Ditch Bank Survey 5/30/2012
Plant bug numbers are picking up this week in the Delta areas in the ditch banks. Click to enlarge
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Cotton Progress and Management Considerations
Cotton planting is all but completed for the 2012 growing season. Given current cotton prices the number of acres of cotton planted behind wheat will likely be very small this year. Cotton growth stages throughout the state range from one
Soybean Hail Damage
Several soybean fields around the state have unfortunately been impacted from hail associated with recent storms. The big question in these cases is whether or not to replant. This is always a difficult question to answer. Several things need to
Corn Hail Damage and other Storm Issues
Corn fields in several areas of the state unfortunately took a beating from hail and wind associated with storms May 20-22. Several different types of damage may have occurred depending upon the type of storm, including hail damage, lodging and greensnap. This article will describe how much damage may have occurred.
Cotton Hail Damage
Hail damage has occurred in scattered areas over the past week to ten days. Areas around Clarksdale, Sledge, and Yazoo City as well as others have been affected by hail. Deciding whether or not to replant following hail damage can
Cotton Seedling Disease
Seedling disease has been making an appearance in isolated pockets over the past week to ten days. Primarily we have been observing Rhizoctonia, also known as soreshin, on cotton in the north Delta. Seedling disease, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is
Corn Diseases to Watch for While Scouting Corn
Scouting corn can be especially challenging. Looking for disease within the corn canopy can take a tremendous amount of time and should be done a little different depending on the particular crop stage encountered. Once an ear has set (post-tassel) focusing on the ear leaf and above is generally the best scouting method since protecting the ear leaf is important. I’ve included several descriptions and pertinenent information regarding some of the more commonly encountered diseases in our corn production system.
What Bugs are in the Ditches? Wild Host Survey 5/23/2012
Plant bugs are still the predominant pest we are finding on wild hosts at this time. Click on to Enlarge
Insect Trap Counts, May 23, 2012
Pheromone trap counts for bollworm and tobacco budworm for the week are much lower than last week or than last year at this time, particularly in the Delta. Therefore, corn that is now silking may not have as much corn earworm
Southern Blight of Soybean Observed in a Few Isolated Fields
Over the past week a few soybean fields in the Delta have been observed with the characteristic symptoms and signs of southern blight. Typically, southern blight is a disease of rare occurrence; however, the prevailing environmental conditions seem to be causing added stress and increasing the incidence of this particular disease.
What Bugs Are In The Ditches? Wild Host Survey 5/17/2012
From time to time we send crews out to survey insect pest populations in ditchbanks adjacent to agricultural fields. This gives us an idea of what to expect later in the season based on what and how many pests we
Early Season Caterpillar Complex Requiring Treatments in Some MS Soybeans
Over the last couple of weeks I have had numerous calls about caterpillar pest in young soybeans. Most of these have been concerning beans that are still in the vegetative stages (V2-V5). The species that are being found are bollworm, yellowstriped armyworm, green
Corn Disease Update and Tassel Fungicide Decisions: May 15, 2012
The corn crop appears to be much earlier this year than it has over the recent past. I’ve driven by numerous fields from south Washington County to north Bolivar County where almost 100% of the field has reached the tasseling
2012 Insect Scout School Dates Set
The insect scout schools for 2012 have been set. At each scout school we will go over biology, thresholds, and scouting techniques for each of the major pests of cotton, soybean, and corn. This is a great refresher for the
Thrips Pressure Heavy in MS Cotton
In most years it is not uncommon to overspray 20-30% of the cotton acres for thrips in MS. Last year (2011) was an anomaly in that we treated around 70% of the cotton acres for thrips due to extremely high pressure. It appears that this year is shaping up the same way. This week we have had numerous calls on young cotton with very high numbers of thrips. There have also been reports of Western flower thrips on cotton.
Insect Trap Counts for May 9, 2012
Pheromone traps are up and running for 2012. I will be posting county average trap counts here weekly from the Delta, the Northeastern Hills and the Central MS region for bollworm, tobacco budworm and beet armyworm. Most counties have 2 traps
Agronomic Crops Field Day – July 19 – Starkville, MS
An agronomic crops field day will be held at the R.R. Foil Plant Science Research Center in Starkville, MS on July 19, 2012 from 9 to 11 a.m. The field day will begin at 9 a.m. with field tours concluding
Cotton Planting Progress
Cotton planting has progressed at a rapid pace and we are well ahead of the five year average for percent planted acres for the first week of May. Nearly 40% of intended cotton plantings were complete at the beginning of
When should I start Irrigating Corn?
Dry early season conditions have prompted much conversation about the proper time to initiate irrigation for corn. This scenario usually generates a lot more anxiety than necessary because early season wilting is certainly not something we are very accustomed to.
Thrips in Peanuts and Their Impact on Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV)
There have been a lot of questions recently about thrips control in peanuts. In general, thrips will not hurt peanut yields except in EXTREME situations. Peanut seedlings are relatively vigorous compared to most of the crops grown in Mississippi. Foliar insecticide applications, though rarely needed, should be based on plant injury rather than thrips numbers.
Soybean Seedling Disease Identification: Pythium Damping-off and Root Rot
Environment is the key component in the expression of every plant disease. Especially when considering the occurrence of seedling diseases we typically have a situation in place where inoculum is present in the soil, more than likely in high quantities,
Southwestern Corn Borers Showing up Early in Non-Bt Corn
Yesterday (4/30), I had a call from a consultant who found about 20% infestation of 3-4 day old SWCB in Non-Bt, V6 stage corn in the Minter City area. There were places in the field that averaged 40-50% infestation, but overall was about 20%.
Zinc Deficient Corn Observed in MS Delta
Over the last several weeks corn has either passed or approached the V2-V5 stage of corn growth. During this time we have received numerous calls about corn having a yellow, streaky appearance. Many of the fields we received calls on
