LACA Walking And Talking Fields: July 2024
Blaine Viator
Calvin Viator, Ph.D. & Associates, LLC
In the 11 coastal parishes we consult in, lack of rainfall has not been a problem. Many areas have already exceeded the mean annual rainfall accumulation, and it’s not even August. We have already in some areas received in excess of 65 inches, so we are certainly experiencing the opposite of what we dealt with last year.
The sugarcane crop here is approximately 5 weeks ahead of its normal growth and maturity. Fields began lodging for us in the first week of July - and not just the variety 885 which is more prone to lodging. Some of the lodging is in older stubble. This is an indication of a really heavy crop. Buildup up of mealy bugs which tend to bring fire ants, and especially Leptotrachelus spp, which is a beetle larvae is also ahead of schedule by about a month, which is further helping to reduce chemical control measures for borer species.
Our first applications for SCB and MRB went out on May 16th. It’s been a long time since I can remember having to check cane and bring in scouts for the first week of May. On a normal year, things are barely getting started in June. The upside of this is that we may be able to cease applications a little earlier than normal since the cane is so advanced and mature.
All our applications of Vantacor when applied timely and correctly have been very effective on both species of stem borers. Some applications have given us as long as 6 weeks or more control. The most troublesome and susceptible variety to stem borers has been the newly released 306. Iberville has been quiet, Bayou River region in the east has been spotty, and West of Franklin has seen the heavier pressure.
In isolated areas of Iberia and St. Martin parishes, we had a little flare up of spider mites during a brief dry spell earlier in the season. Growers began getting concerned of leaf tip flaring, however the abundant rains have washed off the pest and all that remains is older feeding symptoms. We mostly saw it in 267, 804, and some 299.
So far, we have excellent soybean yield potential. However, as most of our beans are at R7 growth stage, if daily rains keep up we could be in trouble.
What started off as a relative light red banded stinkbug year, is quickly going in the other direction. Controlling them with the daily rain showers has been a real challenge. Trying to get these applications out in some kind of window, we’ve had to rely on a lot more aerial applications and it’s really tough for an aerial applicator…he’ll get up in the air, and the radar will be clear and within 30 minutes, there’s showers popping up.
All of us in LACA have been very concerned about the EPA registration review of Acephate. If we lose this chemistry, which is really our only control strategy for red banded stinkbugs, we will likely no longer be able to produce soybeans in the southern parishes. I would encourage anyone who has not done so yet, to submit a public comment on the EPA website (www.regulations.gov, Docket No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0915) prior to the deadline of July 31st.
Tim White
Central Louisiana Crop Consulting
Jonesville, LA
Catahoula Parish
Consulting in Catahoula, Concordia, and Avoyelles parishes, Tim reports for the most part, looks like a pretty good crop. Corn yields have been off a little for those that have started harvesting, primarily due to the earlier rains and nitrogen losses. We’ve not had any beans harvested yet in our area, but that will start in the next two weeks. Looks like we’ve got a pretty decent bean crop. Cotton looks good so far, insect pressure has not been too terribly bad so far, but plantbug activity has picked up in the last seven days pretty good. Soybean pests, stink bugs have really picked up in the last 10 days to two weeks, and we do have a few fields that are getting their second application made for stink bugs, and most everything by the end of this week will have had its first insecticide application for stink bugs.
Depending on where you’re standing, we’ve either had too much rain or maybe not enough…we’ve got places where in the past week have received over 7 inches of rain and some places where they’re still needing some rain right now. Northern part of the area that I work is needing to dry out some and southern part could still stand some more rain. Typical Louisiana weather!
Weeds have been sporadic, kinda like the weather. In some areas, we’ve had some issues, mainly with resistant johnsongrass, not being able to make some timely applications of the graminicides or Liberty.