Texas Agricultural Extension Service
The Texas A&M University System
 
West Plains
IPM Update

news about integrated pest management in hockley and cochran counties
Kerry Siders, EA-IPM
(806) 894-2406 (phone)
(806) 638-5635(mobile)
(806) 897-3104 (FAX)
E-Mail: k-siders@tamu.edu   http://lubbock.tamu.edu/ipm  
Vol. 6, No. 4
1212 Houston Street, Suite 2, Levelland, TX 79336
June 6, 2001

IN THIS ISSUE:

* Crop Situation
* Thrips
* Roundup Ready Cotton
* Worms
* Cotton Boll Weevil
* IPM Scouting Program

Crop Situation
Over 100,000 acres of cropland was affected by last weeks storm in Hockley County. No reports of major losses in Cochran County as of yet. An estimated 60,000 acres of cotton were either destroyed out-right or severely damaged by the storm the night of May 30th. Another 40,000 acres of cotton have been damaged since then by blowing sand. Many fields were too wet to allow for sand fighting operations for a couple of days following. Many of theses acres have or will be replanted.

Publications are available at the Texas Agricultural Extension Service office in Levelland which will help make some of the difficult decisions on those affected acres. These publications are entitled: Effects of Stand Loss and Skips on Cotton Yield; Making Replant Decisions; Alternative Crop Options After Failed Cotton and Lute-Season Crop Planting for the Texas South Plains; Recommended Last Planting Date for Grain Sorghum Hybrids in the Texas South Plains-2001; and Evaluating Hail Injury and stand Reduction in Texas Sunflower. These publications can also be found at the Extension web site: http://lubbock.tamu.edu

Thrips
Thrips have declined in most areas which received heavy rain last week. However, there are still thrip throughout both counties which need to be monitored and sprayed for. Cotton which is struggling to recover from any storm damage from the storm can not take added thrips damage.
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In areas which received rain and more than 3-4 weeks have lapsed since original planting can not count on any at-plant insecticides still remaining in the soil. Products for thrips control include: Address, Orthene, Bidrin and dimethoate. These can be tank-mixed with Round-up.

Roundup Ready Cotton
Roundup Ready cotton varieties should be treated with Roundup over the next several days. Most cotton is in the 1-2 true leaf stage now. Be careful in damaged cotton where leaves have been removed. I suggest you count nodes, instead of leaves. Applications need to be completed by the 5th true leaf or when 4 nodes can be counted. A cotton plant requires a 60 degree day heat units to go from node to node; we are generating 60 heat units every 3-4 days now. Therefore, in the next week or two at the most applications should be wrapped up on mid-May planted cotton.

Worms
Beet armyworms (BAW) are still being found in an occasional field. But not anything like ten days ago. Most of the larvae which have been found are not more than a few days old(<½" ). This tells us that mortality is relatively high. This should be attributed to the fact that the small statured plants are providing little if no refuge from the heat. Pheromone trap counts for BAW have also declined this week. On May 29th the average trap count for BAW as 191 per week, and this week on June 4th the average was 104.

Cotton bollworm pheromone trap counts have also dropped. May 14=74/wk; May 21= 22/wk; May 29=29/wk; and June 4= 101/wk.

Cotton Boll Weevils
We are within two weeks of possibly seeing squares on some of the older, non injured cotton. Therefore, we are seeing the end of suicidal emergence and weevils from this point on have a better chance of survival and reproducing. Our traps in the IPM scouting program range from 0-3 weevils per trap per week. We will need to treat some acres for weevils within the next few weeks.

IPM SCOUTING PROGRAM

Due to losses from the storm last week, the IPM Scouting Program is open to enrolling more acres. The program includes weekly scouting of insect pests, operation of boll weevil pheromone traps, and management suggestions. Call Kerry at 894-2406 or 638-3565 for more information.

Accumulated Heat Units (60 DD's)
Since this date through June 6th
May 1
447.5
May 10
375.5
May 15
324.0
May 23
237.5
June 1
107.5


West Plains IPM Update is a publication of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service IPM Program in Hockley and Cochran Counties.

West Plains IPM Update is a publication of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service IPM Program in Hockley and Cochran Counties.

Editor: Kerry Siders
Production: Patty Castaneda


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