Stalk Destruction and Section 18

Howdy all,

  I wanted to keep everyone up to date on a couple of things our office recieved updates on in the last two days. First, the cotton stalk destruction deadline for our zone has been extended to November 17.

TDA Blanket Extension of Cotton Stalk Destruction Deadline for Pest Management Zone 3

The Texas Department of Agriculture has received written requests to extend the cotton stalk destruction deadline for Zone 3.  This requests has come from the Cotton Producer Advisory Committee for Zone 3. 

After consideration of this request the Department has decided to grant the cotton stalk destruction deadline extension for all of Pest Management Zone 3 until November 17, 2018. 

Pest Management Zone 3 consists of Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Gonzales, Harris, Jackson, Jefferson, Lavaca, Liberty, Matagorda, Orange, Waller, and Wharton counties.

Basis for Extension

Pest Management Zone 3 has received repeated above average rainfall for the last several weeks and current weather predictions indicate additional rainfall, which will continue to delay field operations.

Authority

Section 20.22 of the Texas Administrative Code provides that the Department may grant a blanket extension of the destruction deadline covering an entire cotton stalk destruction zone or a portion of an entire zone under certain circumstances. 

Please see the Department’s Blanket Extension Summary Table for your information. The following link shows the cotton stalk destruction map with zones and destruction deadlines.

http://texasagriculture.gov/Portals/0/images/ACP/Cotton/CSD%20Zones%20300%20dpi.pdf  

  Second, the rice delphacid is an exotic planthopper species we found attacking the ratoon rice crop again this year in Matagorda county. It was seen in this area in 2015 for the first time. The insect transmits the Rice Hoja Blanca virus, but we have not seen any transmission of the virus here yet. We have seen heavy honeydew and sooty mold as well as hopper burn from feeding. Look here and here for more information.

Damage on rice from the rice delphacid
Photo: Kate Harrell

Rice delphacid adults, nymphs, shed exuvia, and sooty mold on rice
Photo: Kate Harrell

I heard from our extension rice specialist, Dr. Mo Way, that we have been granted a section 18 emergency exemption to use Endigo ZC to control this insect in Texas until November 9. Please review the section 18 label for use below.

As always, give us a call at the office or shoot me an email if you have questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Kate