GENERAL SITUATION: The LRGV is going through a typical spring. Hot and dry some days; cold and dry some days; but always dry, most days. More fields of grain sorghum and cotton in the dryland areas appears to be heading down hill in yield potential. While heat units are beginning to increase, lack of moisture was holding many fields back and lowering the chance of normal yields. Insect activity was increased in cotton this week.

Boll Weevils Still Plentiful

Boll weevil traps continue to show plenty of weevils around the area. (See trap data on attached sheet) Many fields of cotton were showing small squares and should immediately be considered for overwintered weevil sprays. More cotton will likely begin to square in the coming days and weeks, especially in those areas with adequate moisture. Most, but not every field of cotton in the LRGV, could have an early infestation of weevils to lay eggs and start the first generation of weevils off to a bang unless action is taken right away. Despite the dry conditions in some fields, weevils will lay eggs in any square that gets close the pencil eraser size and larger. So, if anything can be done to slow or stop the weevils from zeroing in on the first squares of each field, now is the time to take action.
Waiting to see if it is going to rain before making any treatments for overwintered weevils could prove a great deal more costly than the investment in insecticide. This will prove to be especially true if and when it does rain and the plants start making some growth and the weevil grubs already in squares begin to emerge and start feeding and laying eggs on the next cotton square set. So, move now or the LRGV could be in for a tough weevil problem.
A word of caution. If a cotton field has not squared by the first of week of May, then we suggest not treating for overwintered weevils because of the opportunity to start a worm problem. Late spraying can lead to serious worm infestations and thus, we encourage growers to cease any overwintered weevil spraying once the month of May begins.

Beet Armyworms Found

Reports of scattered beet armyworm larvae in fields this week should be taken seriously, also. The dry weather along with the skippy stands in some fields, are good ingredients to allow beet armyworms to increase.

Cotton Aphids Still Present

Cotton aphids continued to be found in many fields this week. Treatments for aphids, like any other pest of cotton, should be made only after a thorough scouting of the field(s) in question has determined that the aphids are at high enough levels to warrant treatment. A few aphids around generally will lead to an increase in beneficial insects which will not only feed on the aphids but can assist in the removal of other pests like bollworms from the scene.