Scouting and Managing Rice Blast
Rice leaf blast has been observed most of the rice season throughout the MS Delta. In addition, neck blast has been observed in some fields that were infected early on with the blast fungus.
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Posts From Don Cook, Entomologist
Cotton Insect Update: July 10, 2015
Tarnished plant bug populations have continued to be high over the last couple weeks in the Delta. A lot of the cotton is at or near the bloom stage when it is most attractive to plant bugs.
Reminder: Row Crop Technology Showcase July 15 and 16, 2015
Field days scheduled for next week will highlight crops with new and developing herbicide and insect trait technologies. These field days will be held at the following locations: Brooksville – July 15 The Row Crop Technology Showcase at Brooksville will
Sugarcane Aphid Update: 7/3/2015
We are now beginning to get numerous calls from around the state about sugarcane aphid infestations. Populations range from very low to well above threshold with treatments becoming more common this week. At this time aphids are being found in the Hills and
Mississippi State University Turn Row Talk – Clarksdale, July 9, 2015
An agronomic crops turn row talk will be held at Cliff Heaton farms, just east of the intersection of Highway 61 and Highway 6 on July 9, 2015. The field day will be held in the cotton field
Mid-Season Rice Update
I would like to call this a midseason rice update, but in actuality we have rice in Mississippi ranging from one leaf to late boot in places, but most of the rice crop should be at or reaching mid-season. Similar
Mississippi State University Turn Row Field Day: Clarksdale, MS July 9, 2015
An agronomic crops field day will be held at Cliff Heaton farms, just east of the intersection of Highway 61 and Highway 6. The field day will be held in the cotton field on the south side of the road. MSU Extension Specialists will be present to discuss topics in corn, cotton, grain sorghum, peanut, rice and soybean.
Rice Stink Bug Update: June 19,2015
As some of the earliest planted rice is getting close to heading, it is time to start thinking about rice stink bug. We have been sweeping headed grass around the Delta for the past two weeks to determine what kind of populations are around.
Kudzu Bugs Numerous in MS Soybeans This Year
This year we have seen tremendous population growth and expansion of Kudzu bugs from previous years. We have treated some acres already that were at threshold and I am confident that there will be many more to come based on what we are seeing around the state including the Delta region.
Sugarcane Aphids and Sorghum Midge: MS Grain Sorghum
Over the last 7-10 days reports of sugarcane aphids in grain sorghum are becoming more frequent across the state. To date, I am not aware of any applications going out yet but numbers within some fields are definitely increasing. So far I have had about 10 reports of findings from the Delta region ranging from Cleveland to south of Inverness.
Reminder: Scout Schools Start Next Week
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, weed identification, and
Mixed Bag of Early Season Caterpillar Defoliators in Soybean
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 cloverworm, granulated cutworm, alfalfa caterpillar, cabbage looper, garden webworm, and yellowstriped armyworm.
Managing Stink Bugs in Seedling Corn
Over the last few weeks we have received numerous calls about brown stink bugs in seedling corn in the Delta region of the state. Stink bugs attack corn by feeding through the stem or even down in the whorl of small corn plants. Typically the area where they feed becomes chlorotic due to enzymes in their saliva.
High Stink Bug Numbers Being Reported in Some Heading Wheat Fields
Calls are starting to come in about stink bugs in heading wheat. It is not uncommon to find numerous stink bugs in wheat after head emergence. Species attacking wheat are typically rice stink bug and brown stink bugs but greens can sometimes be found. While it may seem very alarming, keep in mind it takes extremely high numbers to cause economic damage to heading wheat.
2015 Scout Schools Set for Mississippi
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, weed identification, and herbicide systems. There will be numerous hands on displays of insects, weeds, nutrient deficiencies in all major row crops, and fertilizer characteristics. CEU’s Provided: Nutrient Management = 1.5, Integrated Pest Management = 3, Crop Management = 1
Seed Treatments, In-Furrow Sprays, and Granular Insecticides: What to do in Mississippi Field Corn
Although every major field crop we grow in Mississippi is responsive to at planting insect protection; field corn is perhaps the most consistent. Why is this?
Best Management Practices for Tarnished Plant Bug
The tarnished plant bug is the most important insect pest of cotton in the Mississippi Delta. Management with insecticides has become difficult in recent years and more tools are needed to economically manage this pest. Although it is early March and we are getting pair of unusual winter storms in the Delta, it is not too early to start making a plan for managing tarnished plant bugs in cotton. We have done a lot of research over the last several years with the goal of making tarnished plant bug management more economical for producers without sacrificing yield. See the attached document for more details on the best management practices listed below.
Management Guidelines for Sugarcane Aphids in MS Grain Sorghum 2015
In 2014 a new pest of MS grain sorghum, Sugarcane aphid, made a dramatic entry infesting every county that grew the crop. This pest originally showed up in grain sorghum in Texas and Louisiana in 2013 with a single find very late in the season in Bolivar County, MS. By the end of 2014, this pest quickly spread throughout the entire southeast.
Pyrethroids on Wheat in Mississippi: Does it Pay?
Its decision time in wheat. One of the questions we often get is “I am about to apply a herbicide, should I add a pyrethroid?” This is one of the few times I would have to say “Yes” to a question such as this. I think it makes sense to do so.
2015 Future of Agriculture Graduate Student Meeting Program
On February 5th 2015, Mississippi State University will host the third annual Future of Agriculture Graduate Student Competition. The competition will be open to M.S. and Ph.D. students working in production agriculture. Over the last several years, there has been a
2015 Delta Ag Expo, Cleveland, MS – January 21 and 22, 2015
Find attached the agenda for the 42nd Annual Delta Ag Expo to be held in Cleveland, MS on Wednesday, January 21 and Thursday, January 22, 2015. We hope to see you in attendance at the Bolivar County Ag Expo Center.
Future of Agriculture Graduate Student Competition
On February 5th 2015, Mississippi State University will host the third annual Future of Agriculture Graduate Student Competition. The competition will be open to M.S. and Ph.D. students working in production agriculture.
Do Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments Have Value Regionally in Soybeans?
There has been a tremendous amount of scrutiny put on the neonicotinoid class of chemistry in recent years because of the potential link to declines in bee numbers. Researchers are working feverishly across the nation and the globe to determine the exact causes of bee decline. No doubt pesticides can and likely play a role to some degree, but there are many factors that also influence bee health such as habitat loss, Varroa mites, and diseases.
Soybean Loopers Showing up in Late Soybeans:
Soybean loopers are starting to show up in high numbers in many areas of the state. In many cases, soybeans are past the point where yield loss can occur, but there are many later planted soybeans that need to be protected for a while longer. Below are a few tips on when to treat and what to treat with.
When to Terminate Bollworm Sprays in Late Season Bt Cotton
We have had numerous calls over the last couple weeks about small, 2-5 day old larvae, under bloom tags in Bt cotton that is near, at, or beyond cutout. All of the research done to this point suggests that cotton is safe from bollworm damage when it reaches node above white flower 5 plus 300 heat units.
