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Posts From Don Cook, Entomologist

Southwestern Corn Borer Traps – July 5, 2019

Southwestern Corn Borer Traps – July 5, 2019 Updated

🕔20:08, 6.Jul 2019

Several traps exceeded thresholds for the week ending on July 5. As a reminder, our current thresholds are 50 southwestern corn borer moths within a weeks time for corn that has not yet tasseled.  From tassel to dent, the threshold

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Podcast: Week of 6/24/19 Insect Pest Update in Cotton and Soybean

Podcast: Week of 6/24/19 Insect Pest Update in Cotton and Soybean Updated

🕔07:21, 29.Jun 2019

Angus Catchot, Jeff Gore, and Don Cook discuss the current situation with insect pests in cotton and soybean for the week of June 24, 2019. Click the image below to listen to the podcast.  

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Southwestern Corn Borer Trap Counts – June 28, 2019

Southwestern Corn Borer Trap Counts – June 28, 2019 Updated

🕔20:55, 28.Jun 2019

Southwestern corn borer trap numbers are starting to increase in some areas of the state. Scouting should be intensified over the next couple of weeks.  It is likely some fields will reach threshold numbers over the next 10 days to

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Southwestern Corn Borer Traps – June 21, 2019

Southwestern Corn Borer Traps – June 21, 2019 Updated

🕔19:22, 21.Jun 2019

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Podcast: Early Season Insect Management in Cotton

Podcast: Early Season Insect Management in Cotton Updated

🕔13:03, 19.Jun 2019

This podcast discusses threecornered alfalfa hoppers, thrips, and aphids in cotton. Please click the icon below to listen to the podcast.

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Assessing Adult Plant Bug Control Migrating Into Cotton Updated

🕔08:31, 13.Jun 2019

Square retention is a critical component of early season plant bug management.  I would strongly encourage you to take square retention counts along with your sweep net counts prior to bloom. Not only does this help in the decision making

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Management of Slugs in MS Row Crops: Podcast

Management of Slugs in MS Row Crops: Podcast Updated

🕔07:17, 24.May 2019

Click to listen Management of Slugs in MS Row Crops Podcast

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Brown Stink Bugs in Seedling Corn

Brown Stink Bugs in Seedling Corn Updated

🕔14:00, 25.Apr 2019

Over the last couple days we have begin to receive a few calls about brown stink bugs in seedling corn in the Delta region of the state. Stink bugs attack corn by feeding through the side of the stem or

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Pesticide Calibration Made Easy

Pesticide Calibration Made Easy Updated

🕔08:00, 24.Apr 2019

Proper calibration of agricultural pesticide application equipment can mean the difference in control or failure of a pesticide against the targeted pest and potentially thousands of dollars of savings to the grower. Many growers are now using rate controllers; however,

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Corn Earworm and Bt Field Corn

Corn Earworm and Bt Field Corn Updated

🕔10:40, 15.Mar 2019

The number of commercial corn hybrids expressing the Vip trait (Leptra, Viptera, and Trecepta) is increasing, and they are being marketed for improved control of ear feeding insects, including corn earworm.  We have been getting questions about these, and yes this

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Seed Treatments in Cotton: 2019

Seed Treatments in Cotton: 2019 Updated

🕔08:28, 15.Mar 2019

(UPDATED ARTICLE FROM 2018) Over the years many have questioned whether the use of a seed treatment is considered IPM because they are used prior to the onset of a problem. In our area, and across most of the cotton

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2019 Grain Sorghum Hybrid Suggestions Updated

🕔14:41, 18.Feb 2019

This article lists those grain sorghum hybrids which have produced superior yields in the Mississippi Grain Sorghum Hybrid Trials and neighboring University trials. This information should improve your ability to select well-adapted sorghum hybrids for Mississippi based on independent performance testing.

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County Extension Meeting Schedule – February and March 2019

County Extension Meeting Schedule – February and March 2019 Updated

🕔13:37, 7.Feb 2019

Mississippi State University Extension will be hosting several county row crop meetings from January through March of 2019. Each meeting will cover issues specific to the region including management topics on agronomics, insects, weeds, diseases, and economics. A meal will

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Southwestern Corn Borer Traps: July 6, 2018

Southwestern Corn Borer Traps: July 6, 2018 Updated

🕔09:25, 7.Jul 2018

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Southwestern Corn Borer Traps: June 29, 2018

Southwestern Corn Borer Traps: June 29, 2018 Updated

🕔10:14, 30.Jun 2018

Southwestern corn borer trap counts were up this week in Coahoma county. As a reminder, our threshold for foliar sprays on non-Bt corn is to spray one week after trap counts exceed 100 per trap from tassel to full dent.

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Potato Leafhoppers in Soybean

Potato Leafhoppers in Soybean Updated

🕔09:13, 28.Jun 2018

Every few years we have a surge of potato leafhopper calls in soybean in MS. This is one of those years. Potato leafhoppers strongly prefer smooth leaf soybean varieties and I suspect that the calls increase on years where popular

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Managing Plant Bugs in Cotton That is Just Starting (or About to Start) Bloom: Diamond or Not? Updated

🕔11:28, 22.Jun 2018

So far, the 2018 cotton crop is off to a good start. Good growing conditions caused cotton to grow off from thrips pretty quick and plant bugs have been fairly light so far this year. A lot of cotton has

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Rainfastness of Insecticides Updated

🕔08:59, 22.Jun 2018

This article is dated but applies very well today given the pop up showers across most of the state lately. Every year when afternoon thunderstorms start popping up, the phone starts ringing about rainfastness.  Rainfastness simply means the amount of

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Common Questions, Myths, and Facts About Soybean Insect Control in MS

Common Questions, Myths, and Facts About Soybean Insect Control in MS Updated

🕔09:43, 15.Jun 2018

This is a recycled article from 2012 and slightly updated but it fits well with recent calls. Sentences in italics have been added or updated since original posting. We have some of the earliest beans that are R3/R4 getting fungicide applications

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Reminder: 2018 Agronomic Scout School Dates

Reminder: 2018 Agronomic Scout School Dates Updated

🕔12:00, 18.May 2018

Mississippi State University will be hosting 2 scout schools this year. We have transitioned over the years to make these trainings much more diverse than insect pest alone. This year we will be including insects, disease, fertility, and herbicide symptomology.

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Redbanded Stink Bug Ditchbank Survey 5/10/2018

Redbanded Stink Bug Ditchbank Survey 5/10/2018 Updated

🕔07:50, 12.May 2018

In 2017, we were able to accurately predict the threat of RBSB based on sampling ditch banks in the spring. Every year we sample ditch banks across the state to make collections of various insect pests. With most pests, such

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2018 MSU Grain Sorghum Hybrid Suggestions Updated

🕔08:27, 10.May 2018

This article lists grain sorghum hybrids which have produced superior yields in the Mississippi Grain Sorghum Hybrid Trials and neighboring University trials. This information should improve your ability to select well-adapted sorghum hybrids for Mississippi based on independent performance testing.

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Controlling Thrips in Cotton: Recommendations for 2018

Controlling Thrips in Cotton: Recommendations for 2018 Updated

🕔08:54, 24.Apr 2018

Over the years many have questioned whether the use of a seed treatment is considered IPM because they are used prior to the onset of a problem. In our area, and across most of the cotton belt, thrips are considered

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Bollworm Management in Bt Cotton: Things to Consider at Planting Time

Bollworm Management in Bt Cotton: Things to Consider at Planting Time Updated

🕔08:23, 24.Apr 2018

As the 2018 cotton season approaches, it is a good time to look back at 2017. From an insect management standpoint, the number one thing that stands out about last year is the amount of foliar sprays that were made

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Redbanded Stink Bug Ditch Bank Survey 4/15/2018

Redbanded Stink Bug Ditch Bank Survey 4/15/2018 Updated

🕔08:42, 18.Apr 2018

In 2017, we were able to accurately predict the threat of RBSB based on sampling ditch banks in the spring. Every year we sample ditch banks across the state to make collections of various insect pests. With most pests, such

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