AgFax Cotton - Louisiana
By AgFax Media LLC, AgFax.com
OVERVIEW
More fields are at cutout or approaching it. Those fall into that general category of "cotton planted on time," which is a smaller-than-average part of the crop this year through much of our coverage area.
Open weather has mostly been the case since our last report, but rains continue in parts of Louisiana where Hurricane Barry dumped substantial amounts a couple of weeks ago.
Plant bugs and bollworms are heavy in spots, but widespread problems haven't developed.
Recent rains raise the prospects for target spot and other diseases.
LOUISIANA CROP REPORTS
Richard Griffing, Griffing Consulting, LLC, Monterey, Louisiana:
"The youngest cotton is at early bloom. The oldest is 3 nodes above white flower, and we treated it 2 or 3 weeks ago for bollworms. Moth trap numbers are dropping and eggs are running 10% to 15%.
"Plant bug pressure has trended lighter for the last 10 days, although we're still treating. Spider mite populations are light and aphids are gone.
"It would be great if the weather would cooperate. Target spot and bacterial blight are picking up in several varieties.
"We're still very wet after Hurricane Barry dropped up to 9 inches of rain along the Mississippi River fields. West of that in Catahoula Parish, 4 to 5 inches fell. It's stayed wet ever since then and over an inch of rain fell yesterday.
"The crop looks promising if we can just get some dry weather. For the first time in 30 years, I'm seeing cotton throw off small squares for no apparent reason and this isn't due to plant bugs. Usually, cotton will abort small bolls behind a big rain, but this is different.
"We'll be in full swing with corn harvest in 10 to 15 days. I don't think it's a bumper crop but our corn should be good. Roundup went out on the milo, and it will be ready for harvest in a week.
"We've also desiccated about 4,000 acres of soybeans that'll be ready to harvest in a week. We are spraying the R-5/R-6 soybeans for a mix of stink bugs in Concordia Parish. That includes redbanded stink bugs. Applications for corn earworms have been going out on younger beans.
"Hurricane Barry damaged a substantial number of acres of soybeans. Our rivers – the Mississippi, Black and Red – are high now and that water can't recede. We already had acres that couldn't be planted due to the water, and now another 3,000 to 4,000 sustained damage from the hurricane."
Sebe Brown, Louisiana Extension Field Crops Entomologist:
"With all the rain, we have some flooded fields from Alexandria south. Certain areas received 8 inches from Hurricane Barry and another 2.5 inches last weekend. Right now, there's a deluge and we'll end up with another 5 or 6 inches. With the rain and rank growth, target spot will likely become a problem. We've been through years like this with tremendous rainfall going into August, and that triggered fruit shed.
"It will take 7 to 10 days to dry out, and growers in central Louisiana south will be out of the field for a significant time. Farther north, the cotton is inconsistent. The fruit load is 'okay,' according to several people. We won't break any records this year but should have a decent crop in the Delta area.
"The bollworm flight varies from heavy to nonexistent, and much of that difference depends on proximity to corn. The worms are hard to scout this year. It seems eggs are being laid deep in the canopy.
"Redbanded stink bug (RBSB) populations have run high in south Louisiana soybeans for several weeks, with an influx this week in central Louisiana. In the northeast, numbers remain low, but they really tend to show up in August as soybeans reach R-5.
"Corn harvest has started at high moisture – from 20% to 28%. Guys are jumping in the field early because they've been burned in the past by August hurricanes."