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".

— Drain: Empty standing water, thus eliminating mosquito breeding sites.

— Dress: Put on long sleeved shirts and pants when going outside.

— Defend: Apply 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:

preventingzika.org

agrilife.org/livestockvetento

texasinsects.org/zika-virus

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

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".

— Drain: Empty standing water, thus eliminating mosquito breeding sites.

— Dress: Put on long sleeved shirts and pants when going outside.

— Defend: Apply 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:

preventingzika.org

agrilife.org/livestockvetento

texasinsects.org/zika-virus

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

Defoliation and Stinkbugs

Howdy,

  Our pest pressure in cotton is starting to wind down some as the bolls harden. We still need to watch out for stink bugs for a little bit longer, but the bollworm pressure has dropped off.

  We are approaching harvest for cotton, and with that comes the consideration for harvest aids. Timing of harvest aid application is important, we want to strike a balance between keeping up the lint quality in older open bolls,  but also allowing younger bolls to mature. Applying to early can halt green boll maturation, but applying late can have a negative impact on lint quality of the older bolls. Most product labels recommend application between 50% to 70% open boll, but research has shown that optimal application timing can be anywhere from 42% to 81% open boll, depending on the distribution of fruit on the plant. Cutting a cross section of a boll is another way to determine maturity. Mature bolls are more difficult to cut, and contain dark seeds, not soft seeds with a jelly like inside. Nodes above cracked boll (NACB) can also be used to determine maturity. Research has shown that harvest aids applied at three NACB will not result in lint weight loss, while applications at greater than 4 NACB can result in yield loss.

  Environmental conditions can have a large impact on how well a harvest aid will work. Ideal conditions are warm, sunny, with low soil moisture, without excessive soil nitrogen, and plants that have reached maturity and are not actively producing leaves. Nozzles should provide uniform coverage with small droplets. Spray volume should be 15 GPA for ground applications and 5 GPA applied aerially. A combination of defoliants and desiccants is often used to finish cotton out. Defoliants are broken into two categories, hormonal and herbicidal. Hormonal defoliants include thiaiazuron, and herbicidal defoliants include tribufos and PPO inhibitors. Too high a rate of defoliants can cause leaves to stick to the plant rather than falling off. Boll openers can also be used, their active ingredient is usually ethephon, which is converted in the plant to etheylene. Etheylene causes fruit to ripen, so causes bolls to open more rapidly. It causes them to open, but it does not cause any increase in maturity, only an increase in opening.

  Check out Josh McGinty's publication for more info: http://agrilife.org/texasrowcrops/2015/08/03/preparing-for-the-2015-south-texas-cotton-harvest/

  Good luck harvesting, everyone. We have rain in the forecast, and I hope everyone gets their crop out in a timely fashion. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns, or find anything weird in the fields.

Sincerely,

Kate

Cotton Pest Update

Howdy,

  There have been a bunch of combines going this week! From what I have heard so far, most of the milo and corn is looking pretty good. The cotton everywhere is starting to crack bolls on the bottom.

  If your milo was planted late and is still a little ways from harvest, keep a close eye on sugarcane aphids. We haven't had a bad outbreak of them yet, but most of the crops I have looked at were early planted and missed the worst of the pest pressure. Pests in sorghum tend to be heavier the later the sorghum is.

  We are keeping an eye on stinkbugs and bollworms in cotton still. The stinkbug pressure has been fairly low so far, with only a few fields warranting treatment. If there is 20-30% boll damage with stinkbugs present, you may want to consider a treatment. Bollworm egg lay is going on again, so we are watching their numbers. In most places the predator populations are fairly high, so small bollworms and eggs have not made it too long. The threshold for bollworms is 5,000 worms/ acre with more than 5% damaged bolls and worms larger than 1/4 inch.

 Cotton aphid numbers have been rising, and it is a good idea to start watching them. Their numbers should stay low with all the predators we've seen lately. The main concern for aphids will be when bolls are open; high levels of the honeydew they produce can drip down and stain the lint.

  Below are some predatory insects I have been taking pictures of, please give me a call if you have any questions.

Parasitoid Wasp Pupa Casing
Photo: Kate Harrell

Dragonfly
Photo: Kate Harrell

Dragonfly
Photo: Kate Harrell

Damselfly
Photo: Kate Harrell

Dragonfly
Photo: Kate Harrell

Trash Collecting Lacewing Larvae
Photo: Kate Harrell

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Kate

Cotton Pest Update

Howdy,

  I know many of you are in the middle of harvesting sorghum, and that means we made it though without sugarcane aphid populations skyrocketing. That is fantastic, considering the winter we had. It never really got cold enough to kill anything. The corn is also finishing out, and a great deal of it looks pretty good, despite all the southern rust, northern leaf blight and other diseases we saw. The cotton is very near if not at cutout in most places. Most fields in Jackson and Matagorda counties are past cutout now, and the flowers are at the very top of the plant, if it's still flowering at all.

  The pests I have been seeing in cotton mostly are just bollworms. The stinkbug pressure has been pretty light, but we'll still need to keep an eye out for them for a little longer. Bollworms have started flying again, and I have seen new moths and some new eggs laid. We may have one more flush of these insects before the cotton in out of harm's way.

  The threshold for bollworms is 5,000 worms/ acre with more than 5% damaged bolls and worms larger than 1/4 inch. If you are seeing higher than about 25% of the plants with larger larvae on them, please give me a call and let me know. I have heard scattered reports of pyrethroids not working as well as expected, it may be good to keep that in mind if your fields reach treatable levels. This website has a decent chart on what insecticides work on bollworm if you do have to spray them.   

H. zea moth
Photo: Kate Harrell

H. zea eggs
Photo: Kate Harrell

Armyworm eggs
Photo: Kate Harrell

Bollworm Damage
Photo: Kate Harrell

H. zea Larvae
Photo: Kate Harrell

   We need to continue to keep an eye on stinkbugs, their populations will probably rise as grains are being harvested. There are also leaf footed bugs moving into cotton, but we can treat them the same way as stinkbugs, but err to the lower end of the threshold for them. They are aggressive feeders and tend to move in groups.

Stinkbug Eggs
Photo: Kate Harrell

Minute Pirate Bug Nymph
Photo: Kate Harrell 

Lacewing Larvae
Photo: Kate Harrell

  The beneficial populations are pretty healthy in most fields right now. I am hoping that will help with the new egg lay the bollworms have recently started. I've been bitten by two minute pirate bugs and lacewing larvae. If they're gutsy enough to bite an entomologist, they should make short work of a caterpillar. Have a safe weekend, everyone.

Kate

Cotton Pest Update

Howdy,

  This has been a busy field season so far. We have had just about every kind of pest pressure, and it doesn't seem to be letting up yet. Fortunately, Jackson and Matagorda county cotton is nearing cut-out, and the corn and sorghum is wrapping up in Wharton county. We are planning on harvesting the Wharton county sorghum trial on Tuesday. As folks are harvesting grain, many of the insects that were feeding in those fields will be moving into cotton in force. We'll be needing to keep a close eye on bollworm, armyworm, verde plant bug, and stinkbug numbers. It has dried out a little now, and aside from the spotty showers we've had, some fields are starting to dry out. Most of the grain crops are past watering, and are drying down and nearing harvest. I know many of the fields I have seen are rain fed only, but if you do have the ability and inclination to irrigate, keep in mind that once cotton reaches about 5 nodes above white flower (NAWF) it is unlikely that irrigating will have any impact on yield.

  Currently we are watching the bollworm populations pretty closely. We even have pretty heavy pressure in all of the Bt varieties. The egg lay has been pretty high, and is going to increase as the corn and sorghum finish. Eggs are usually on the top of the plant, but they can lay eggs anywhere on the plant. I have been finding eggs laid either on blooms or on bracts, both of which have lower expression of the Bt trait. There is a greater chance of survival when the caterpillar feeds on the flowers and bracts before trying to move into the bolls. The action threshold for these escaping caterpillars is 5,000 worms/ acre with more than 5% damaged bolls when checking three plants at a minimum of four locations in the field. I have been seeing damage that high, and many of you have made treatments. This website has a decent chart on what insecticides work on bollworm if you do have to spray them. The chart leaves out a few trade names, but is comprehensive with the chemical names. If you are seeing incredibly high bollworm populations (i.e. over 25-30% of plants infested), please don't hesitate to contact me. 

3-4 day old H. zea larvae (Bollworm)
Photo: Kate Harrell

5-6 day old H. zea larvae with cotton aphid
Photo: Kate Harrell

Armyworm egg mass
Photo: Kate Harrell

  Stink bugs are still a concern in cotton, and will continue to move in out of grains. The threshold for stinkbugs in cotton is 20% dropped bolls or bolls with warts on inner carpal walls or stained lint and finding stinkbugs in the field using a drop cloth. Check out the decision aids below for more info on stinkbugs.

  We need to continue to keep an eye on sugarcane aphid populations this close to harvest. The threshold is 50-125 aphids per leaf, treat within 4 days of reaching threshold. If we allow them to get out of hand at the end, the honeydew produced by these aphids along with the sooty mildew that tends to grow on it can really gunk up a combine. With the majority of our sorghum being a little earlier, hopefully we will miss the worst of their populations.

Unconventional Beneficial
Photo: Kate Harrell

Unconventional Beneficial
Photo: Kate Harrell

  I'd like to say thank you to everybody that invited me to field days this past month, and to the folks who have shared all kinds of summer produce. It was all delicious. Have a fantastic 4th of July, and stay safe, everyone!

Kate
  

Cotton and Sorghum Pest Update

Howdy,

  The past two weeks have been pretty busy around the extension office. I've been to so many different field days, and gotten to look at a bunch of different trials and varieties. I have also eaten close to my body weight in barbeque within the last two weeks. Thank you to everyone that invited me and the other extension agents to your field days, I learned a lot and appreciated the opportunity to meet people.

H. zea moth in Cotton
Photo: Kate Harrell

H. zea caterpillar
Photo: Kate Harrell

  Currently we are watching the bollworm populations pretty closely. The egg lay has been pretty high across most of our fields, and is going to increase as the corn and sorghum continue to dry down. In Jackson and Matagorda counties we've seen bollworms getting to be a few days old and not dying quickly after feeding. Eggs are usually on the top of the plant, but they can lay eggs anywhere on the plant. There is a greater chance of survival when the caterpillar feeds on parts of the plant with lower amounts of the BT toxin in them. When the eggs are laid on the blooms, the first thing the caterpillar is probably going to consume is the bloom itself and then the boll. The action threshold for these escaping caterpillars is 5,000 worms/ acre with more than 5% damaged bolls when checking three plants at a minimum of four locations in the field.

H. zea caterpillar
Photo: Kate Harrell

  There have been some stinkbugs around, and there is damage in fields from both stinkbugs and Lygus bugs. These insects are highly mobile, which can make them difficult to pick up. The threshold for stinkbugs in cotton is 20% dropped bolls or bolls with warts on inner carpal walls or stained lint and finding stinkbugs in the field using a drop cloth.

Stinkbug eggs found on the underside of a cotton leaf
Photo: Kate Harrell

Stinkbug Nymph
Photo: Kate Harrell

   Fall armyworms are moving into sorghum now as well. If sorghum has yet to head out and is still in the whorl stage, treatment for either H. zea (bollworm, earworm, etc.) or fall armyworm is only advised if the leaf area is being reduced by at least 30% or the growing point is being damaged. The "shotgun shot" appearance of the armyworm feeding is dramatic, but often not a problem if the head or growth point is not at risk. If the sorghum already has a head on it, you will want to use a beat bucket to sample for caterpillars. Follow this link for the sorghum headworm threshold calculator:  http://bug.tamu.edu/apps/sorghumheadwormcalculator/index.php

Fall Armyworm
Photo: Kate Harrell

  Note the inverted Y on the face of the armyworm larvae (photo on left), as well as the perfect square of black dots on the rear (photo on lower left). Be sure to check on aphid populations and carefully consider treatment options before spraying for headworms in sorghum. Wiping out beneficial insect populations with a spray for caterpillars will flare sugarcane aphids.

Fall Armyworm
Photo: Kate Harrell

  Continue to keep an eye on sugarcane aphid populations, they have gotten high in places and needed treatment. The threshold is 50-125 aphids per leaf, treat within 4 days of reaching threshold. As we get closer to harvest it will be more important to keep and eye on their numbers. As many of you have seen in the past, the honeydew produced by these aphids along with the sooty mildew that tends to grow on it can really gunk up a combine if their populations get too high.

Southern Rust in Corn
Photo: Kate Harrell

Southern Rust in Corn
Photo: Kate Harrell

  Dr. Isakeit, our plant pathology specialist, was out in Wharton county recently. He took the time to walk through some of the diseases in our corn right now. Southern rust is out in force right now, and if you are debating whether or not to make a treatment on I encourage you to check out this publication Dr. Isakeit put together: http://aglifesciences.tamu.edu/plantpathology/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2011/05/Southern-Rust-of-Corn_2014.pdf
















  If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to call me. Have a great weekend, everyone.

Kate