GENERAL SITUATION: Some days hot and dry, some days cool and dry. Dry is the key word. Some drizzle with slightly stronger rain in amounts up to 1/4 inch were reported on Thursday, April 4. Some more drizzle was being predicted for today and possibly early next week. Otherwise, no appreciable moisture has fallen in the LRGV since November, 2001. The drizzle this week might help delay the need for more rain about 12 hours. The Valley's summer crops will have less than meaningful yields without significant rain (2 plus inches), and soon.

On the positive side of things, boll weevil numbers in Texas Cooperative Extension traps around the LRGV were continuing downward. A couple of exceptions that were reported to us in some privately run traps this week were near Brownsville and Delta Lake where higher weevil numbers were caught. One trap near Delta lake was reported to have near 70 weevils per trap per week. Overall, weevil numbers are lower than at this same time last year. (See trap comparisons from the first week of April, 2001 and 2002 in attachments.)

The Valley's cotton crop planting and growth have started slow and still some fields were being planted this week, due to cool weather conditions. Does the cool weather which is blamed for the slow start of the cotton crop mean that boll weevils also are coming out slower than usual? That is possible, but the traps have indicated for the past several weeks that weevil populations are on a normal emergence from overwintered habitat, with few exceptions, are on a normal curve. If traps in your area or near your farm caught large numbers of weevils this week compared to the low numbers seen in most areas, then weevils in your area may be emerging slower. However, it looks like the overall Valley wide population emerged at peak numbers in March and therefore is on a near normal track.

Lower numbers of weevils at this time of year is expected based on historical data. However, the recent trap numbers are similar to those we saw following at least one very serious freeze in 1989. But, just because trapped weevils are lower than last season does not mean that overwintered weevil controls should be stopped. Just the opposite. Growers with historically bad early season boll weevil fields still should proceed as if this season was normal and that weevils were to be expected as usual. And who knows, boll weevils just may be at normal levels, if the cotton crop gets desperately needed moisture. So keep on conducting your normal overwintered boll weevil practices. They do appear to be helping.