GENERAL SITUATION

Cool & Dry! A few thunderstorms have been in the area over the past week or so with a little rain and hail. Several fields of cotton have been damaged with some requiring replanting. Thrips activity remains moderate to high with the older slower growing cotton having the most activity.

THRIPS

The earlier planted cotton that has grown slowly during the cool weather has sustained considerable Thrips damage. Fields located downwind of drying wheat fields have been affected most. Some plants have lost terminals where damage is severe.
Several fields have been treated with a foliar spray. Bidrin®, Orthene®, or Dimethoate are several options for spraying but timing is most critical. If severe damage is already present, you have probably missed the opportunity to affect the yield considerably with a treatment.
The younger cotton will be less likely to sustain as heavy of damage.

LITTLE BLACK BUGS

A slender black bug with red margins approximately 1/4 inch long has invaded most of the area. It has no common name but the scientific name is Neacoryphus lateralis and is a member of the Hemiptera order. It is very common to West Texas but I have never seen this high of numbers. Not much is known about their biology and what they feed on.

We have seen high numbers in seedling cotton fields. They are setting around the base of plants. Small injury sites can be seen on the tender stems of plants and some stunting may be occurring but nothing severe has shown up yet. You should be checking for their presence or damage.

BASIC IPM CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS

Included in my newsletters over the next few months will be a series on basic IMP concepts and definitions.

What is IPM?
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 systematic, 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 in many areas in 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.

What IPM Is Not
1) IPM is not a rigid program of management techniques. While the tactics and treatment thresholds may vary, successful IPM strategies can be developed for any level of crop production or any commodity regardless of economic value.
2) IPM is not organic farming. While IPM seeks to minimize or optimize the use of high risk synthetic pesticides, it recognizes that pesticides will be needed to maintain highly productive agriculture for the forseeable future and pesticides are currently the best option available for certain situations. IPM selects pesticides that are effective, economical and least disruptive to the production system. Organic farmers are prevented from using some of the low risk techniques and technologies available to IPM growers simply because they are synthetic.
3) IPM is not low input, low yield farming. IPM strategies can be developed for any level of production or any commodity. IPM evaluations over the years generally indicate that IPM maintains or increases yields while reducing production costs resulting in increased net profits.
4) IPM is not being tied to any certain companies products or services but rather seeks current, unbiased, science-based information to solve problems.

5) IPM is not static but rather advances the understanding of agricultural systems and the intelligent use of existing and new technologies through research and demonstrations on growers farms. IPM seeks to put the best science and the best management practices available to work on growers farms.
6) IPM is not risky but rather scientific studies and farmer evaluations indicate that IPM reduces economic, human health and economic risks associated with farming.
7) IPM is not scouting one field on the farm and using the information to treat all fields on the farm alike.
8) IPM is not doing something just because a neighbor is or someone at the coffee shop is talking about it

WEATHER DATA
Weather data for the past two weeks is included in the table that follows:

HEAT UNITS averaged 18 per day the past week. Heat units since 5-1 and 5-15 are compared with last year and a five year average in the table below.

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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.

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