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Articles by Kerry Siders
WEST PLAINS IPM UPDATE
News about Integrated Pest Management in Hockley, Cochran and Lamb Counties CURRENT SITUATION Cotton ranges from seed just placed in the ground to 5 true leaf cotton. This is a normal range for this time. I cannot review all the scenarios which have played out and continue to play out over the last 5 to 6 weeks during planting. Just suffice to say that it has been a real challenge for some to get cotton up, and still is for many.
Partners with Nature:
News about Integrated Pest Management in Hockley, Cochran, and Lamb Counties Texas Crop Producers Need to be Aware of Latest Dicamba Ruling AgriLife Extension experts prepare for more information. Texas producers on the verge of planting their cotton and soybean crops are turning to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service officials in light of a Feb.
Crop Scan Ag Report: Cotton Looks Good as Defoliation Begins
Body Getting the 2023 cotton crop harvest- ready is the focus across the Cotton Belt, as more and more acres are being defoliated over the next few weeks. Despite some weekend rains and wind from a tropical storm in the Carolinas, our contributing consultants say the cotton crop looks good overall, with fingers are crossed for solid harvest results. This is the final Crop Scan Ag Report for the 2023 season. Many thanks to our contributing consultants for their time and input.
West Plains IPM Update: Crop and Pest Update
Body Not much has changed over the last couple of weeks in cotton other than the physiological state of the cotton itself. A high percentage of our cotton acres are near the 5 nodes above white flower (NAWF) point (physiological cut-out). I would not let your guard down for a while longer, especially in cotton which has late growth, non-BT cotton, or may have excessive nitrogen levels. Most cotton will need to be monitored for insect pests till the last week of August.
West Plains IPM Update: Crop and Pest Update
Grain sorghum. I have not confirmed sorghum aphids being found in Lamb, Hockley, or Cochran Counties. Apparently, they have been spotted in Hale County. We continue to find grasshoppers along field margins. In young whorl stage corn and milo feeding in the whorl is very light this year. I would encourage producers to monitoring late planted grain on a regular basis for sorghum aphid, midge, worms, and spider mites.
West Plains IPM Update: Crop and Pest Update
Cotton ranges from 7 to 14 true leaves with square set/retention averaging a good +85%. I am just now starting to see first bloom in the more advanced fields. Generally, it will be after July 20 before we see cotton beginning to bloom, if not later in a good majority. Just considering our last effective bloom date (the date in which we can say with a high percent chance that a bloom will result in a harvestable boll) ranges from August 10-15, from Morton to Ropesville.
West Plains IPM Update: Current Situation Wireworms
Body Scouting cotton and other crops has been quiet the past few days except for some wireworm issues which have come up in cotton and weed control in general. First, let me state that I have given warning to this wireworm possibility showing up in most any field in are area. Wireworms are not easily sampled for during the growing season to tell us if we will have an issue the following season.
CROP AND PEST UPDATE
Kerry Siders Crop Report June 2, 2023 Kerry Siders, is the Texas A&M University Extension Agent-IPM for Cochran, Hockley and Lamb Counties. He wrote this report for Cotton Grower’s Crop Scan report. As I write this, it is raining. Now don’t for a minute think that I am saying that our drought is over, but only that we have been heading in the right direction the last few weeks. In May here at my office in Levelland, we received 3.28” of precipitation. Really nothing to brag about for spring rains.
West Plains IPM Update: Current Situation
Body The drought continues even though some isolated rain showers have been received the last few days. Here in Levelland we have not received a single weather event where the precipitation measured more than 1.0” since October of 2022. That is 200 days since we have received appreciable measurable rain. Soil temperatures are generally good now for planting cotton. You must remember though that dry soil does not hold temperature as consistent as a moist soil.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Economic Damage from Insect Pests Comes to an End
As we approach the end of August, one question that has been received lately more often than any other is at what stage do I stop worrying about insects in cotton? The major insect activity that I am noticing at this stage is around lygus bug and stink bugs. Stop sampling and treating for lygus bug when cotton accumulates 350 DD60 (degree days 60) beyond five nodes above white flower (NAWF).
Texas West Plains Cotton: Crop Generally Safe from Pests
Our cotton ranges from plants which suffered drought conditions such that they never flowered to good drip irrigated cotton which have cracked-open bolls. That is an extreme range, but a real reflection of how this season has gone for us. I would estimate that we have less than 1% rainfed cotton acres that may could be harvested. Our irrigated acres are down to about 40% of what was planted, and not all of that will be harvested. We have many fallow acres which is not real common for us.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Concerns of Regrowth in Cutout Fields
Crop and Pest Situation Cotton has caught a bit of fresh air this week with more moderate temperatures and some scattered rain showers. No doubt irrigation applications made more headway this week than probably all summer. This brings up an important point. We are nearing the end of the blooming cycle and creation of bolls. From this point forward it is all about retaining those bolls, achieving good size for yield and good quality.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Drought Still the Biggest Concern
CROP AND PEST SITUATION There are a few pockets (all sub-threshold) of cotton aphids, spider mites, a few bollworms, and Lygus in Hockley, Cochran, and Lamb counties. However, in the scope of things we could say that insects are a very low priority. Weeds may still be on a list of concerns for some but are also low priority. This would apply to most any crop. I am just not seeing insect, disease or weed issues which come close to the concern about WATER.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Irrigation Considerations with Ongoing Drought
Let us look at what the average cotton plant looks like based on what I am finding in the scouting program: Average number of total nodes is 15 (range 11 to 19) 1st fruiting branch at node 7.2 (range 5-10) Square retention of 1st positions is 91% (range 80-99%) Node length is 0.8″ (range of 0.7″-1.4″) Plant populations average 36,300 per acre (range 23,000 to 49,000) Nodes Above White Flower 5.5 (range of 2 to 9) Average 1st position bolls per plant 1.1 I continue to see more blooms and small...
Texas West Plains Cotton: 30% of Crop Blooming, Keep Scouting Fields
Cotton ranges from 9 true leaves with 2 first position squares to 18.4 total nodes with 2.7 first position bolls and 5.2 nodes above white flower. Square set continues to be in the mid 90% range. Based on IPM Scouting Program fields there are 30% of fields at bloom/boll development stage. We have most acres which will see first bloom this weekend. Cotton is going into bloom with 7.6 nodes above white flower (NAWF).
Texas West Plains Cotton: Unusual Pest Abounds - Mozena Obtuse Plant Bug
Over the last 24 hours I have received several calls about “a bug” that is being found in extremely high numbers. A majority of these inquires are coming from the southwest portion of Hockley County particularly near Sundown. So, this “bug’ is a true bug known as Mozena obtusa Uhler plant bug. If you might recall we dealt with this insect back in August of 2014, mostly out in Cochran County then.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Pests Few and Far Between; Considerations for PGR Use
PEST SITUATION In general, insect pests are very far and few between in field crops. I am not seeing cotton fleahoppers except on weeds, and mostly in field margins as adults. This is supported by the fact that our cotton square retention is running better than 90%. The lowest square retention I’ve seen is in the mid 80% range on near blooming cotton, and the missing squares are most likely because of a wind event.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Hot, Dry, Windy as Water Needs Increase
Hot, dry, windy conditions have continued to be the primary factor determining the fate of our crops. Forecast calls for more moderate temperatures starting Sunday through middle of next week, with a chance of precipitation. These conditions have made it very difficult to keep up with crop water demands, and subsequently even turning water on.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Pests Quiet, Rebounding Drought Main Concern
Cotton at 4 to 7 true leaves damaged by intense heat and wind. Photo: Kerry Siders, Texas AgriLife On the bright side, as a manager of pests (insects, weeds, and diseases) it is quiet out there. Ok, we are spraying weeds, albeit reluctantly with dry, hot, winds; and there are fields that have some seedling disease issues lingering.
Current situation in cotton
We are going to see a few planters with cotton seed running for a few more days, but cotton is mostly planted. The last rain has allowed for some dryland to come to a stand. Maybe not a great stand, but possibly a keeper. Here are my stand numbers: 1. Ideally, I like to see 43,000 cotton plants/acre on irrigated, with the bottom side being around 26,000/acre. 2. On dryland I like to shoot for 23,000/acre, with the bottom side being around 19,000/acre. 3.
Walking a Fine Line with PGRs
When farmers first started looking at variable rate applications of plant growth regulators, the idea was to vary the rates depending on the crop conditions they encountered as they went across the field. Some growers are doing that, but others are trying – or perhaps should be trying – a different approach: slowly increasing the amounts of PGRs from one application to the next to reflect stronger varieties, higher nitrogen levels, and environmental conditions.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Pests Mostly Quiet, Lygus on the Rise
Mature cotton bolls. Photo: Texas AgriLife Extension Cotton has made good progress the last several days with generally 90-degree temperatures and mostly clear skies. I have received several calls about heat unit accumulation this year. I cannot calculate for every location but here are some stats on heat units (HU) for Levelland based on my National Weather Service observations that I submit each morning. From May 20 until August 26, we have accumulated 1602 HU (DD 60).
Texas West Plains Cotton: Mostly Pest Free with Some Problem Pockets
Cotton ranges from 5 nodes above white flower to hard cut-out. Ideally cotton will be blooming out-the-top by now; because we have reached that point when the odds of a bloom developing into a quality/yield contributing boll will drop considerably over the next week. In fact, we are seeing some more mature fields beginning to shed squares and small bolls as a final adjustment in what the plant can naturally hold.
Texas West Plains: Potential Pest Storms Brewing
Aphids on cotton leaf. No RED ALERTS! Or anything like that at this moment. However, we do have some insect storms brewing which may have potential for crop damage and needing your attention. The top two would be sugarcane aphids (SCA) in grain sorghum, and the other is cotton aphids. I might go ahead and mention that larva pest is heating up as well for all crops. COTTON continues to be all over the board on maturity.
Texas West Plains IPM: Sugarcane Aphids Confirmed; Keep Scouting Cotton Fields
Late planted sorghum leaves covered by honeydew from feeding sugarcane aphid. Photo: Texas Sugarcane Aphid News, Texas AgriLife Extension The presence of Sugarcane Aphid (SCA) has been confirmed in grain sorghum in Hockley County as of Wednesday, August 4th. The field confirmed with SCA was planted first week of June. The confirmed field has been sprayed. I would highly suggest that you begin weekly inspections of all grain sorghum fields. Scout! Here is the link to the management guide.
Texas West Plains IPM: Mostly Quiet but Keep Your Eyes Open
Let me first start with grain sorghum and corn, since it is relatively easy to summarize right now. I have not confirmed sugarcane aphids (SCA) being found on grain sorghum in Lamb, Hockley, or Cochran Counties. We continue to find grasshoppers along field margins. In young whorl stage corn and milo feeding in the whorl is common but not severe or treatable. I would encourage producers to monitoring late planted grain on a regular basis from here out for SCA, midge, worms, and spider mites.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Blooms Starting, 4 Priorities for This Week
Again, we have been through the wringer the last several weeks. My prayer now is that we have good open weather from here on out with gentle, timely rains, and a great long fall. On the bright side we have good soil moisture for mid-July and the temperatures are generating good heat units.
West Texas Cotton: Insects Quiet, Weed Control the Order of the Day
GENERAL SITUATION Widespread rain events this last week, and possibly more to come over the next few days. No complaints here. I know we need to get some weeds sprayed, fertilizer out, and keep things tied down from blowing, but this rain has done wonders for most everything including us.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Few Insects, Lots of Weed Problems
Cotton field hit by hail. Photo: Jourdan Bell, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Entomologist Cotton ranges from seed still in the ground to 8 true leaf squaring cotton (average is 5 true leaves). This wide range is reflective of the mess we have been in across a large area here on the West Plains. I cannot review all the scenarios which have played out over the last 5 to 6 weeks during planting. Just suffice to say that it has been a real struggle for most to have a good stand.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Cold, Dry, Windy - Not a Good Mix
It has been a week now since our first significant cold front moved through. It was supposed to have brought with it, beside cold air and wind, some measurable precipitation. Unfortunately, while the weatherman got the wind correct, it was about 5 degrees colder (38 F) than they anticipated, and it was not a wet front for us at all. As a result, we are seeing many acres of cotton looking like the top picture below. Many have speculated the damage is a result of either disease or freeze.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Keep Irrigation Running, Sample Soils for Nematodes
Photo: Chuck Wilbur, Crop Consultant, Texas-Oklahoma For most, August has been another long hot, dry month. Very few were fortunate enough to receive any measurable precipitation. Most all cotton has bolled to the top and has accumulated enough heat units (400) since 5 nodes above white flower (~August 5th) to make cotton safe from most insect pests. However, and there is always a “however”, cotton aphids would be one that could be there till near the bitter end.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Insects Quiet, but Don’t Stop Scouting
Cotton ranges from early bloom with more than 5 nodes above white flower (NAWF) to past physiological cutout with less than 2 NAWF. The area cotton crop reflects that 2/3 of fields have less than 2.5 nodes above white flower (NAWF) currently, with the remaining third ranging from 5 to 3 NAWF. Ideally, we would literally be blooming out the top this next week. I do think most acres will achieve this goal.
Texas West Plains IPM: Critical Period for All Crops, Keep Scouting Fields
Photo: Texas AgriLife Extension Cotton ranges from just beginning to bloom with more than 6 nodes above white flower (NAWF) to past physiological cutout with 2 NAWF. Using our IPM scouting fields as a representation of area cotton crop, we see that 68% of fields have reached physiological cutout (<5 NAWF) this week. For those fields we need approximately 400 more heat units (HU) to accumulate to be safe from bollworms.
Texas Cotton: When Can You Shut Off Irrigation?
Photo: Chuck Wilbur, Crop Consultant, Texas-Oklahoma I know many are wondering when they can start backing off and even shutting down irrigation water over the next few weeks. Again, the nodes above white flower (NAWF) measurement can be extremely helpful. This will let you know where your current top boll position is and how old previously set bolls are. As an example, if we have a white bloom three nodes down from the top, I will say you have 2 NAWF. I am only referring to first position fruit.
Bollworms moving from corn threaten Texas High Plains cotton
• By Patrick Porter, Kerry Siders and Suhas Vyavhare • A bollworm feeds on a cotton boll — photo courtesy Texas A&M AgriLife Research The current spike in bollworm moth activity in our pheromone traps is from moths coming out of corn. These moths pose a substantial threat to cotton with majority of our fields being in peak bloom. I have not noticed significant worm activity in cotton yet, but last week we did start to pick some worm damage in our research plots of non-Bt cotton.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Bollworm Management Considerations
Bollworm on cotton leaf. Photo: Texas AgriLife Extension Area producers need to be scouting conventional cotton for bollworms! Just this week the scouts and I have been finding cotton bollworms, not over threshold of 8,000 small to medium worms per acre, but at 0 to 3,500 small worms per acre. I have been finding an egg lay of around 2,000 to 20,000 eggs per acre and subsequent worm numbers for the past couple of days.
Texas Cotton: Managing Lygus Bugs
Tarnished plant bug, aka lygus bug. Photo: Lisa Ames, University of Georgia, bugwood.org. The western tarnished plant bug (Lygus hesperus Knight) is one of several Lygus species that feeds on cotton terminals, squares, and small bolls. Adults are 1/4-inch-long, have a conspicuous triangle in the center of the back, are winged, and vary in color from pale green to yellowish brown with reddish brown to black markings. Immature lygus bugs are called nymphs.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Insects Mostly Quiet, Weeds a Bigger Problem
Cotton ranges from 5 to 13 total nodes with square set very good at +80%. The scouts have been counting at most 5 first position squares. On average the first fruiting position is at node 7. Normally go into bloom on irrigated fields with 8 nodes above white flower. Therefore, we will need to develop 9 first position squares to then move into first bloom. So, the cotton we have seen which is furthest along with 5 first position squares needs to develop an additional 4 first position squares.
Texas Cotton: Plant Growth Regulator Considerations
Applying a plant growth regulator to cotton. Photo: Alabama Cooperative Extension This may not seem like the year one would even consider a PGR (plant growth regulator). However, a year like this we might consider the PGR’s as a tool to manage a shorter season or to keep us on track for “earliness”. The use of plant growth regulators (PGRs) in cotton is sometimes like reinventing the wheel on an annual basis.
Paraquat: Required Applicator Training Available Online
Gloves are the most important part of personal protective equipment. Photo: Nebraska Farmer As required by EPA’s Paraquat Dichloride Human Health Mitigation Decision and amended paraquat dichloride (a.k.a. paraquat) product labels, certified applicators must successfully complete an EPA-approved training program before mixing, loading, and/or applying paraquat.
Texas: Industrial Hemp Seminar, Lubbock, Dec. 19
Industrial hemp. Photo: Center for Crop Diversification, University of Kentucky Texas producers and those interested in industrial hemp production can attend a “First Things” meeting to learn about potential opportunities and pitfalls of regional hemp production. The program will be conducted at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center located at 1102 East Drew Street (FM 1294), Lubbock on Thursday, December 19.
West Texas Cotton: Harvest Aids - When and What Kind? - Videos
West Texas Cotton: Harvest Aids – When and What Kind? – Videos September 26, 2019 By Kerry Siders, Texas AgriLife Extension IPM Specialist Texas AgriLife Extension Agent Kerry Siders describes how to assess whether West Texas cotton is ready for harvest aid applications, as well as giving a brief explanation of the three types of cotton harvest aids and when they should be used in these two videos.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Keep Watching for Aphids
Aphids on cotton leaf. For some, August has brought some rain showers which have helped. While others have received nary a drop. So, this patchwork of wet and dry has made it difficult to say with certainty “this is what I would recommend”, especially on irrigation. Fortunately, the heat has continued to drive the cotton to an end.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Insects Scarce but Keep Scouting
Aphids on cotton leaf. Cotton ranges from 8 nodes above white flower (very late cotton) to O nodes above white flower (blooming out the top). Ideally your cotton would be the latter, because we are at or very near “last effective bloom date” for most of our production area. Cotton production is a gamble, I know that. I know we often roll the dice and pray that this late cotton will have time to finish out. Anything is possible. However, think about this.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Scout Conventional Fields for Bollworms
Bollworm, cotton square. Photo: Aaron Cato, University of Arkansas Area producers need to be scouting conventional cotton for bollworms! This week (August 5-8) the scouts and I have been finding cotton bollworms at or above threshold in conventional cotton. Majority of worms we found early in the week were at that time 2-4-day old larva. We are not seeing a continual egg lay, in fact we do not see many moths working fields early in the mornings. We are finding them mostly in heavier canopied cotton.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Get Ready to Handle Stink Bugs
Brown stink bug on cotton boll. Photo: University of Arkansas Scouting this week has yielded mostly grasshoppers along some field edges near rangeland, and green stinkbugs found at not alarming levels but consistently across the area. I think we are still a few days away from really being concerned with these stink bugs, primarily since we are just now developing cotton bolls. Stink bugs have piercing-sucking mouthparts and damage cotton by piercing the bolls and feeding on the developing seeds.
Texas West Plains Cotton: All Quiet on the Insect Front
I began finding blooms and small bolls on Monday, July 15, mostly in Cochran County. Plant mapping data indicates that area cotton is going into bloom with 8.5 nodes above white flower. This places first bloom in most fields near July 25, with remaining fields hitting first bloom sometime in August. Just recall that August 20 is the date when we can say with some confidence that a boll formed on that day will have time to mature out.
Texas West Plains Cotton: Keep Watch for Lygus, Stink Bugs, Bollworms
Cotton has generally been growing off much better the past couple of weeks with much warmer temperatures and some occasional rain. The rain this last weekend was a God send for most. Believe it or not we have fields at or very close to bloom stage or will be blooming in the next week or so. This is a great milestone physiologically to achieve before mid-July, as it gives us a full month then to bloom and set bolls.
Texas West Plains IPM Update: Fleahoppers are Main Concern
Fleahopper on cotton leaf. Cotton fleahoppers are in most fields. Grasshoppers are an increasing as well. The fleahoppers are most concerning because we are just on the verge beginning to square across many acres. We cannot afford to lose any early squares since we don’t have time to compensate as we might have in previous years. Many of these fleahoppers may currently be interested in some weed species, like whiteweed (aka silverleaf nightshade).
Texas West Plains IPM: Give Your Cotton Plants a Little Time
©Debra L Ferguson Stock Images Cotton ranges from seed just placed in the ground to 5 true leaf cotton. I cannot review all the scenarios which have played out over the last 5 to 6 weeks during planting. Just suffice to say that it has been a real struggle to get a stand of cotton. Between cool temps (high of 69 degrees just this last Monday), to incessant wind, hail and hard driving rain.
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