Cotton continues to progress rapidly with the hot sunny temperatures we are currently experiencing. Grain sorghum harvest has begun in some areas with good yields and bushel weights being reported.

Insect pressure has remained light with no major problems early in the week. Reports late in the week indicate bollworm activity increasing significantly in Veribest, Mereta and Miles communities. Much of the cotton in the Concho Valley is at physiological cutout or rapidly approaching cutout. Unfortunately, northern Runnels County and southern Tom Green County are still short on soil moisture and many cotton fields in these areas are blooming out the top right now. With cutout and limited soil moisture comes fruit shedding. Plants will unload small squares and small bolls in an effort to bring a balance between available nutrient resources and energy drains. This natural shed is not insect related.

Bollworm egg counts ranges from 0-22 bollworm eggs per 100 plants with the higher numbers being in the Veribest, Mereta and Miles communities.

This is also where moisture conditions are the best. Miles and Mereta communities have an above average cotton crop set and cotton looks great in these areas. It is very important to monitor these cotton fields closely for bollworm egg-laying activity the next week or so. We are due another bollworm flurry soon. Larval counts remain very low, as of Wednesday, and no program fields have required insecticide treatment for worms to date. If insecticide treatments are necessary the next week or so for worm infestations, you will probably need to consider a pyrethroid. They are very economical to use, they are very effective against bollworms, our plant canopy is large, and aphid populations are very low at this time. If Tracer®, Larvin® or Steward® is used, make sure you're getting good coverage and the spray application is penetrating the plant canopy. (This is very important for any treatment.) It is recommended to run 3-5 gallons/acre by air and at least 10 gallons/acre by ground rig. The economic threshold for bollworms during the blooming period is 10-12 treatable worms per 100 plants or 5,000 or more treatable worms per acre. It is much more accurate to base your treatment decisions on larvae per acre and not on % per 100 plants.

Many cotton fields across the area has reached cutout, the 4-5 Nodes Above White Flower (NAWF) point. This plant development was discussed in previous newsletters. At this point in time, the growth of the mainstem is severely reduced or ceases growth, and the vertical flowering rate overcomes the rate of terminal growth, thus the cotton "blooms out the top." We have a lot of fields exhibiting physiological cutout fairly early this year, especially dryland fields in the drier areas of Runnels and Tom Green Counties.

Suggested Insecticides for control of bollworms.

Why Aren't There ETs (Economic Thresholds) Available for Every Pest?
ETs are notoriously difficult to determine. At first glance, an ET would appear to be a straightforward, cost-benefit relationship involving control costs and market values. However, if you consider the influence of multiple pests on a crop, injury per individual pest, crop response to injury at various stages of development, varying climactic conditions, nutritional stresses, varietal differences, the purpose for which the crop is grown and Fluctuating market values, then you can see how Ets might be
slow in development and constantly changing.

Who Needs ETs?
We all do! ETs are the most effective method of determining if control is justified. Also, if pesticides are to be used, ETs help determine timing of pesticide applications. ETs are available that work quite well in maximizing the effectiveness and minimizing the number of spray applications for many pests. Some are still under development and many more need to be developed. ETs represent a giant step forward in timing pesticide applications when compared to calendar or preventive spray schedules.

A lot of planning has gone into developing the 2002 Big Country Wheat Conference to be held in
Abilene, Texas at the Abilene Civic Center on August 22. There are a number of excellent speakers on the program and it will be worth your time and effort to attend. For more information, please contact the Taylor County Extension Office at 915-672-6048.

The "IPM Updates" have begun. The telephone number to call is 365-2642. This update will give producers a general insect and crop report for the different areas in Runnels, Tom Green and Concho Counties that is being monitored by the cotton scouts. I would encourage you to use this service. This allows you access to the information at your convenience. If it is not used this year, we will discontinue it next year.

County Tom Green BUDWORM/BOLLWORM MOTH TRAPS

Traps were baited May 16, 2002 - rebait every two weeks

County Runnels BUDWORM/BOLLWORM MOTH TRAPS

Traps were baited May 16, 2002 - rebait every two weeks

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.