Insect Trap Counts, May 30, 2012
For the second week in a row, bollworm counts were very low in all regions. In the chart below you can see that Delta counts this week averaged less than 10 moths/trap for the week, while they averaged about 300 per
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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
Weed Control to Weed Management
When glyphosate was effective on most weeds, we were in a period of “weed controlâ€. However, over the last few years since glyphosate-resistant weeds have become so prevalent, we have entered a period of “weed managementâ€.
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
Cleaning Spray Tanks Is Critical
Sprayer cleanout after a herbicide application is a critical component to a successful herbicide application.
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.
Herbicide Drift Is Not What It Use Be
Over last week or so, calls have become to trickle in on sick rice after the flood has been established. In most of these cases, the rice does not want to grow with the fertilizer and a flood on it. After inspecting these fields, signs of herbicide damage are evident on the foliage. When most of the calls come in, the producers believe that it is either a fertility, insect or disease issue. However, those issues generally occur in patches or spots where some areas are worse than others. Herbicide drift usually occurs across the whole field with one side being worse than the other. Also, rice that is on the levee can give you a general direction in where it came from.
Insect Trap Counts, May 18, 2012
Pheromone trap counts for bollworm were steady to lower this week in most areas. Tobacco budworm counts were steady to higher. Compared to last year at this time, counts are similar or lower for both pests.
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
World Ag Supply and Demand Report Recap
USDA released their monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report (WASDE) early this morning (May 10). The report is the first to highlight the new -2012- crop. The report revealed more corn and cotton available than analysts expected, while
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.
