Weed of the Week: Texas Millet
Texas millet is native to the southern United States and can be found in crop fields, pastures, roadsides, and untended areas in Mississippi.
Back to homepage
Peanuts
Early leaf spot found in the greater Aberdeen area
Description and symptoms. Yesterday I looked at some defoliating fields in the greater Aberdeen vicinity. The vines looked like someone had used a set of hedge shears to remove the foliage from between the rows and thin it in the
The Principles of Plant Pathology: The Disease Triangle and Influence of the Environment
Plant pathogens require a specific set of factors to occur at the same time for disease to begin. More often than not diseases require a prolonged conducive environment before the pathogen can produce observable symptoms.
Weed of the Week: Southwestern Cupgrass
Southwestern cupgrass has become an increasing problem in recent years in Mississippi.
Predicted conditions surrounding Isaac favor diseases of peanut
As of Sunday evening, it appears that Tropical Storm Isaac will slow, turn into a hurricane, and hit our Gulf Coast sometime Tuesday. Rainfall amounts are forecast in inches below I-20 and tropical storm conditions are expected to prevail for
Week of August 10 Peanut Crop Update
As a Plant Pathologist, I tend to divide the peanut crop in Mississippi into growing areas based on the “climate†and soils. Both influence the type and amount of disease pressure experienced in that growing area and, incidentally, quality and
August USDA Report Recaps
[note: I have a prior obligation today. Here is a quick synopsis of the reports with more to come in later today or over the weekend] This morning USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board released their August estimates of U.S. and
Weed of the Week: Sicklepod
Sicklepod is competitive with row crops during their seedling stages, so the first few weeks after planting are critical for control.
Last of July/First August Update and Ernesto Advisory
Current update Last of July/First of August and Tropical Storm Ernesto Advisory White mold White mold began germinating and growing on dead organic matter in the south about 18 days ago in south central Mississippi, but really started to kill
Fall Armyworms in Mississippi Crops
Fall armyworm can be a challenging pest to find and an even more challenging pest to manage in some crops. The damage that they cause and their management varies greatly from crop to crop. The reason for this is due to their preferred feeding sites on different crops and the presence of host strains.
Glyphosate-resistant Palmer Amaranth on Turnrows and Ditchbanks
One area of concern in glyphosate-resistant (GR) Palmer amaranth management is controlling this species on turnrows, field borders, and ditchbanks. Clean crop fields surrounded on turnrows and/or ditchbanks by GR Palmer amaranth is a common sight in areas where it
Weed of the Week: Partridgepea
Partridgepea is often used as a wildlife forage because of the variety of species that feed off of the plant.
How Soon Did It Rain After You Sprayed?
Over the past week we have been getting a significant amount of rain across most of Mississippi. Unfortunately, most insects don’t mind the rain. Other than spider mites and aphids, we will likely have to continue managing insects in all crops despite the rain.
Worms in Peanuts
I am getting a lot of calls about various worms in peanuts. In nearly every case, it is a complex of multiple species. It seems that the complex in the Delta region consists mainly of the rednecked peanut worm, granulate
Southern stem rot or white mold of peanut
Discusses the life cycle, management and identification of white mold or southern stem rot of peanut caused by Sclerotium rolfsii. It includes a section on how to distinguish it from a white mold look-alike. Southern stem rot or white mold
Ditch Bank Survey 6/27/2012
Overall, tarnished plant bug numbers appear to be decreasing across the Delta. Several things are contributing to this decline. The biggest factor is that the hot, dry weather is starting to take it’s toll on a lot of the wild
2012 USDA Acreage Report
(Correction to Mississippi cotton acreage change from March has been made) The much anticipated, and likely to be much debated, 2012 Acreage report from USDA was released this morning (June 29). Nationally, the report bumped up the number of acres
Fall Armyworms in Soybeans and Peanuts
We have gotten multiple calls over the last week about fall armyworms in soybeans and peanuts. In every case, it has been a situation where people got behind on grass control when we were getting a lot of rain a couple weeks ago. In those situations, they have sprayed the grass during the last two weeks with products such as Select or Roundup that are relatively slow acting. A lot of the grass is infested with grass-strain fall armyworm and big worms start moving over into the crop about a week to ten days after the application when the grass starts to die.
Tomato Spotted Wilt, Quick Identification
Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) has historically been a devastating disease of peanuts. Given the high thrips population this spring and large population of flowering winter weeds known to be TSWV hosts, I was expecting a TSWV year. I was
Table of Peanut Fungicides Labeled in Mississippi
I have been asked for my “cheat sheets” of peanut fungicides labeled for use in Mississippi. Here are two tables, one alphabetized by active ingredient (primary a.i. if more than one a.i.) and the second table alphabetized by Trade Name.
Peanut Disease Update: week of May 27 – June 1.
Before getting to the state disease summary, a quick note on two diseases common at this time of year, Pepper Spot/Leaf Scorch and funky leaf spot (FLS). Funky Leaf Spot is important because the early symptoms can be confused with
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€.
Cleaning Spray Tanks Is Critical
Sprayer cleanout after a herbicide application is a critical component to a successful herbicide application.
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.
Timing Critical for Postemergence Herbicide Applications
A good rule of thumb is that the crop should be weed-free for the first four to six weeks following emergence to avoid yield loss.
