Notice:
• This is the first of the weekly newsletters that will be going out. If you find the information in the newsletter to be lacking or would like to see a specific topic addressed please call the Extension office and let me know how I can make this more informative.

• Workshop Under the Trees- May 16, 2002. This program on monitoring pecan insects will be offered at the cost of $10.00 per person. Coffee, donuts and door prizes and lots of information will be available. Orders are being taken for 10x hand lenses, they will be offered at a subsidized price of $5.00 apiece. Please call the Extension Office( 915-859-7725 ask for Renee) to sign up for the workshop and please mention if you want a hand lens.

Cotton:
There is still some cotton being planted, but most of it has emerged. There are some first true leaf cotton out there that is looking good. I don't think that you should worry about any early, early season pests right now. There could be some movement of thrips out of onions to early cotton.

Pecans:
THE RACE IS ON! The first pecan nut casebearers have been caught in the valley. This year PNC monitoring is a little different than in the past. Traps were placed with cooperators in the valley who agreed to report back to the IPM agent as to the status of the traps. The traps have been checked at least 3 times/week. Keep that in mind when you start scouting for PNC eggs. Trap catches allow the producer to anticipate egg lay and nut entry by larvae. Oviposition (egg lay) usually begins 7-10 days after initial catch with nut entry beginning around 12-16 days after the initial catch. Producers should not base insecticide treatments on trap catches alone, scouting is imperative before making a decision.

As Bill Ree says: "Think of pheromone traps as a pecan nut casebearer bus schedule. The traps tell you when the casebearer bus will be in but to know how many casebearer are on the bus you have to go meet the bus."

Trap information:
4/24/02: PNC caught in traps at Tornillo (1 moth) and south of Fabens (1 moth)
4/29/02: PNC caught in El Paso at Riverside Orchard (1 moth)
4/30/02: PNC caught in traps at Clint (1 moth) and east of Fabens (1 moth)
5/01/02: El Paso at Riverside (12 moths in 1 trap)

Corn:
Corn in the area looks generally good, with little insect or other problems. There is a field near Fabens that has been infested with rootworm larvae (Diabrotica spp.). It is most likely that it is southern corn rootworm (a.k.a. cucumber beetle), although it is almost impossible to identify the larvae to species. Rootworms can cause significant damage to corn in other parts of the country, with western corn rootworm being the most economically important. Southern corn rootworms are the most common Diabrotica species in this area and have been known to feed on almost anything that doesn't get up and walk away from them. Southern corn rootworm lay eggs in the field after corn is in the seedling stage, so crop rotation doesn't provide adequate control. The tiny larvae hatch in the soil and burrow in the roots, crowns and stems and may even feed externally. Once Diabrotica has infested there is no rescue treatment available; in areas where there has been a history of stand losses an in-furrow insecticide treatment should be considered.

1