Transform Section 18 Approved for Use in Mississippi Cotton
The Environmental Protection Agency has now authorized the use of Transform WG (sulfoxaflor) in Mississippi for control of tarnished plant bugs in cotton. For specific details see below.
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Catchot, A.
Spider Mites Showing up in Small Cotton in MS
Spider mites have been becoming more widespread over the last two weeks. Currently we have quite a few acres requiring treatment for spider mites and several that have already received an application. The hot dry weather we have been dealing with
Thrips Pressure Starting off Heavy in MS Cotton
Calls about thrips treatments in seedling cotton have been picking up substantially this week. As ryegrass and other ditchbank hosts begin to dry down, thrips numbers will likely increase in the next couple weeks. The 100% chance of rain today (5/20) now
Comment Period is Open for Transform Section 18
In March, the Mississippi Bureau of Plant Industries and other states in the Mid-South submitted Emergency Exemption (Section 18) requests to use Transform for tarnished plant bug control in cotton. The reason for this request is that the original registration
Cutworms Showing Up in Mississippi Crops
We have had several calls over the last week about cutworms reducing plant densities in cotton, soybean, and non-Bt corn. Based on the number of calls, it appears that cutworm populations are much higher than they have been the last several
2016 Scout Schools
Mississippi State University will be hosting 5 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.
Seed Treatments and Thrips 2016: Expectations
Although commodity prices have not been exciting for any crop we grow, Mississippi is expected to see cotton acres increase as much as 40% this year. As we have been traveling the meeting circuit, the common denominator has been, “What inputs can we cut in an off year?” This has been asked of all crops lately, not just cotton. It seems that seed treatments are the first thing that comes up during this conversation in every crop; however, this is not a viable option in cotton.
Tarnished Plant Bug IPM and Impact of the Transform Label Cancellation
We posted an article last spring about utilizing several best management practices in an overall IPM program to manage tarnished plant bug in cotton. We included a pdf that highlights all of the research we have conducted over the last
2016 Future of Ag Graduate Student Competition Program
Please make plans to attend the 2016 Future of Ag Graduate Student Competition at the Cotton Mill Conference Center near the campus of Mississippi State University on Thursday, February 4. A total of 40 Master’s and PhD students will be
2016 Insect Control Guide Now Available
The 2016 Insect Control Guide for Agronomic Crops is now available online. Hard copies will be available in January. Notable changes this year include the removal of pyrethroid insecticides for bollworm control in all crops due to resistance and poor
EPA Orders Cancellation of Dow’s Sulfoxaflor (Transform)
By now many of you may have heard that Sulfoxaflor, the active ingredient in Transform, recently lost a major court decision in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The suit was led by the Pollinator Stewardship Council, beekeepers, and other bee
New Program App Available for the 2015 MS Row Crop Short Course
We had an App created that will allow you to review the program and register straight from your Smart Phone for the 2015 Mississippi Row Crop Short Course Nov. 30th – Dec. 2, 2015 at the Cotton Mill District in
2015 Row Crop Short Course
The 2015 Row Crop Short Course will be held at the Cotton Mill Conference Center near the campus of Mississippi State University on November 30, December 1, and December 2 2015. Please note that this is a new venue as
Importance of Managing Sugarcane Aphids in Grain Sorghum at Harvest
Some grain sorghum still remains to be harvested around the state and sugarcane aphid populations have remained high in a lot of areas. We had a post by Erick Larson and Angus Catchot a couple of weeks ago here about use of harvest
Sugarcane Aphid Control with Falling Temperatures
In 2014 we saw two brief time periods of less than satisfactory control with Transform on sugarcane aphids in grain sorghum across a broad geography. At the time we were mixing a lot of pyrethroids with Transform, so initial thoughts were that
Sugarcane Aphids Building on Flag Leaf of Mature Grain Sorghum: Video
The following is a short video clip showing sugarcane aphids building on the flag leaf of mature grain sorghum. This will have to be addressed in this field to avoid complications with harvest equipment. Options are Transform at .75 –
Mississippi State University Turn Row Talk – Clarksdale, August 25, 2015
An agronomic crops field day will be held at Stovall farms, west and north of Clarksdale on Oakhurst Stovall Road. The field day will be held at Mr. Pete Hunter’s farm shop beginning at 10 am. MSU Extension Specialists will be present to discuss topics in corn, cotton, grain sorghum, peanut, rice and soybean.
Timing, Sugarcane Aphids and other Harvest Aid Considerations for Sorghum
Many growers in the Mid-South apply a harvest aid to sorghum to facilitate combine efficiency. Although it is possible to harvest sorghum without using a harvest aid, understanding the benefits of usage, along with adverse consequences, will help you implement a practical plan that will enhance your sorghum harvest.
Terminating Spider Mite Sprays in Mid-South Cotton
There has always been a struggle with properly defining the correct cutoff for spider mites in cotton in the Mid-South region. For years we always loosely considered Node Above White Flower 5 (NAWF5 = Cutout) and 650 heat units the
Dectes Stem Borer: Biology, Damage, and Management in Soybeans
There have been numerous calls and questions about Dectes Stem Borer over the last few years. It seems that numbers are increasing each year. This is not surprising when you consider the biology of the insect coupled with an increase in soybean acres in MS.
Soybean Loopers and the Effect of Defoliation on Yield
We have been getting calls on loopers showing up in soybean for about 2 weeks. In recent days there have been reports of defoliation exceeding 20% or numbers exceeding threshold in some areas in the central to southern part of the state. The bulk of our soybean loopers typically show mid to late August or even into September so this is a little early but certainly not unusual. Soybean loopers are migratory and work their way north each year from southern latitudes. Early arrival could be due to a number of reasons.
Bean Leaf Beetles High in Delta Soybean Fields
Over the last week we have been getting a lot of calls about extremely high bean leaf beetle numbers. Most calls have come from the Northwest Delta region of the state. We have actually made bean leaf beetle targeted sprays on a number of acres in recent days. Yield loss is caused by defoliation and less frequently by pod feeding
Controlling the Headworm Complex in Mississippi Grain Sorghum
There have been numerous reports lately of high numbers of corn earworm and sorghum webworm in grain sorghum. I have heard some reports of numbers as high as 10X threshold. It is critical to scout and treat as needed to control these pest. There are three species that make up the headworm complex in grain sorghum; the corn earworm (bollworm), fall armyworm, and the sorghum webworm.
Soybean Scouting Report: 7/20-7/24/2015
Week 5 Scouting Report Graduate Student Nick Bateman is running a weekly insect scout line in soybeans for part of his PhD project. We will be reporting his numbers weekly on the blog. Only insect pest that are being found in
Scouting for Sorghum Midge with Confidence
When it comes to scouting for sorghum midge I have found that very few people have the confidence to accurately find them. Most believe if they are not finding them that they must be missing them or doing something wrong. The
