Over the past week we have had numerous opportunities to further observe spread and control of fields infested with white sugarcane aphids. We also have managed to get a couple of replicated small plot test out. Below are a couple bullet points based on recent experiences from walking numerous fields and talking to numerous folks around the state and Mid-South.
The North Mississippi Research and Extension Center’s Agronomic Row Crops Field Day on Thursday, August 7 will present the latest research to the area’s row-crop farmers and consultants. The field day will be from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Lee County Agri-Center Magnolia Conference Center on Highway 145 South in Verona.
As more and more of the rice crop starts to head, it is time to start thinking about rice stink bug. We have been sweeping some grass around the Delta for the last few weeks, and the one general comment I will make is that populations have been fairly low in most areas. We have seen fairly high numbers in a couple places, but it was small patches of heading grass in isolated locations.
Bollworm moth counts were up sharply across the state this week, so higher bollworm larval pressure should be expected over the next 1-2 weeks. Southwestern corn borer counts were high in Quitman, Tallahatchie and Leflore counties, but low elsewhere. Most corn
White sugarcane aphids (WSCA) have been blowing up quickly to treatable levels in several counties in Mississippi. Over the last few days here have been several field requiring treatments likely with more coming. Because this is a new pests for Mississippi, we have been following the lead of our colleagues in Texas and Louisiana who dealt with this in 2013. Below are some criteria that we put together based on what we know to date that will help in making a decision to treat WSCA.
Populations of the white sugarcane aphid are expanding and increasing across the state. We have confirmed the presence of white sugarcane aphid in grain sorghum in 7 counties in Mississippi (Fig 1) and there are likely more. The counties where white sugarcane aphids have been found include Bolivar, Washington, Humphreys, Quitman, Panola, Tunica and Oktibbeha.
Bollworm and tobacco budworm counts this week were similar to last week and fairly typical compared to long-term averages. Except for two traps, one in Sunflower county (310 moths) and another in Washington county (142 moths), all traps caught less than 70 moths during
By now most folks have heard of Kudzu bugs. In fact, we have now confirmed them in 52 counties in Mississippi. Kudzu bugs, Megacopta cribraria, was first found in Georgia in 2009. Since that time it has spread rapidly across the southeast kudzu bug map 7_8and is now moving west in to Mid-southern states. It was first found in Mississippi in 2012 and now covers most of the state.
Bollworm catches were similar to the previous week while tobacco budworm counts continue to slowly rise. Neither is particularly high for this time of year. Southwestern corn borer counts were up sharply this week, with a few traps in the
Tarnished plant bug numbers have actually started off at low to moderate levels this year in the Delta region but just in the last few days numbers seem to be picking up pretty good in a few locations and square
Bollworm counts this week were similar to last week’s counts. Other than 1 trap in Sunflower County that caught 593 moths during the week, trap catches were all less than 100 moths/trap. Tobacco budworm catches inched higher for the second week
It appears that 2014 is going to be the year of the armyworm in rice. I have had numerous calls, texts, and Tweets about armyworms in rice over the last week. If you have not had them in your rice to this point, consider yourself very lucky.
In 2013 a new aphid pest called the White Sugarcane Aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, was detected in grain sorghum in 38 counties in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and one county in Mississippi. This species has apparently been around for years but the hosts switch to grain sorghum appears to be new. This pest can be devastating to grain sorghum if populations reach high densities. In fact, some fields have seen 100% yield loss. Another major factor is this aphid is difficult to control with currently labeled products.
Bollworm trap catches were up in the Delta region this week to levels about normal for this time of year. Most bollworm eggs will be laid in corn at this time when many corn fields are at silk stage. University research
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 process of treating plant bugs, but it also helps you to get a better idea of how the products you are applying are working. Numbers alone can be deceiving when adults are steady moving into the field. When large numbers of adults are migrating into a field it is not uncommon to have as many or more plant bugs 4-5 days after a spray than you did before you sprayed and it still would not equate to a control failure.
There are several caterpillar pests that commonly infest field corn in Mississippi. These include corn earworm, fall armyworm, and southwestern corn borer.
Bollworm trap counts were higher in Lowndes county this week, but all other locations were similar to the previous week. Tobacco budworm catches remain at very low levels throughout the state. Southwestern corn borer counts were also very low throughout
I have had numerous calls recently on green stink bugs in beans that are either vegetative or at R1-R2 stage with no pods. Numbers have ranged from 4-5 to 8-12 per 25 sweeps depending on the field. It is not uncommon to have a field or two on occasion to have threshold numbers of stink bugs before soybeans put on pods, but the number of fields this year being reported is certainly unusual.
The tarnished plant bug calls have started to come in on small cotton already. In some cases, consultants and growers are finding nymphs on very young cotton with only 1-2 squares. Similarly, some are reporting plant bug flagged terminals in pre-square cotton. We rarely have to spray pre-square cotton for plant bugs, but our threshold is 1 flagged plant per 10 row feet with bugs present. Although tarnished plant bugs are our most important and most consistent pest of cotton in the Delta, we usually don’t start finding nymphs until closer to first flower.
Over the last few days I have started getting calls about fall armyworms showing up in soybeans. We see some of this every year, and it is primarily related to larvae moving off of a grass host after a Roundup application
Bollworm catches were lower in the Delta this week but steady in Northeast MS. Tobacco budworm catches were negligible in all areas (Table 1). Southwestern corn borer counts were also low throughout the state, so early corn that is now
Every year at some point during the season we seem to hit a rainy spell where it seems to rain at some point every day and we have showers widely scattered across the state. It started raining last Wednesday and we have had some rain everyday since then and it is currently raining in Stoneville right now (Monday morning). With that, the questions start about how long you need to spray before a rain to get acceptable control.
A corn, cotton, peanut, and soybean field day is scheduled for June 17th at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, MS. The general theme of the field day will include pertinent information for mid-season row crop issues.
We have been getting a lot of questions the last 7 to 10 days about potential injury or problems associated with mixing thrips insecticides with POST herbicides over cotton. This will no doubt be controversial, but we are going to lay it out like we would if you called.
Bollworm trap catches were down in the Delta region this week from last week, while tobacco budworm catches were higher in the Delta (Table 1). There was minimal change for catches of either species in Northeastern MS. This is the
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