Dry conditions continue as does the hot windy weather. It is very difficult to maintain a positive attitude with the current weather patterns. Looking at the positive side, wheat harvest is well underway. Grain sorghum continues to make some progress despite the dry conditions. It will certainly need a good rain soon.

Some cotton is up and looking fairly well. Cotton ranges to still in the bag to 4th true leaf stage. Thrips numbers were low last week but could increase significantly at any time. With wheat harvest underway and wheat rapidly drying down, producers are encouraged to watch their cotton fields closely for thrips damage. Treatments for thrips is usually justified when thrips are readily observed on plants and terminal leaf curling is evident.

Most producers have chosen to delay planting until the currentweather patterns change. Very few dryland acres have been planted in the Concho Valley. Producers with irrigated ground have indicated they will begin planting around May 20-25. A few cotton fields were planted a week or so ago and are up to a good stand. These fields should be monitored closely for thrips and their damage even if you used a seed treatment such as Cruiser®.

Thrips. Thrips are slender, straw colored insects about 1/15 inch long, with piercing and sucking mouthparts. Thrips attack leaves, leaf buds and very small squares and may cause a silvering of the lower leaf surface, deformed or blackened leaves, terminal loss and square loss.

Under some conditions, heavy infestations may reduce stands, stunt plants and delay fruiting and maturity.

Research has shown that the application of foliar sprays after significant thrips damage has occurred, generally does not result in increased yields. Where postemergence sprays are to be used, fields should be scouted as often as twice a week as cotton emerges. Thrips can migrate in heavy numbers from adjacent weeds or crops, especially small grains, and cause significant damage within a few days and prior to the appearance of true leaves.

Early infestations often reduce yield more than later infestations. Thrips often infest the folded small leaves of the plant terminal and are difficult to count unless the terminal area is dissected. The decision to apply insecticide should be based on the number of thrips present and the stage of plant development. The number of thrips per plant to use as a treatment level increases as plants add more leaves. Control may be justified when the average number of thrips counted per plant is equal to the number of true leaves present at the time of inspection. One thrips per plant should be used as the treatment level from plant emergence, through the cotyledon stage, to the first true leaf.

A partial list of insecticides for thrips include: Address® 75 S @ 2 to 4 oz./acre; Address® 90 S @ 1.67 to 3.2 oz./acre; Orthene 90 S @ 1.67 to 3.2 oz./acre; Bidrin® 8 E @ 1 gallon/60 acres; dimethoate 4 E @ 1/3 to ½ pint/acre; dimethoate 5 E @ 3.2 to 6.4 oz./acre; Monitor 4 E @ 3.2 oz./acre.

Producers are reminded to monitor Round UP Ready cotton closely to time Round UP applications prior to the 5th true leaf reaching the size of a quarter.

Surveys from pecan nut casebearer pheromone traps in Runnels County indicate that the time to treat for this pest is now. The first eggs found were May 14 and first significant nut entry should occur around May 16-18. Therefore, treatments should be made between May 17-May 24. This date is much earlier than normal. Commercial pecan growers will need to continue monitoring pheromone traps and egg laying after the first treatment. A second application is sometimes required.

Many pecan trees were stressed severely last year with the extreme heat and dry weather conditions. These trees do not need a heavy fruit load this year or it will further stress the tree. It is recommended to foliar apply zinc to the trees several times during the earlier part of summer. This will encourage good shoot growth and expand leaf area. This is a year the trees will need lots of water and fertilizer to increase vigor and root growth. We have lost 30 to 40 percent of our root system due to drought. Be sure to remove dead wood from the trees to prevent borer damage later and this will also promote growth.

Since last fall, there has been a few new insecticides that have become available to pecan growers. I have added these to our recommended list.

A short summary of insecticides labeled for pecan and their uses are:

Lorsban® 4E, chlorpyrifos, provides good control of most insects and good to fair aphid control. It is labeled for black pecan aphids, hickory shuckworm, pecan nut casebearer, phylloxera, fall webworm and spittlebug. It is also labeled for yellow pecan aphids in combination with pyrethroid insecticides.

Sevin®, carbaryl, has several formulations. Early season applications tend to flair aphids and mites. Sevin® provides excellent control of pecan weevils. Not a good choice early season.

Dipel®, bacillus thuringiensis, and other Bt products provide good control of pecan nut casebearer, fall webworms, and walnut caterpillar. These biological materials are very easy on beneficial insects and will not flare secondary pests. Residual is short-lived.

SpinTor 2SC. Active ingredient is spinosad and is labeled on pecan for-pecan nut casebearer, fall webworm, hickory shuckworm, walnut caterpillar and redhumped caterpillar. The use rate is 4-10 fluid ounces per acre. Restrictions include: Do not apply within 14 days of harvest; Do not apply treatments less than 14 days apart and do not apply more than 29 ounces per acre per crop. Livestock grazing is permitted with this product.

Confirm T&O. This product is the Turf and Ornamental label for Confirm 2F. The active ingredient is tebufenozide and is labeled for ornamentals; cole crops, leafy vegetables; fruiting vegetables, pome fruits; bush berries; cane berreis; pecans and walnuts.

Zinc should be applied to foliage of pecan trees when applying an insecticide for casebearer control. Regular zinc applications are needed for good development of pecans. When applying zinc, coverage is important because zinc does not translocate in the tree. Symptoms of zinc deficiency are small leaves and rosette shoots. Elemental zinc is toxic to most plants other than pecans and grapes; therefore, avoid drift. Never spray young trees that are not actively growing.

I have been hearing reports of individuals finding large numbers of grasshopper nymphs in pasture areas. Other areas of the state is also experiencing similar infestations.

Grasshopper hatches are normally held in check by a fungus that attacks their over-wintering eggs in the soil. During a dry winter, the fungus does not flourish and more grasshopper eggs hatch to become nymphs.

Producers are usually advised that it becomes economical to treat when they can count 25 grasshoppers per square yard. Twenty-five grasshoppers may not sound like a big number, but over an acre, this count could equal 120,000 grasshoppers. At this concentration, the grasshoppers can eat as much forage as a mature cow.

Chemical controls for grasshoppers in improved pastures are relatively cheap when products are sued at their lowest rates. Sevin XLR and Malathion 57 EC have proven effective on grasshopper nymphs in bermuda grass pastures at their lowest rates. Cost of these products ranges from $1.40 to $4.35 per acre.

Which insecticide used depends upon more facts than cost, however. Malathion has no grazing or harvest restrictions. Sevin has a 14-day grazing restriction.

Home gardeners shouldn't worry about grasshoppers damaging lawns. Vegetable gardens and ornamental landscape plants can be a target, however. For safe control in vegetable gardens, use Sevin or malathion. Insecticides containing a pyrethroid can be used on ornamentals but should not be used on vegetable crops.

Insect Scout School is scheduled for June 3rd and 4th and producers are encouraged to attend and refresh your memories on insect management and plant growth and development. We have an excellent program put together and look forward to a lot of participants.

I want to encourage each of you to come and participate in the Scout School.

Turnrow meetings will begin about the middle of June. More information will be given as the season progresses.

IPM or Integrated Pest Management is a strategy of managing pests that is designed to meet an individuals production goals in the most economically and environmentally sound manner possible using a combination of control tactics.

IPM is a systemic, information-intensive approach which depends upon an understanding of the entire production system. It strives to use several complimentary tactics or control methods to manage pests which makes the system more stable and subject to less production risks. IPM focuses on tactics that will prevent or avoid anticipated pest problems rather than remediate problems once they occur.

How did IPM come about?

The concept and impetus for IPM grew out of the discontent with using a purely insecticidal approach to insect control on many areas on the 1950's. Overuse of insecticides resulted in insects that were resistant to insecticides, resurgence of pests after treatment and occurrence of secondary pests that became a problem only after the natural enemies that had been keeping them in check were killed by insecticides. "Integrated control" was developed emphasizing use of selective insecticides so that natural enemies were conserved in the system. This "integration" of control techniques was expanded in later years to include other management options such as resistant crop varieties, crop rotation and other tactics and to include weed and diseases as pests in addition to insects.

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.