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. 11
1212 Houston Street, Suite 2, Levelland, TX 79336
August 3, 2001

IN THIS ISSUE:

* General Crop and Pest Situation
* Cotton Insects
* Cotton Heat Units
* Cotton Destruction
* Africanized Honey Bees Confirmed


GENERAL CROP and PEST SITUATION
This week has again been relatively quiet on the insect front. Exceptions have been: sunflowers which are flowering still have considerable head moth activity; flowering milo has sorghum midge present; and cotton has had some isolated cotton bollworm populations develop. Moisture is still the major concern. Test for prussic acid in stressed hay grazer.

COTTON
Cotton bollworm egg laying occurred over the end of last week and those which hatched during the cloudy Monday morning this week seem to have survived in some isolated fields in central Hockley County. Particularly where beneficials numbers were low. Treatable (small - medium) larvae have been found up to 11,000 per acre.

To put this in perspective though we are only seeing this in a couple of fields. 95% of fields remaining clean. That is why it is important to scout each field. Be very careful to note if cotton aphids are present in the field. If you treat the bollworms with an effective pyrethroid you will flare the aphids. You may want to consider if other pests are present- weevils, Lygus, or beet armyworms. Consider Tracer if mix of worms and very low aphids. Or, consider Leverage (Baythroid + Provado) if bollworms, aphids, Lygus and weevils are present. This is just a mention of a couple of scenarios. It is very important to know what the pest complex in each field is so that a good decision can be made on product selection.

Whiteflies (banded winged) can still be found in most fields, but they are generally not building in numbers or causing damage to plant at this time.

Cotton boll weevil activity is almost undetectable in majority of fields. However we can not underestimate this insects ability to reproduce in late cotton.
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Beet armyworms have been noted in very small numbers in an occasional field. Feeding damage has been on foliage not fruit. I do not anticipate them becoming anymore of a problem this year.

Cotton aphids are far and few between. Isolated numbers have been seen on an occasional leaf. Again, just be aware of their presence if you treat for worms.

Weeds which have been noted coming on in some irrigated fields are: morningglory, prairie sunflower, cocklebur, and silverleaf nightshade.
Many spot spraying rigs and hoe hands have been busy the past several weeks. If spot spraying remember that the plant you are try to control needs to be in relatively good condition for the herbicide to work properly.

Cotton plant mapping in irrigated scouting fields indicate that we have a range of 1.4 to 6.7 nodes above white flower(NAWF). Once there are 4 or fewer NAWF this is considered cutout. Heat units have not been a concern this season. This is what has pushed the cotton crop along so fast. We have averaged 23 (DD-60's) heat units per day during July. Once cutout occurs another 850-950 heat units is necessary to prepare the crop for a harvest aid. If we average 20-23 heat units per day in August we could be killing cotton in 37-47 days from cutout. Cotton should be safe from weevils in 15-18 days after cutout, and from fruit feeding caterpillars in 24-28 days from cutout. As an example a field which reached cutout or 4 NAWF on August 1 would be safe from weevils on about August 15-18, worms on August 24-28, and be ready for harvest aid on September 6-16. I know of many fields which we are scouting which cutout over a week ago. Now, there is nothing like the old knife method, but this does give us solid target dates as to when we should consider the crop safe and discontinue any in-season insect control.

DESTRUCTION OF UNHARVESTABLE COTTON VITAL TO ERADICATION PROGRAM SUCCESS
Growers need to destroy unharvestable cotton plants as quickly as possible. The TX Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation will begin its eradication program in Hockley and Cochran Counties next month, and growers need to cooperate to make the program a success. Boll weevils will find, feed, and reproduce on cotton plants in fields that are considered unharvestable. The insects can also find a home in cotton plants that are growing in milo, sunflowers, or peanuts. Growers should also be sure to destroy regrowth of cotton plants in fields and to eliminate volunteer cotton plants. In all cases, the presence of hostable material in fields allows for increase in weevil populations that may overwinter. This can slow eradication efforts next year, adding to expenses for producers. You will be assessed for any acres containing cotton plants.

UPDATE ON AFRICANIZED HONEY BEE
Bees collected in both Hockley and Cochran counties have been confirmed Africanized by the Texas A&M Bee Lab. Both counties are now included in the state quarantine. For more information contact me or visit our web site on bees at: http://lubbock.tamu.edu/ahb .

TURNROW MEETINGS
No meetings are scheduled for this month due to the fast progress of the crop. If you would like to hold a meeting in your area to review pest or other crop production topics give me a call at 894-2406. We can arrange for CEU's to be provided.
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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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texagnet Internet Services.
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