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
Similar to most years when we have armyworms in wheat, there is the threat of having armyworms in seedling rice. We know of at least one rice field in Mississippi that was sprayed earlier this week. In general, damage from armyworms will not impact rice yields at this time of year unless they are beginning to reduce plant stand. This is especially true in hybrid rice planted at low seeding rates.
Planting progress on the 2014 cotton crop has certainly been more timely than in 2013; however, we still lag somewhat being a “normal” planting window. An issue that seems to be occurring on numerous farms this year is simultaneous cotton
Bollworm trap catches were average this past week. While most traps caught 10-50 moths during the week, one trap near Indianola had 505 moths this past week. Tobacco budworm catches remain very low in both the Delta and NE Mississippi regions.
I have had several folks asking if there is a time when thrips should be treated in soybeans. Ordinarily thrips are not a problem in soybeans. Cotton and soybeans are completely different when it comes to how the plant can tolerate thrips. Soybeans are not nearly as sensitive to thrips as cotton and therefore can tolerate high numbers of thrips without yield loss.
I have gotten numerous calls about slugs this year in all crops but lately in cotton and soybean. Slug problems usually start on corn then soybeans then cotton in our area. This is only because we typically plant in this order. We have had isolated problems with slugs since 2004, some years worse than others.
As can be seen in the table below, trap counts this week were average in the hills and low in the Delta. This is in contrast to reports of bollworm larvae being abundant. More traps have been deployed this week,
Many of you have heard us talk about the declining efficacy of seed treatments against thrips throughout the winter meeting circuit. We started seeing the first signs of inadequate control about 4 years ago and the problem has seemed to get worse every year. Last year, most of the cotton in Mississippi was sprayed for thrips at least one time and many fields were sprayed multiple times, even behind a seed treatment. Until now, thiamethoxam (Cruiser, Avicta, or Acceleron N) has been impacted more than imidacloprid (Gaucho, Aeris, or Acceleron FI).
Several calls have come in this week regarding cotton re-plants. Making a call on re-plants is one of the most difficult aspects of crop production. However, several things should be considered when assessing a potential re-plant situation. The number of
Maintaining nitrogen applied as a pre-flood application is an important topic for rice farmers. Nitrogen can be lost by at least three different methods, two of which are considered to be bad since the N will become unavailable for plant uptake.
A little rice has started to go to flood in Mississippi this week and that means it is time to start thinking about rice water weevil. Overall, the majority of the crop is behind because of all of the rain that we have had across the Delta over the last several weeks. In general, the rice that is currently being flooded was some of the earliest planted. As a result, the early rice has endured a lot of rainfall and adverse conditions.
At planting time there are never enough hours in the day, or enough days between the last rain and the next rain. Especially when the weather has pushed the last possible planting date for the crop into “next week’. So sometimes we try to get seeds into the ground even when conditions are not right.
The dates for the 2014 Scout Schools have now been set. We will be providing detailed information on identification, biology, thresholds, and management of the major insect and disease pest of Mississippi row crops. These trainings can also be used to renew your insect and disease consultants license and CEU’s for Certified Crop Advisors will be provided at each. The meetings will also serve as In-Service training opportunities for MSU-ES agents as well. These trainings are great for the experienced and the inexperienced.
Considering the abundant rainfall we experienced during April and typically have, it is usually very important to optimize nitrogen fertilizer management. This newsletter discusses best management practices for corn nitrogen fertilization. These recommendations reduce the risk of nitrogen loss and can improve crop response when wet weather is prevalent during the spring.
A few items from us boring ag economists — We’re still analyzing the 2014 Farm Bill (largely waiting on the rules and regulations). But, in the mean time, click the links below for a few items that be of use:
Our pheromone traps were monitored for the first time this week. Bollworm catches were high for this time of year with an average of 46 moths/trap caught in Noxubee county, 40 moths/trap in Lowndes county and 13 moths/trap in Oktibbeha county. Given
This post links to lists of fungicides labeled for use on Mississippi grown peanuts as of February, 2014. Each document sorts the same information different ways.
A substantial number of soybean acres have been reported to be affected by seedling disease. However, the majority of the field seedling issues can be blamed on poor environmental conditions following the planting that occurred around Easter (between April 14 and 19) and some of the residual herbicide products applied.
Quick Points: Soybean and peanut inoculant are NOT the same. Make sure the product is designed specifically for peanuts and that it is a true inoculant. Inoculant products contain living organisms. Store in a cool, dry place out of direct
Even though additional foliar wheat diseases have been observed throughout MS, I still consider this to be one of the cleanest wheat crops I have seen. At present, extremely low levels of leaf rust have been observed in two locations, stripe rust on a few protected plants in Stoneville, Septoria leaf blotch, glume blotch, and tan spot have all been reported in the MS wheat crop.
Before the rice season gets into the full swing, consider several important fungicide application strategies before the mid-season fungicide application. Preventing fungicide-resistance from developing is the first step in managing the issue.
We have had several calls in recent days as news gets out about the EPA’s recent label changes for neonicotinoid insecticides. The intent is to offer greater protection for pollinators in and around crops where this class of insecticides may be applied. Basically, the new language forbids the use of these products while bees are foraging and until flowering is complete and all petals have fallen off the plants. There are a few exceptions if certain criteria are met.
Mississippi growers will likely plant far more acres to grain sorghum than previous years. This article outlines suggested seeding rates and other key planting tips for successful sorghum production.
Although very little, if any, cotton has been planted in the Delta, it is not too early to start thinking about managing tarnished plant bugs.
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