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.

Peanuts are doing well, but the heat is slowing the flowering process and making it difficult for pegs to develop pods. So far, a good pod set has been noted in most fields. Larvae feeding on foliage has been extremely light to-date. Leaf spot, pepper spot, and limb rot have not been found. Any change in weather may change that. With the age of the peanuts, weather pattern and irrigation frequency a preventative fungicide would be highly recommended. Weeds continue to be challenging. 2,4D-B with some residual like Dual has been common choices. Please call if questions.

Cotton ranges from 1/3 grown square ( not yet blooming) to blooming out the top. Ideally, we would have everything blooming now, and setting bolls. Currently only 50% of area fields are in bloom. We would like to be around 6-7 nodes above white flower (NAWF) at this time. Our target of 5 NAWF should be reached around August 5th. This allows us to literally bloom out the top on our last effective bloom date of approximately August 20.

I have set aside fleahoppers in most all scouting fields now. I occasionally see a cotton aphid, but beneficial insects and spider numbers are very good. We need to be vigilant though as many of you are still fertilizing. This is the reason why I have been harping on getting fertilizer out by the end of July. Two things happen with late fertilizer on cotton -- first it can delay cotton maturity, and second aphids love this late excessive nitrogen.

For more information on cotton aphid management and their control see: https://extensionentomology. tamu.edu/files/2020/03/Cottonaphid_ ENTO074.pdf ***** West Plains IPM Update is a publication of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service IPM Program in Hockley, Cochran, and Lamb Counties. Editor: Kerry Siders, Extension Agent-IPM Contact information: 1212 Houston St., Suite 2, Levelland, TX 79336 806) 894-3150 (office), 638-5635 (mobile) ksiders@tamu.edu (E-mail)