AgFax Cotton - Louisiana

by AgFax Media LLC, AgFax.com

OVERVIEW

Plant bugs have started building in places and treatment activity is increasing. Heavy numbers are turning up in some areas, although counts remain relatively low in many parts of our coverage area.

A bollworm moth flight is underway in portions of the Midsouth and both eggs and worms are evident in places. Treatments are being made in cotton in parts of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Spider mites have somewhat subsided in places but have picked up steam in others. More plant growth regulator sprays are going out.

CROP REPORTS

Harold Lambert, Independent Consultant, Innis, Louisiana: "For the most part, our cotton is in the second week of bloom. Plant bugs are finally cranking up a little. We've had pleasantly few of them up to now, but they're building and are requiring treatments. It was sure nice while it lasted. Square set and fruit retention have been extremely good so far and we want to keep it that way. We missed rain in places and the aphids tried to make a go of it in some of that cotton. We had to treat but we also were able to address them in certain cases when we sprayed for plant bugs."

Hank Jones, C&J Ag Consulting, Pioneer, Louisiana: "Our cotton is doing quite well and retention is about as good as I've ever seen, regardless of the variety or location. A lot of our dryland cotton needs a rain, but it's mostly at 7 nodes above white flower and could go another 7 to 10 days without a rain (from 7/12), although it would be great to get one now.

"We're starting to pick up worms. Some are in bloom tags and we can find them damaging terminals, so we will be spraying in those fields. Plant bugs have been slow and steady but somewhat unpredictable on spray timing. But based on retention, we're not having a problem with plant bugs, as such. Spider mites are spotty. We might spray a field and then go 5 miles before finding another one at treatment level."