GROWING CONDITIONS

Temperatures have returned to the norm for this time of year with highs in the upper 90's. Scattered rains have benefitted some of the area but much of the cotton growing areas in Mitchell, Scurry and Nolan Counties and parts of Jones County could really use some rain.

COTTON INSECTS

Pest insects seem to have dropped off but have been found in damaging populations on some fields. Moth counts in the pheromone traps have gone us since last week. The Snyder traps caught 118 bollworm from 30 July through 5 August. That is up from the previous week of 9 moths. This corresponds with news from the Lubbock area.

Jim Lesser has reported another wave of bollworm activity in the Lubbock area. As such, I suggest that fields continue to be inspected for the presence of bollworm eggs and small larvae. With the high yield potential that many of the cotton fields have, it is critical to stay on top of the pest populations and not to get caught by a bollworm surprise.

Treatment may be justified when 8-12 or more small worms are present per 100 plants

Aphids continue to be an area of concern. While I have not yet seen any fields with high numbers of them, I suspect that in the coming days or weeks, we may see an explosion of these tiny critters.

As I indicated in last week's newsletter, a cotton boll is safe from bollworm attack at 350-400 heat units after bloom. Blooms from July 20 have received more than 400 heat units and should not be affected by bollwoms.

Keep this in mind when considering worm control tactics in early planted fields with tight budgets such as dryland fields. By knowing which fruit on the plant is susceptible and which is not, you may eliminate unnecessary and costly insecticide applications.

Fields planted prior to May 25 should have had blooms by July 20. See Tables 2 through 5 on the back of this newsletter to estimate crop maturity in your fields.

Producer Turn-Row Meetings
1 hour CEU available
All meetings begin at 8:30 a.m.

Educational programs conducted by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, handicap or national origin. The information given herein is for educational purposes only. References to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Cooperative Extension Service is implied. We will seek to provice reasonable accomodations for all persons with disabilites for all extension programs. We request that you contact Mr. Stephen Biles (915/236-9011) as soon as possible to advise us of the auxiliary aid or service that your require.

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Table 5. Projected Dates of Crop Growth Landmarks for Various Planting Dates Based on Table 4

Lower Rolling Plains IPM Unit Weather Station Data
Located approximately 7.5 miles north of Roscoe, TX

PET values are available at the Texas Evapotranspiration Web Site.

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