips. We found sugarcane aphids in very low numbers in sorghum. There is some sprouting in wheat.
David Drake:
We have gotten a lot of rain, and it is wet. Wheat harvest has not started yet. We are concerned about nitrogen deficiency in corn. Our earlier planted corn is tasseling, and looks good except for the flooded areas. We have seen very few sugarcane aphids. Our cotton is at 2 to 4 true leaves, and we have thrips.
Kate Crumley:
Our crops could use dry weather. There are fungicides going out on the corn, and corn ear worms are moving. Corn without the viptera gene has ear worm pressure. Sorghum is at bloom and milk stage. The oldest cotton is starting to bloom, and we are still finding fleahoppers. Square retention is fair, and growers are often adding PGR in if they are making aerial applications for insecticide.
David Kerns:
Corn and sorghum are going well. There is a lot of northern corn leaf blight present. Cotton has heavy fleahopper infestations, and insecticide applications have been common. Acephate with 2oz of imidacloprid is a common treatment. We have low aphids in cotton as well. There are small patches of sugarcane aphids in sorghum. Sorghum is starting to head here.
Tyler Mays:
Corn is looking good, but could use a bit of dry weather. Northern corn leaf blight is spreading, and the weather is favorable for it. Cotton is starting to yellow from nitrogen loss due to the weather. Fleahopper numbers are beginning to pick up in cotton, and we still have thrips. We found sugarcane aphids in very low numbers in sorghum. There is some sprouting in wheat.
David Drake:
We have gotten a lot of rain, and it is wet. Wheat harvest has not started yet. We are concerned about nitrogen deficiency in corn. Our earlier planted corn is tasseling, and looks good except for the flooded areas. We have seen very few sugarcane aphids. Our cotton is at 2 to 4 true leaves, and we have thrips.
5/27/2021 (audio file) (12:00)
Kate Crumley
It’s muddy down here, and the mosquitos are terrible. The grain crops are looking fairly good, and the sorghum is starting to bloom. The cotton is starting to show some signs of nitrogen deficiency from the anaerobic conditions and we are still picking up fleahoppers.
David Kerns
It’s been extremely wet and overcast if not raining. We are getting out of the plant stages susceptible to thrips, but we are still finding high numbers. We are seeing a lot of bollworms in out traps, and are anticipating a big bollworm year. We want to watch dual gene cotton for resistant populations. Farther south are picking up fall armyworms in sorghum, but we’ve not seen them here yet. Watch for them getting into the panicle. There are a lot of fleahoppers in the environment, and our cotton is about to start squaring.
Tyler Mays
Corn is loving the rain where it isn’t drying out. We are finding fall armyworms in sorghum and corn refuge and non bt. We need to check for northern corn leaf blight. We are picking up some sugarcane aphids in sorghum, but not at threshold yet. Cotton is starting to square in the earliest planted acres. We are not seeing many fleahoppers yet. Thrips populations are still high. We are concerned about loss of test weight in wheat, and we have not seen pre harvest sprouting at this time.
David Drake
We’ve received daily rains and many fields have standing water. We have not seen pre harvest sprouting in wheat. We have received questions on whether or not corn has gotten enough nitrogen. Cotton is emerging in higher ground, but not in low spots. We do have chinch bugs and thrips, and we are not seeing sugarcane aphids in grain sorghum.
Kate Crumley
It’s muddy down here, and the mosquitos are terrible. The grain crops are looking fairly good, and the sorghum is starting to bloom. The cotton is starting to show some signs of nitrogen deficiency from the anaerobic conditions and we are still picking up fleahoppers.
David Kerns
It’s been extremely wet and overcast if not raining. We are getting out of the plant stages susceptible to thrips, but we are still finding high numbers. We are seeing a lot of bollworms in out traps, and are anticipating a big bollworm year. We want to watch dual gene cotton for resistant populations. Farther south are picking up fall armyworms in sorghum, but we’ve not seen them here yet. Watch for them getting into the panicle. There are a lot of fleahoppers in the environment, and our cotton is about to start squaring.
Tyler Mays
Corn is loving the rain where it isn’t drying out. We are finding fall armyworms in sorghum and corn refuge and non bt. We need to check for northern corn leaf blight. We are picking up some sugarcane aphids in sorghum, but not at threshold yet. Cotton is starting to square in the earliest planted acres. We are not seeing many fleahoppers yet. Thrips populations are still high. We are concerned about loss of test weight in wheat, and we have not seen pre harvest sprouting at this time.
David Drake
We’ve received daily rains and many fields have standing water. We have not seen pre harvest sprouting in wheat. We have received questions on whether or not corn has gotten enough nitrogen. Cotton is emerging in higher ground, but not in low spots. We do have chinch bugs and thrips, and we are not seeing sugarcane aphids in grain sorghum.
5/20/2021 (audio file)
Kate Crumley
Wharton, Jackson, and Matagorda counties received heavy rainfall this week. There is water standing in some fields but it is draining off. The grain crops are looking good, and the cotton is mostly squaring. There are armyworms present in sorghum, hay, and pasture. We are hoping for some drier weather soon.
David Kerns
Brazos river bottom and the southern blacklands has received a lot of rainfall and cool weather. Thrips numbers are still high in cotton, seed treatments are holding up fairly well and there are foliar applications being made for them. Fall armyworms are starting to show up in sorghum. Everything is looking pretty good, and we aren’t seeing sugarcane aphids in sorghum yet.
Tyler Mays
The blacklands are wet, and water is standing in fields. Our corn is starting to tassel, but there is no insect pressure in corn. We are finding northern corn leaf blight, and should be scouting for that. Cool wet weather has slowed down cotton growth. Thrips numbers are high. Aphids are in cotton, but the spider mite numbers have dropped.
David Drake
The northern blacklands are wet, and we did receive some hail as well. English grain aphids are no longer an issue in wheat. We will be harvesting wheat in the next couple weeks if it dries. Corn and sorghum are growing well, and we are finding chinch bugs but no damage from those at this time. Cotton is struggling to emerge, and we have high thrips numbers in grass around the fields.
Kate Crumley
Wharton, Jackson, and Matagorda counties received heavy rainfall this week. There is water standing in some fields but it is draining off. The grain crops are looking good, and the cotton is mostly squaring. There are armyworms present in sorghum, hay, and pasture. We are hoping for some drier weather soon.
David Kerns
Brazos river bottom and the southern blacklands has received a lot of rainfall and cool weather. Thrips numbers are still high in cotton, seed treatments are holding up fairly well and there are foliar applications being made for them. Fall armyworms are starting to show up in sorghum. Everything is looking pretty good, and we aren’t seeing sugarcane aphids in sorghum yet.
Tyler Mays
The blacklands are wet, and water is standing in fields. Our corn is starting to tassel, but there is no insect pressure in corn. We are finding northern corn leaf blight, and should be scouting for that. Cool wet weather has slowed down cotton growth. Thrips numbers are high. Aphids are in cotton, but the spider mite numbers have dropped.
David Drake
The northern blacklands are wet, and we did receive some hail as well. English grain aphids are no longer an issue in wheat. We will be harvesting wheat in the next couple weeks if it dries. Corn and sorghum are growing well, and we are finding chinch bugs but no damage from those at this time. Cotton is struggling to emerge, and we have high thrips numbers in grass around the fields.
5/13/2021 (audio file)
Kate Crumley
This week has been a little drier than last week. Our earlier corn is tasseling across all three counties. The sorghum is looking good, and I’ve heard a few reports of finding armyworms. To my knowledge no fields have been treated for them yet.
Most of our waterlogged cotton perked up, and is looking fairly good. Our earlier planted cotton is at match head square, and the later planted and replant cotton is still around 2-3 true leaves. Thrips are still around in smaller cotton, and I’m still seeing low spider mite and aphid numbers in fields. The squaring cotton has fleahoppers, most fields have needed treatment for those. I am finding a lot of fleahopper nymphs, so keep a sharp eye out for those. They can be easy to miss, especially with the last two mornings we’ve had of cooler weather. They don’t move as much when it’s cool and are harder to see sitting still in the terminals.
David Kerns
We’ve had good moisture this last week, between an inch and a half to three inches. We’ve had a lot of cotton get replanted just in time for the rain, so we’re hoping it does well. We are finding a lot of thrips. In our test plots we have numbers ranging from 10 to 20 thrips per plant, which is incredibly high. The numbers are high enough they can knock out the terminal in the plants. The seed treatments typically wear off when the 2nd true leaf is coming out, and growers need to consider using a foliar insecticide after that. There is very little difference in foliar insecticide treatments in out tests due to high numbers. I would recommend a rate of a half pound of acephate, or if you are using bidrin, going out at 3.2 oz. We are picking up a few aphids and a few spider mites in cotton, both well below treatable levels. Rain has knocked spider mite populations back.
Sorghum is looking good, we aren’t picking up many sugarcane aphids yet, and the corn is loving the weather we’ve had. Down in the southern blacklands our corn is starting to tassel.
Tyler Mays
Wheat is rapidly drying down, we are past any concern for seeing yield loss due to armyworms or aphid pests.
Thrips that were in wheat are moving out into cotton. Cotton is from cotyledon stage to 2-3 true leaf stage. Thrips populations are growing rapidly, and half of my acres we at or above the economic threshold and have been treated. The places we are seeing the highest thrips populations are the cotton with wheat fields in the surrounding area. We are still finding aphids and spider mites below threshold in cotton. Cooler temperatures and rainfall have slowed down our spider mite populations as well.
Corn is growing well, and is mostly in the v10 growth stage. It’s loving the cooler temperatures and rainfall.
We need to continue to scout sorghum for sugarcane aphids, I have not seen any in sorghum yet but I am finding more of the colonies in johnson grass.
David Drake
This week we spent a lot of time in wheat, seeing more evidence of freeze damage and high populations of aphids. We are past the opportunity of treating for aphids. Some of our wheat fields were harvested for forage due to freeze damage. A lot of hay fields were cut as well since we had an opportunity with dry weather before some of our areas received heavy rainfall, hail, and high winds. Field work has come to a halt.
Corn and grain sorghum look good, a lot of producers have been top dressing. We do have a lot of weed pressure due to the rain.
Our cotton planting started last week, and we’re concerned about our soil temperatures right now since the weather has been cool and wet, but hopefully we will get good emergence.
Kate Crumley
This week has been a little drier than last week. Our earlier corn is tasseling across all three counties. The sorghum is looking good, and I’ve heard a few reports of finding armyworms. To my knowledge no fields have been treated for them yet.
Most of our waterlogged cotton perked up, and is looking fairly good. Our earlier planted cotton is at match head square, and the later planted and replant cotton is still around 2-3 true leaves. Thrips are still around in smaller cotton, and I’m still seeing low spider mite and aphid numbers in fields. The squaring cotton has fleahoppers, most fields have needed treatment for those. I am finding a lot of fleahopper nymphs, so keep a sharp eye out for those. They can be easy to miss, especially with the last two mornings we’ve had of cooler weather. They don’t move as much when it’s cool and are harder to see sitting still in the terminals.
David Kerns
We’ve had good moisture this last week, between an inch and a half to three inches. We’ve had a lot of cotton get replanted just in time for the rain, so we’re hoping it does well. We are finding a lot of thrips. In our test plots we have numbers ranging from 10 to 20 thrips per plant, which is incredibly high. The numbers are high enough they can knock out the terminal in the plants. The seed treatments typically wear off when the 2nd true leaf is coming out, and growers need to consider using a foliar insecticide after that. There is very little difference in foliar insecticide treatments in out tests due to high numbers. I would recommend a rate of a half pound of acephate, or if you are using bidrin, going out at 3.2 oz. We are picking up a few aphids and a few spider mites in cotton, both well below treatable levels. Rain has knocked spider mite populations back.
Sorghum is looking good, we aren’t picking up many sugarcane aphids yet, and the corn is loving the weather we’ve had. Down in the southern blacklands our corn is starting to tassel.
Tyler Mays
Wheat is rapidly drying down, we are past any concern for seeing yield loss due to armyworms or aphid pests.
Thrips that were in wheat are moving out into cotton. Cotton is from cotyledon stage to 2-3 true leaf stage. Thrips populations are growing rapidly, and half of my acres we at or above the economic threshold and have been treated. The places we are seeing the highest thrips populations are the cotton with wheat fields in the surrounding area. We are still finding aphids and spider mites below threshold in cotton. Cooler temperatures and rainfall have slowed down our spider mite populations as well.
Corn is growing well, and is mostly in the v10 growth stage. It’s loving the cooler temperatures and rainfall.
We need to continue to scout sorghum for sugarcane aphids, I have not seen any in sorghum yet but I am finding more of the colonies in johnson grass.
David Drake
This week we spent a lot of time in wheat, seeing more evidence of freeze damage and high populations of aphids. We are past the opportunity of treating for aphids. Some of our wheat fields were harvested for forage due to freeze damage. A lot of hay fields were cut as well since we had an opportunity with dry weather before some of our areas received heavy rainfall, hail, and high winds. Field work has come to a halt.
Corn and grain sorghum look good, a lot of producers have been top dressing. We do have a lot of weed pressure due to the rain.
Our cotton planting started last week, and we’re concerned about our soil temperatures right now since the weather has been cool and wet, but hopefully we will get good emergence.
5/6/2021 (audio file)
Kate Crumley:
Last week we had a lot of rain, between 4-14” across all three counties. The corn and sorghum is looking good as a result of that rainfall. The sorghum has some fall armyworms, and our earlier planted corn is starting to tassel. The cotton is mostly looking good, a few places did drown out a bit. Locations that water stood on for two days or so are looking pretty rough, but it’s mostly only on the ends of fields. In the replant and late planted cotton we’re still picking up thrips. In older cotton we are picking up fleahoppers. I have cotton at match head square this week, and found fleahoppers in one field at 26%. Everything else I looked at was low enough populations that we can probably wait to get across the field with a ground rig, but definitely scout for fleahoppers, they are moving.
David Kerns
We have gotten quite a bit of rain, more rain as you move north, up to 2 and 3” of rain. The southern blacklands probably got closer to 1”, and that area is probably about 20% below normal for this time of year. It still needs more rain. The corn is looking better with the moisture, and the earlier planted corn looks like it’s going to tassel soon. Other corn is close to waist high, and has taken off. Sorghum has also taken off, and we aren’t picking up anything in sorghum currently. Cotton in the riverbottom is needing some replanting. A lot of it didn’t grow due to the weather, and the soil crusted. The seedlings lacked the vigor to break through the crust. The cotton planted after the cold snap looks good, it’s at one true leaf. We’re picking up thrips, but the seed treatments are holding. We don’t need to treat yet, but will need to see if we need it by that second true leaf. Soybeans are looking good, they are up and are growing well.
Tyler Mays
Wheat is drying down well, and is past concern for aphids. We do need to keep an eye out for grasshoppers and armyworms. Corn is growing well, rain helped it out, and it’s growing quickly. Sorghum is fairly clean, not finding anything but corn leaf aphids in the field. Sugarcane aphid numbers are building in johnsongrass. Cotton is growing nicely, a few areas were drowned out and wind damaged. We need to be scouting hard for thrips, the thrips numbers are growing as seed treatments wear off. Fields have been sprayed for thrips and those locations were above thresholds. Aphids and spidermites are still present, but at levels far below threshold.
David Drake
Weather has been severe, with hail, heavy rain, and wind. Wheat has more freeze damage than expected, producers need to be checking to see if seed is developing. English grain aphids are on the rise, and several locations have been sprayed after reaching the threshold of 10-15 aphids per head. In some varieties we are reaching grain fill. Leaf rust isn’t as bad, and we may miss it as this dries down. Corn is coming along. We will be delayed in planting soybeans and cotton until fields are dry. We are expecting high thrips numbers based on our numbers in green vegetation.
Kate Crumley:
Last week we had a lot of rain, between 4-14” across all three counties. The corn and sorghum is looking good as a result of that rainfall. The sorghum has some fall armyworms, and our earlier planted corn is starting to tassel. The cotton is mostly looking good, a few places did drown out a bit. Locations that water stood on for two days or so are looking pretty rough, but it’s mostly only on the ends of fields. In the replant and late planted cotton we’re still picking up thrips. In older cotton we are picking up fleahoppers. I have cotton at match head square this week, and found fleahoppers in one field at 26%. Everything else I looked at was low enough populations that we can probably wait to get across the field with a ground rig, but definitely scout for fleahoppers, they are moving.
David Kerns
We have gotten quite a bit of rain, more rain as you move north, up to 2 and 3” of rain. The southern blacklands probably got closer to 1”, and that area is probably about 20% below normal for this time of year. It still needs more rain. The corn is looking better with the moisture, and the earlier planted corn looks like it’s going to tassel soon. Other corn is close to waist high, and has taken off. Sorghum has also taken off, and we aren’t picking up anything in sorghum currently. Cotton in the riverbottom is needing some replanting. A lot of it didn’t grow due to the weather, and the soil crusted. The seedlings lacked the vigor to break through the crust. The cotton planted after the cold snap looks good, it’s at one true leaf. We’re picking up thrips, but the seed treatments are holding. We don’t need to treat yet, but will need to see if we need it by that second true leaf. Soybeans are looking good, they are up and are growing well.
Tyler Mays
Wheat is drying down well, and is past concern for aphids. We do need to keep an eye out for grasshoppers and armyworms. Corn is growing well, rain helped it out, and it’s growing quickly. Sorghum is fairly clean, not finding anything but corn leaf aphids in the field. Sugarcane aphid numbers are building in johnsongrass. Cotton is growing nicely, a few areas were drowned out and wind damaged. We need to be scouting hard for thrips, the thrips numbers are growing as seed treatments wear off. Fields have been sprayed for thrips and those locations were above thresholds. Aphids and spidermites are still present, but at levels far below threshold.
David Drake
Weather has been severe, with hail, heavy rain, and wind. Wheat has more freeze damage than expected, producers need to be checking to see if seed is developing. English grain aphids are on the rise, and several locations have been sprayed after reaching the threshold of 10-15 aphids per head. In some varieties we are reaching grain fill. Leaf rust isn’t as bad, and we may miss it as this dries down. Corn is coming along. We will be delayed in planting soybeans and cotton until fields are dry. We are expecting high thrips numbers based on our numbers in green vegetation.
4/29/2021 (audio file) Kate Crumley:
Corn, soybeans, and milo look good, just a bit dry. We do have sugarcane aphids in milo, but not at treatable levels. Cotton is good, but wind burnt. There are folks treating for thrips, the seed treatments have worn off on earlier planted cotton. The replanted cotton I’ve seen is looking good with the warmer weather this week. The oldest cotton I’ve looked at has barely started squaring. Next week I’ll start looking for fleahoppers. It started raining today, hope it keeps up.
David Kerns:
Crops are looking good, but it’s dry. We’re hoping for moisture from this next system. Cotton is looking good, growing strong after this last week. There are a lot of thrips present, but right now our seed treatments are holding them off. After the second true leaf starts to poke through, that’s typically about when the treatments start to wear off. If we still have high pressure at that time guys will have to make treatment decisions. We did pick up some sugarcane aphids in johnson grass, but not in sorghum yet, and our soybeans are mostly up, some still cracking, and growing well. The corn where we have moisture is growing very well.
Tyler Mays:
Wheat is in the later portions of the grain maturation, leaf rust and stripe rust is still active but based on the crop stage does not need a fungicide application. English grain aphids are also being found, but we have a good beneficial population keeping numbers in check. We do also need to keep an eye out for armyworms, they’ve not been found in wheat yet, but our conditions are favorable for them. Our weather has been good for the corn, and it has really taken off in the last week. Top and side dressing applications are going on with the rain we’ve been having. Alflaguard applications are soon to be happening as well for aflatoxin mitigation. Corn there are no major insect issues, and in sorghum we need to start monitoring for sugarcane aphids. I have found them on johnsongrass, but none on sorghum yet. Cotton ranges from the cotyledon stage to first true leaf and the cool wet conditions have slowed down the growth and made them more susceptible to thrips damage. I am finding thrips, aphids, and a few spider mites in area cotton fields, but for the most part are well below economic threshold. As wheat begins to dry down thrips will start to move into cotton.
Upcoming program: Cotton Scout School on Monday, May 3rd at 12:30 at the Hill County Fairgrounds (205 Stadium Drive, Hillsboro, TX 76645) offering 2 TDA CEUs and 3 CCA CEUs
David Drake:
Following up on last weeks cold temperatures, we did see some freeze damage on wheat that was pollinating. We are almost dry enough to start planting cotton, following sorghum and soybeans, but cool weather and heavy rains have held us off. Fungicide applications in wheat seem to be holding and the english grain aphid numbers aren’t increasing, but we need to keep an eye out for those as well as armyworms. We do have heavy thrips numbers in roadsides and other grasses, so we need to pay attention to that when we have cotton up. Corn seems to be doing well.
We have several wheat field days coming up. Ellis county has one on the 4th, Hunt county on the 5th, Grayson county on the 6th, and Cook county on the 10th.
Corn, soybeans, and milo look good, just a bit dry. We do have sugarcane aphids in milo, but not at treatable levels. Cotton is good, but wind burnt. There are folks treating for thrips, the seed treatments have worn off on earlier planted cotton. The replanted cotton I’ve seen is looking good with the warmer weather this week. The oldest cotton I’ve looked at has barely started squaring. Next week I’ll start looking for fleahoppers. It started raining today, hope it keeps up.
David Kerns:
Crops are looking good, but it’s dry. We’re hoping for moisture from this next system. Cotton is looking good, growing strong after this last week. There are a lot of thrips present, but right now our seed treatments are holding them off. After the second true leaf starts to poke through, that’s typically about when the treatments start to wear off. If we still have high pressure at that time guys will have to make treatment decisions. We did pick up some sugarcane aphids in johnson grass, but not in sorghum yet, and our soybeans are mostly up, some still cracking, and growing well. The corn where we have moisture is growing very well.
Tyler Mays:
Wheat is in the later portions of the grain maturation, leaf rust and stripe rust is still active but based on the crop stage does not need a fungicide application. English grain aphids are also being found, but we have a good beneficial population keeping numbers in check. We do also need to keep an eye out for armyworms, they’ve not been found in wheat yet, but our conditions are favorable for them. Our weather has been good for the corn, and it has really taken off in the last week. Top and side dressing applications are going on with the rain we’ve been having. Alflaguard applications are soon to be happening as well for aflatoxin mitigation. Corn there are no major insect issues, and in sorghum we need to start monitoring for sugarcane aphids. I have found them on johnsongrass, but none on sorghum yet. Cotton ranges from the cotyledon stage to first true leaf and the cool wet conditions have slowed down the growth and made them more susceptible to thrips damage. I am finding thrips, aphids, and a few spider mites in area cotton fields, but for the most part are well below economic threshold. As wheat begins to dry down thrips will start to move into cotton.
Upcoming program: Cotton Scout School on Monday, May 3rd at 12:30 at the Hill County Fairgrounds (205 Stadium Drive, Hillsboro, TX 76645) offering 2 TDA CEUs and 3 CCA CEUs
David Drake:
Following up on last weeks cold temperatures, we did see some freeze damage on wheat that was pollinating. We are almost dry enough to start planting cotton, following sorghum and soybeans, but cool weather and heavy rains have held us off. Fungicide applications in wheat seem to be holding and the english grain aphid numbers aren’t increasing, but we need to keep an eye out for those as well as armyworms. We do have heavy thrips numbers in roadsides and other grasses, so we need to pay attention to that when we have cotton up. Corn seems to be doing well.
We have several wheat field days coming up. Ellis county has one on the 4th, Hunt county on the 5th, Grayson county on the 6th, and Cook county on the 10th.
4/23/2021 (audio file) Kate Crumley: This week we’ve found spidermites, aphids, and thrips in cotton. Corn and sorghum is growing and looking good, but dry. We do need rain. Some consultants have seen thrips in cotton above threshold in all three counties, and in my fields the numbers were higher than last week. A few folks are treating for them. The cold weather has set us back a bit, and we have some cotton that was replanted this past week. Our rainfall so far has been spotty, hopefully we get some rain this afternoon and evening.
David Kerns: It’s been cool and dry, most of our area got a driving rain late last week that helped but also created a crust on our ground which has caused some emergence issues with cotton. We are hoping for more rain today. We haven’t heard of anyone looking to replant yet. Our corn is dry, we’ve picked up a few stink bugs and we need to watch for those as the temperatures rise. Corn up to about 2 ft tall has a threshold of 10% for stink bugs. I’ve seen a lot in the environment, but they’re still in the weeds and not in corn. I haven’t picked up sugarcane aphids yet, but they are probably there and we just haven’t picked them up yet. Otherwise it has been pretty quiet.
Tyler Mays: Wheat is past bloom, we missed yeild loss due to frost in the last couple days, and we no longer need to worry about rust. Aphids are prevalent, but so are our beneficials, and that will help keep us below threshold. We do need to scout for armyworms as grain fills, the weather has been favorable for them, but we haven’t seen any yet. Corn is at the v4-v6 stage, insect pressure is low in sorghum and corn. Dry soil conditions in front of the last rain looks to have led to nutrient deficiency in area corn fields. Sugarcane aphids are in Johnsongrass, we are watching for them in sorghum. Cotton is up, we are in cotyledon and the first true leaf stage, but the cool weather has slowed it down. We are making replant decisions in cotton due to slow and poor emergence in places. I have seen a few thrips, and our seed treatments are holding up. As the wheat dries down we expect the thrips to move into cotton as well.
David Drake: Cold temperatures below 32 this week, frost was on the ground and windshields this week. Wheat is our most vulnerable crop at this time if it is flowering. We haven’t seen pollen losses yet in wheat. We have not seen damage on grain sorghum or corn, it usually takes colder temperatures to damage those since the growing point is still protected below the ground. Upper leaves were burned a bit, but they should recover. Keep and eye on frost burned grain crops for the next few days. I am seeing english grain aphids on wheat, and we still have stripe rust. We are almost past the timing for a fungicide application, which is at heading and pollination. We need to watch the english grain aphids and see if they move into the head, threshold is 10 or more aphids per head. Cotton planting should be delayed because of temperature. (8:12)
David Kerns: It’s been cool and dry, most of our area got a driving rain late last week that helped but also created a crust on our ground which has caused some emergence issues with cotton. We are hoping for more rain today. We haven’t heard of anyone looking to replant yet. Our corn is dry, we’ve picked up a few stink bugs and we need to watch for those as the temperatures rise. Corn up to about 2 ft tall has a threshold of 10% for stink bugs. I’ve seen a lot in the environment, but they’re still in the weeds and not in corn. I haven’t picked up sugarcane aphids yet, but they are probably there and we just haven’t picked them up yet. Otherwise it has been pretty quiet.
Tyler Mays: Wheat is past bloom, we missed yeild loss due to frost in the last couple days, and we no longer need to worry about rust. Aphids are prevalent, but so are our beneficials, and that will help keep us below threshold. We do need to scout for armyworms as grain fills, the weather has been favorable for them, but we haven’t seen any yet. Corn is at the v4-v6 stage, insect pressure is low in sorghum and corn. Dry soil conditions in front of the last rain looks to have led to nutrient deficiency in area corn fields. Sugarcane aphids are in Johnsongrass, we are watching for them in sorghum. Cotton is up, we are in cotyledon and the first true leaf stage, but the cool weather has slowed it down. We are making replant decisions in cotton due to slow and poor emergence in places. I have seen a few thrips, and our seed treatments are holding up. As the wheat dries down we expect the thrips to move into cotton as well.
David Drake: Cold temperatures below 32 this week, frost was on the ground and windshields this week. Wheat is our most vulnerable crop at this time if it is flowering. We haven’t seen pollen losses yet in wheat. We have not seen damage on grain sorghum or corn, it usually takes colder temperatures to damage those since the growing point is still protected below the ground. Upper leaves were burned a bit, but they should recover. Keep and eye on frost burned grain crops for the next few days. I am seeing english grain aphids on wheat, and we still have stripe rust. We are almost past the timing for a fungicide application, which is at heading and pollination. We need to watch the english grain aphids and see if they move into the head, threshold is 10 or more aphids per head. Cotton planting should be delayed because of temperature. (8:12)
4/15/2021 (audio file) (6:57). Kate Crumley: Cotton in the upper gulf coast is at cotyledon to two true leaf stage, low pest pressure. Corn shin high, no sugarcane aphids detected yet. We need a rain.
David Kerns: We could still use more rain, the corn is around 5-6 true leaves, sorghum is still small, about 2 true leaves, most cotton was planted last week but planting is ongoing. Currently there has been no significant pest pressure found, no sugarcane aphids found. The number of bollworms in traps dropped off after the most recent cold front.
Tyler Mays: Rain was timely for the wheat. We are picking up leaf and stripe rust, but wheat is starting to flower. Predators are keeping wheat aphid populations in check. Corn v3 to v5 stage. Cotton emergence has been slow due to dry field conditions, time to start thrips scouting
David Drake: The wheat crop is heading in earlier varieties. Rain may lead to an increase of stripe and leaf rust. Many fields have been sprayed for stripe and leaf rust, and may need another application after the rain. No true armyworms, aphids present. The corn emerged, older plantings have 2-3 true leaves. My main concern with the corn is weeds becoming a problem in fields without preemergent herbicides. Grain sorghum was dry planted, should be emerging soon. No sugarcane aphids have been found in johnsongrass yet. We will be planting cotton soon.
David Kerns: We could still use more rain, the corn is around 5-6 true leaves, sorghum is still small, about 2 true leaves, most cotton was planted last week but planting is ongoing. Currently there has been no significant pest pressure found, no sugarcane aphids found. The number of bollworms in traps dropped off after the most recent cold front.
Tyler Mays: Rain was timely for the wheat. We are picking up leaf and stripe rust, but wheat is starting to flower. Predators are keeping wheat aphid populations in check. Corn v3 to v5 stage. Cotton emergence has been slow due to dry field conditions, time to start thrips scouting
David Drake: The wheat crop is heading in earlier varieties. Rain may lead to an increase of stripe and leaf rust. Many fields have been sprayed for stripe and leaf rust, and may need another application after the rain. No true armyworms, aphids present. The corn emerged, older plantings have 2-3 true leaves. My main concern with the corn is weeds becoming a problem in fields without preemergent herbicides. Grain sorghum was dry planted, should be emerging soon. No sugarcane aphids have been found in johnsongrass yet. We will be planting cotton soon.
4/9/2021 (audio file) Upper Gulf Coast dry but no significant pest problems, a few aphids and mites. Southern Blacklands very dry, corn wilting, Brazos River Bottom somewhat better. Corn leaf aphid, esp. in drought stressed corn, sugarcane aphid not found yet. Thrips abundant. Hill County; stripe rust in wheat, most acres treated, hail damage yet to be assessed. Commerce; stripe rust spraying occurring, time to spray for leaf rust. Aphids being sprayed, perhaps not needed. (6:52)
4/1/2021 (audio file) Central/Northeast Texas: Stripe rust in wheat - target flag leaf with fungicides, watch for leaf rust, wheat aphids increasing, winter grain mites still below threshold. Brazos bottom: things look good but need rain. Wharton, Jackson, Matagorda counties; crops looking good. (6:25)
2020 Episodes
7/9/2020 (external link) Cotton nearing end of season, pests very low. Sorghum: many fields harvested, others with sugarcane aphids but not at high levels, yields positive. Soybeans at R3 - R7, very few stink bugs. This might be the last recording of the season, but we will come back if pests flare up. (3:45)
7/2/2020 (external link) Pest pressure light, bollworm and stink bug locally variable. Cotton potassium deficiency and root rot. Sorghum looking good, sugarcane aphid variable. Stink bugs still below threshold in sorghum and soybean (4:22)
6/25/2020 (external link) Cotton: some at cutout, some not. Bollworm egg lay increasing, stink bugs still below threshold but numbers growing. Sorghum: sugarcane aphids common, some blooming sorghum still needs midge treatment, stink bugs still below threshold. Soybeans: stink bugs light but will increase. (5:40)
6/18/2020 (external link) Cotton: some fields over egg threshold, imidacloprid + bifenthrin not a good choice for killing eggs, stink bugs increasing. Sorghum: Some fields sprayed for midge, headworms and stink bugs increasing. Soybeans at R3 - R5, loopers present, stink bugs increasing. (4:57)
6/11/2020 (external link) Bollworm egg lay picking up, some fleahoppers in cotton, stink bugs increasing in all crops, blooming sorghum needs to be scouted for midge, sugarcane aphids increasing. (4:54)
6/4/2020 (external link) Rain, pests low in cotton and beneficials abundant; bollworm and stink bug thresholds. Grain sorghum fairly quiet, look for midge at bloom, sugarcane aphid present but not high, stinkbugs and headworms low. Blister beetles in sorghum. Soybeans, look for stinkbugs at pod fill. (7:30)
5/28/2020 (external link) Rain and soggy, extended sorghum season will pose problems, sugarcane aphids showing up, sorghum midge pending and rice stinkbugs building. Cotton; fleahoppers abundant, a few fields still susceptible; looking for bollworms and stink bugs in flowering cotton. Redbanded stink bug has a lower threshold. (8:34)