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Friday, August 26, 2016

Cotton Update

Sprouted Cotton in Wharton County on August 19
Photo: Kate Harrell

Sprouted Cotton Drying Down in Wharton County on August 23
Photo: Kate Harrell
   Most of the cotton still in the fields in Wharton, Jackson and Matagorda counties has gotten to look like the above pictures. I know many of you have been concerned about what will happen with ginning if we can get it picked. I am hoping that as long as this stuff dries down the seed coat will harden, cotyledons will wither and fall off, and we will not have too much trouble ginning. Hill county was having similar problems with their cotton, and instead of a defoliation trial, they were able to borrow a table-top gin and run some of the samples. The table-top gin has no lint cleaners and no heat, so in theory this would be a worst case scenario.

  Dr. Gaylon Morgan shared this information with the pictures below. "The central Blacklands has been fortunate to have some drying weather that desiccated the germinating cotyledons fairly quickly. So, I realize the Upper Gulf Coast has not been as fortunate and problems will likely be worse than the Blacklands. However, seeing some pictures of how bad looking cotton on the plant may not turn out to be as bad as one may think, once ginned. I am not trying to downplay the situation, because it is serious for those affected and every dollar is important. There is no doubt that seed quality and money has been lost and some lint staining that will cause some discounts. We will just have to wait and see what the extent of damage actually is moving forward."

Seed After Ginning in Hill County
Photo: Zach Davis and Ryan Janek

Seed After Ginning in Hill County
Photo: Zach Davis and Ryan Janek
Cotton Before Ginning in Hill County
Photo: Zach Davis and Ryan Janek
Cotton After Ginning in Hill County
Photo: Zach Davis and Ryan Janek
Cotton Before Ginning in Hill County
Photo: Zach Davis and Ryan Janek
Cotton After Ginning in Hill County
Photo: Zach Davis and Ryan Janek
Cotton Before Ginning in Hill County
Photo: Zach Davis and Ryan Janek
Cotton After Ginning in Hill County
Photo: Zach Davis and Ryan Janek
  I hope this information and the pictures put some of your minds more at ease. I realize this is very little, but I will let you know when we learn more about this. If you have questions, feel free to contact us at the Wharton County office.

Sincerely,

Kate Harrell

Mosquitos

Psorophora sp. - Not a species that transmits Zika, but a big mosquito with an unpleasant bite
Photo: Kate Harrell

  There are a bunch of mosquitos out with all the rain we've gotten. Concern about the Zika virus has risen with the concern about mosquito populations. This disease holds the greatest risk for women in the first trimester of pregnancy. Contracting Zika during this time greatly increases the chance of a child developing microcephaly, a condition where the fetal brain and head do not develop completely and do not reach the proper size. In adults, the known effects of Zika have been relatively mild. Only one in five people will feel sick when it is contracted, and they will typically develop mild symptoms that include a fever, joint pain, red itchy eyes, an a rash. Symptoms arise two to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. So far, there is no vaccine available for the virus. This means that the best way at preventing the spread of the virus is by controlling the mosquitos and avoiding getting bitten.



Aedes albopictus by Dr. Mike Merchant 
  Two species of mosquitos are capable of carrying the virus, the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes agypti) and the asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus). Both of these mosquitos can be found in most parts of the US, and Texas has both of these mosquitos. With the recent rain, mosquito populations are on the rise. These particular mosquito species are active throughout the day and into the evening, and will preferentially feed on humans. They can breed in very little water, and can reproduce quickly. Our first line of defense against this disease is remembering the "Four Ds".
— DrainEmpty standing water, thus eliminating mosquito breeding sites.
— Dress: Put on long sleeved shirts and pants when going outside.
— DefendApply mosquito repellent when going outside.
— Dusk and Dawn: Avoid outdoor activity during these two most mosquito-active periods.

  Dr. Sonja Swiger, our Agrilife extension entomologist at Stephenville states "Using products containing DEET, picaridin, oil of Lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535, as active ingredients provide reasonably long-lasting protection from mosquito bites." Be sure to read and follow the label for any product you use. 

  Zika can also be transmitted sexually from men to  women in certain circumstances. The US Centers for Disease Control recently recommended that women with confirmed cases of Zika, or who have experienced symptoms of the virus, wait at least eight weeks after the start of their symptoms before tying to get pregnant. Also, men with confirmed cases of Zika, or who have experienced symptoms of the virus, are advised to wait at least six months after their symptoms began before having unprotected sex. This recommendation is based on how long the virus remains active in the body and in semen.


Mosquito dunk in a flooded yard
Photo: Kate Harrell
  Mosquito control can often begin with cultural management options, rather than chemical options. Emptying pet's water dishes, flower pots, and anything else that can hold water will limit their breeding ground and help reduce populations. Most mosquitos need only a small amount of standing water to reproduce. Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus both frequently lay eggs in artificial containers and fly very short distances (100-300 yards) once they emerge from the pools they were laid in as eggs. Tires are a common breeding ground for mosquitos. They are difficult to dump standing water out of, and will often hold water for extended periods of time. If you have standing water that you cannot dump out regularly, consider purchasing some mosquito dunks. These floating donuts contain BTI, a bacteria toxic specifically to mosquitos. This means the water is non toxic to other animals, so is still safe if a pet drinks from the standing water. 
  For more information on the virus, mosquitos, or any related concerns check out these websites:


For further questions, don't hesitate to call me at the Wharton extension office, or to contact Dr. Sonja Swiger or Dr. Mike Merchant.

Dr. Swiger:     slswiger@ag.tamu.edu
                       (254)968-4144

Dr. Merchant: m-merchant@tamu.edu
                       (972)952-9204

Have a good weekend everyone!

Sincerely,

Kate Harrell

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Defoliation Trial and Mosquitos

Howdy!

  We have set up our defoliation trial on Blue Creek road, Corrie and I will be out with Dr. Gaylon Morgan on Friday the 12th at 11:00am till 12:00pm. The replicated plot was sprayed August 2nd initially, and had follow up treatments on the 9th. Both one shot and follow up treatments are in the trial. We will offer 1 general CEU for TDA pesticide license holders.
Defoliation Trial Location


  The Zika virus has been in the news quite a bit recently, and I know there has been no shortage of mosquitos. This disease holds the greatest risk for women in the first trimester of pregnancy. Contracting Zika during this time greatly increases the chance of a child developing microcephaly, a condition where the fetal brain and head do not develop completely and do not reach the proper size. In adults, the effects of Zika have been relatively mild. Only one in five people will feel sick when it is contracted, and they will typically develop mild symptons that include a fever, joint pain, red itchy eyes, an a rash. Symptoms arise two to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. So far, there is no vaccine available for the virus. This means that the best way at preventing the spread of the virus is by controlling the mosquitos and avoiding getting bitten.

  Two species of mosquitos are capable of carrying the virus, the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes agypti) and the asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus). Both of these mosquitos can be found in most parts of the US. Texas has both of these mosquitos. Even with the heat lately, we still are seeing some mosquito activity. These particular mosquito species are active throughout the day and into the evening. They can breed in very little water, and can reproduce pretty quickly. Our first line of defense against this disease is remembering the "Four Ds".
— DrainEmpty standing water, thus eliminating mosquito breeding sites.
— Dress: Put on long sleeved shirts and pants when going outside.
— DefendApply mosquito repellent when going outside.
— Dusk and Dawn: Avoid outdoor activity during these two most mosquito-active periods.

  Dr. Sonja Swiger, our Agrilife extension entomologist at Stephenville states "Using products containing DEET, picaridin, oil of Lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535, as active ingredients provide reasonably long-lasting protection from mosquito bites." Be sure to read and follow the label for any product you use. 

  Zika can also be transmitted sexually from men to  women in certain circumstances. The US Centers for Disease Control recently recommended that women with confirmed cases of Zika, or who have experienced symptoms of the virus, wait at least eight weeks after the start of their symptoms before tying to get pregnant. Also, men with confirmed cases of Zika, or who have experienced symptoms of the virus, are advised to wait at least six months after their symptoms began before having unprotected sex. This recommendation is based on how long the virus remains active in the body and in semen.

  For more information on the virus, mosquitos, or any related concerns check out these websites:




For further questions, don't hesitate to call the Wharton extension office, or to contact Dr. Sonja Swiger or Dr. Mike Merchant.

Dr. Swiger:     slswiger@ag.tamu.edu
                       (254)968-4144

Dr. Merchant: m-merchant@tamu.edu
                       (972)952-9204

  Stay safe and don't get too hot.

Sincerely,

Kate Harrell