CURRENT CROP CONDITIONS
The area cotton crop is continuing on schedule with program fields ranging from 1/3 grown square to bloom boll. Square sets are still ranging from less than 70% to 95%. Program fields are entering bloom with an average of 8 nodes above upper most white bloom (NAWF) and a range of 6 to 9 NAWF. Many of the row irrigated fields are going into bloom with an average of 6 to seven nodes above upper most white bloom. Most of these fields still have a yield potential of a bale to a bale and a half.

WHAT THE SCOUTS ARE FINDING
The scouts are still finding fleahoppers ranging from 2 to over 20 per 100 terminals. Fleahopper infestations are still wide spread with very few adults being found. Lygus bugs are starting to increase in area fields, with several economic infestations being found in fields adjacent to pasture and alfalfa.

Cotton aphids are being found in every program field with most of these infestations being found in the terminal area of plants and inside squares. Beneficials are keeping most of these infestations in check.

We are finding first summer generation of boll weevil (red weevils) in several program fields this week. Most of these infestations are in late April planted cotton. Percent punctured fruit in these fields are running from 8 to 10% total punctures with most being feeding punctures.

Bollworm eggs are still being found in most program fields and are ranging from 1000 to12000 per acre with larvae ranging from 0 to over 17,000 per acre. Remember, the economic threshold for bollworms is 8000 to 10,000 per acre.

FIRST SUMMER GENERATION OF BOLL
WEEVIL BEING DETECTED
Red boll weevils are being found in a few April planted fields at this time. Most of these infestations are adjacent to excellent overwintering habitat and are located within municipalities.

Red weevils are weevils that have recently emerged from squares that were punctured by overwintering weevils. These emerging weevils will feed for about four to eight days before they mate and lay eggs. A mated female can lay on an average of 100 eggs in her life span of about 30 days. Producers need to start scouting their cotton for punctured squares and bolls.

When square numbers are greater than the combined number of blooms and bolls, inspect fields at least weekly, by examining 100 squares that are at least 1/4 inch in size. Sample the entire field since weevil infestations are often clumped. If 20 percent of the squares examined are weevil damaged, treatment should be considered. After peak bloom, or when bloom and boll numbers exceed square counts, treatments should be initiated when 25 to 30 percent of the squares examined are weevil damaged. Once plants approach cutout and square densities decrease significantly, small boll damage should be used as the criteria for further insecticide applications. Boll protection is often warranted when 15 percent of the small bolls present are weevil damaged and at least two to four vulnerable, undamaged, potentially harvestable bolls are counted per 10 row feet. Bolls that have sufficient time left to reach maturity should be protected until they are at least 15 days old or until they can no longer be cut with a knife.

When scouting your fields for punctured squares, do not sample squares that have fallen from the plant or are easily removed from the plant. You are trying to detect newly punctured fruit and not fruit that was punctured last week.

When applications are warranted, you need to make at least two applications five days a part. If an economic infestation of bollworms or lygus is present start with a pyrethroid and come back five days later with a weevil material. Remember, the use of pyrethroids can and will flare cotton aphids. If cotton aphids do flare, you can use Furadan to control this pest and it will give adequate control of weevils.

Although weevil numbers have been down considerably this year, stay on top of the situation. Do not start your weevil applications with an average of 50% punctured fruit. In most cases, this would take at least four applications at five day intervals to bring the punctures below economic threshold. Be timely with your applications, do not wait six or seven days to make your second application. Watch the weather, if high winds are being forecasted, treat at day four and not at day seven or eight. In most cases, if you exceed your five day interval, you have to start over with two more timely applications. It is getting to the point, that you cannot throw a rock in Lubbock County without hitting a house and, therefore, timeliness is even more critical in sensitive areas where you are using materials such as Vydate.