GENERAL CONDITIONS

It is amazing how conditions can change! Prospects for the best sorghum crop in my 33 years here in the Lower Coastal Bend changed dramatically following the tropical rain period. The long period of rain and cloudy weather resulted in sorghum sprouting in the heads and grain falling to the ground. Just this week harvest was resumed with much less yield expected. There are some late fields that still have excellent yield potential. On the insect front there have been reports of whitefly, green mirid bug, and bollworm in cotton; and sorghum webworm in later sorghum.

GULF COAST COTTON MANAGEMENT

WORKSHOP – CUTOUT TO HARVEST

The 4th cotton workshop will be held Wednesday, July 21, 2010 with registration at 1:00 p.m. and program beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at 10345 HWY 44 between the Corpus Christi Airport and Violet. The objective of the workshops is to provide information to consider for the various stages of cotton growth through preparation for harvest. This last workshop will include topics on condition of the current crop, insect management after cutout, ideas on post-boll weevil eradication insect management, defoliation and boll opening, science behind leaf drop, scheduling defoliation using

weather parameters, harvest-aid recommendations, and cotton market outlook. These workshops in some ways outline our thinking as to application of research to cotton production and give some indication of where future research is headed for improvement of region cotton production. It is also opportunity for participants to suggest research ideas and help focus industry needs. CEU’s toward Pesticide Applicator (TDA) and Certified Crop Advisor licenses will be available.

TEXAS BOLL WEEVIL ERADICATION WEBSITE

The Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation has a new and improved website (http://www.txbollweevil.org). The site includes history of the boll weevil; weekly reports from the 16 Texas eradication zones; links to zone maps, trapping, graphs and treatment information; and other items.

CRICKETS AND GRASSHOPPERS

Both crickets and grasshoppers tend to occur in very high numbers when conditions have been correct for population increase over a period of time. The grasshopper situation was discussed in the last newsletter and their numbers are still high in the northern part of the Texas Coastal Bend especially in the inland counties. Some efforts at control have been successful such as protection of crops with treatments applied to crop strips along edges where they were migrating into fields, protection of grass production where large acreage was treated, and in areas where the hatching areas were found early enough to make treatment worthwhile. Field crickets have begun to migrate to structures at night; they are being attracted by outside lighting. It is my guess that their numbers will become increasingly greater in late July through September. The key thing that can be done to reduce the number of crickets around structures is to turn off outside lightning if that procedure is practical. Even if crickets around a structure

July 16, 2010

INSECTS AND WEEDS IN FOCUS

Inside this issue: General Conditions Gulf Coast Cotton Management Workshop—Cutout to

Harvest Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Website Crickets and Grasshoppers Yellow-Necked Caterpillar Attack Live Oaks Cotton Insect Activity Texas Rules on Cotton Plant Destruction Interesting Insects

VOL 35 ISSUE 8 ENTO/SCS

is to turn off outside lighting if that procedure is practical. Even if crickets around a structure are subjected to insecticide treatment their dead bodies will more than likely cause odor and the migration will be so sustained that it will not accomplish much to use insecticide. One exception to this would be apply a 15 to 20 foot band of insecticide 50 – 100 feet away from the structure. A product such as carbaryl (Sevin) has been used in this manner with some success in past outbreak years. It was applied every 10 days for up to 4 times. This treatment alone will not meet with success without elimination of outside lighting during the migration period which could last for several months.

YELLOW-NECKED CATERPILLAR ATTACK LIVE OAKS

The yellow-necked caterpillar in the genus Datana is primarily found in the eastern U. S. but will range fairly close to the Upper Coastal Bend. Their numbers were reported to be so high that complete defoliation of oaks was observed. The caterpillar was reported defoliating oak trees similar to another Datana species which has been present in South Texas for many years which we have called the oak leaf caterpillar. At any rate, yellow-necked caterpillars when full grown are moderately clothed with long, soft, white hairs. The head is jet black and the area just behind the head (prothorax) is bright orange-yellow. The body is marked longitudinally with alternate whitish and black stripes. Another caterpillar in the group is the walnut caterpillar. Again, the orange-yellow color just behind the head distinguishes the yellow-necked species from the others. Successful control on shade trees has been achieved with many materials labeled for caterpillars on these ornamental plants.

COTTON INSECT ACTIVITY

About the only insect activity in Bt cotton has been stink bug even though they were not found in some areas until last week. The best way to determine treatment need is to examine the inside wall of quarter sized bolls for the presence of internal feeding. It appears as a colored

spot, callus growth or wart, and/or as discolored lint. I prefer to use 20% evidence of internal feeding as a guide for treatment or slightly lower during weeks 3 and 4 of bloom. Once the crop reaches 450 accumulated heat units beyond 5 nodes above white flower (NAWF), most of the crop will be safe from yield loss. That would mean that the bolls from flowers at 5 NAWF would reach 18 plus days old in our climate. Under most circumstances very little yield can be attributed to bolls developing from blooms after 5 NAWF; furthermore, it is dangerous to wait for such bolls to open thereby exposing the crop to adverse weather events. Another insect in our region which may be responsible for some of the evidence of internal feeding is the Creontiades plant bug referred to locally as the green mirid. The best way to look for the green mirid is with a drop cloth. Research is underway by both USDA and TAMU researchers to better define the exact role of this insect as to level of damage being caused and more closely defining treatment threshold. Generally, this occurs in higher numbers near Coast bays.

TEXAS RULES ON COTTON PLANT DESTRUCTION

If you are not familiar with the changes in cotton plant destruction laws it is time to note how the requirements have changed. The general considerations are as follows: (1) All plants must be rendered non-hostable by the stalk destruction deadline date for your area. Furthermore, destruction shall be performed periodically to prevent the presence of hostable fruiting structures (it would include cotton growing in a subsequent year in another crop). (2) Blanket extensions can be requested by the area Cotton Producer Advisory Committee if widespread adverse conditions prevent completion of stalk destruction across an entire area. (3) Extensions by an individual producer may be requested from the appropriate TDA Regional Office. Extension requests for fields with un-harvested cotton must be submitted to TDA not later than 10 days before the applicable stalk destruction deadline date. Note, however, that requests related to

Page 2

Yellow-necked Caterpillar (photo by Debbie Roos – North

Carolina Cooperative Extension)

Stink Bug Evidence of Internal Boll Feeding

harvested, regrowth and volunteer cotton may be submitted until the deadline date or extended deadline date. (4) People who will need an extension will be those who cannot comply with the destruction deadline date. Submission of an extension request does not automatically result in an extension being granted. Extensions may be granted due to adverse weather conditions, illness, mechanical failure, research, or other good cause. See the attached map for information on the various zones as to established stalk destruction dates. Find out which TDA office should be contacted for your area to which an extension request should be submitted. Stalk destruction requirements were put in place years ago first for the pink bollworm and later for boll weevil management. Cotton plant destruction is an integral part of boll weevil eradication which cannot be achieved without elimination of volunteer and regrowth cotton in the southern part of Texas. This fact has been most evident where cotton has been found growing outside commercial fields and in another crop the year following cotton. With

the fall and winter rains in 2009 resulting in germination or rotting of cotton seed much less volunteer cotton has been found in other crops this season.

INTERESTING INSECTS

Male Fireflies Flicker in Sync to Catch a Female’s Eye

Teamwork, that’s what it takes to get lucky if you’re a certain kind of firefly. Suppose you are a single male firefly, fluttering about on a muggy night. You flash your bioluminescent signal to try to catch a lady’s attention, but how is she going to pick out your blip from all the other points of light ablaze when various species of firefly zoom around? About 1 percent of firefly species have figured out how to beat the noise: They team up and flash their lights in an unmissable, synchronous signal. And in a study in Published Science, researchers unlocked the inner workings of this sexual back-and-forth. Find the article at http://tinyurl.com/2ejtldq.

Page 3

Roy D. Parker Extension Entomologist rd-parker@tamu.edu Dan D. Fromme Extension Agronomist d-fromme@tamu.edu 10345 Hwy 44 Corpus Christi, TX 78406 (361) 265-9203 Fax (361) 265-9434

We’re on the Web!

Newsletter available at http://agfacts.tamu.edu/~rparker/

Pest Management information available at http://txaac.org/

Educational programs conducted by Texas AgriLife Extension serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, handicap or national origin. The information given herein is for

educational purposes only. References to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Texas AgriLife Extension is implied.

The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Commissioners Courts of Texas

For more information contact:

12

34

5

1

2.22.1

2.32.4

3.13.2

3.3

4

6

7.1

7.2

8.18.2

9

10

Map Color Pest Mgmt. Zone

Earliest Planting Date

Destruction Deadline

End Date for Destruction Requirements

Zone 1 Feb. 1 Sep. 1 Mar. 1 Zone 2 Area 1 Feb. 1 Sep. 1 Mar. 1 Zone 2 Area 2 Feb. 1 Sep. 1 Mar. 1 Zone 2 Area 3 Feb. 1 Sep. 15 Mar. 1 Zone 2 Area 4 Feb. 1 Oct. 1 Mar. 1 Zone 3 Area 1 Feb. 1 Oct. 1 New Cotton Crop Emerg. Zone 3 Area 2 Feb. 1 Oct. 15 New Cotton Crop Emerg. Zone 3 Area 3 Feb. 1 Oct. 20 New Cotton Crop Emerg. Zone 4 Feb. 1 Oct. 10 New Cotton Crop Emerg. Zone 6 Feb. 1 Oc t. 31 New Cotton Crop Emerg. Zone 7 Area 1 Feb. 1 Nov. 30 New Cotton Crop Emerg. Zone 7 Area 2 Feb. 1 Oct. 31 New Cotton Crop Emerg. Zone 8 Area 1 Feb. 1 Oct. 31 New Cotton Crop Emerg. Zone 8 Area 2 Feb. 1 Nov. 30 New Cotton Crop Emerg. Zone 9 Ap r. 1 Mar. 1 May 1 Zone 10 Mar. 1 Feb. 1 Mar. 25

Pecos

Brewster

Webb

Hudspeth

Presidio

Culberson

Terrell

Reeves

Val Verde

Crockett

Duval

Harris

Hill

Bell

Frio

EdwardsKerr

Clay

Jeff DavisPolk

Starr

Dallam

Irion

Hall

Sutton

Uvalde

Hartley

Ellis

Gaines

Hale

Leon

Bexar

Upton

Oldham

Hidalgo

Erath

Bee

King

Kinney

Jack

Gray

Kent

Zavala

Dimmit

Cass

Tyler

Lamb

La Salle

Lynn

Floyd

Wise

Kimble

Hunt

Medina

Andrews

Rusk

Terry

Kenedy

Brazoria

Liberty

Coke

Llano

Ector

Milam

Travis

Knox

Smith

Potter

Mills

Collin

Jones

Cottle

Falls

Nolan

Motley

Ward

Burnet

Lee

Taylor

Bowie

Reagan Coryell Houston

Brown

Young

Moore

Lamar

Garza

Coleman

Deaf Smith

Martin

Dallas

Zapata

Tom Green

Fisher

Maverick

Baylor Archer

Jasper

Real

Scurry

Cooke

Castro

Navarro

Donley

Parker

Bailey

Mason

Denton

Atascosa

Carson

Fannin

Bosque

Hardin

El Paso

Lavaca

DeWitt

Runnels

Tarrant

Crosby

Concho

Brooks

Schleicher

Wharton

Goliad

Borden

Randall

Fayette

Haskell

Crane

Hays

Briscoe

Roberts

Parmer

Gillespie

Newton

Sterling

Mitchell

Shelby

Foard

Live Oak

Grayson

Howard

McMullen

San Saba

Menard

Wood

Jim Hogg

Panola

Swisher

Hockley Dickens

Victoria

Wilson

Midland

Wheeler

Anderson

Trinity

Bastrop

Walker

Dawson

Gonzales

Winkler Cherokee

Hemphill

Red River

Harrison

Lubbock

Ochiltree

Eastland

Grimes

Sherman Hansford

Jefferson

Wilbarger

Williamson

Colorado

Kleberg

McCulloch

Lipscomb

Matagorda

McLennan

Callahan

Nueces

Karnes

Yoakum

Jackson

Blanco

Austin

Loving

Stephens Palo Pinto

Hopkins

Angelina

Montague

Stonewall

Cameron

Refugio

Hamilton

Cochran

Armstrong

Bandera

Limestone

Kaufman

Freestone

Comanche

Fort Bend

Henderson

Glasscock

Jim Wells

Montgomery

Johnson

Wichita

Van Zandt

Kendall

Hutchinson

Comal

Robertson

Titus

Brazos

Upshur

Sabine

Shackelford

Childress

Hood

Willacy

Burleson

Nacogdoches

Collingsworth

Lampasas

Throckmorton

Hardeman

Guadalupe

Caldwell

Marion

San Patricio

Madison

Washington

Delta

Orange

Rains

Gregg

Camp

Waller

Chambers

San Jacinto

Calhoun

San Augustine

MorrisFranklin

Galveston

Somervell

Rockwall

Aransas

Texas Department of AgricultureRegions and Pest

Management Zones

Region 1West Texas Regional Office

Steve Jones, Director4502 Englewood Ave.Lubbock, Texas 79414phone (806) 799-8555

fax (800) 831-3746Amarillo Sub-Office7122A IH 40 West

Amarillo, Texas 79106phone (806) 358-7285

fax (800) 597-5639Region 2

North Texas Regional OfficeE.W. Wesley, Director1720 Regal Row, #118Dallas, Texas 75235

phone (214) 631-0265fax (888) 205-6335

Tyler Sub-Office3323 S. Southwest Loop 323

Tyler, Texas 75701phone (903) 939-3999

fax (888) 205-6605Region 3

Gulf Coast Regional OfficeJennifer Bailey, Director

5425 Polk Street, Suite G20Houston, Texas 77023phone (713) 921-8200

fax (888) 232-5656Region 4

South Central Texas Regional OfficeKen Weidenfeller, Director8918 Tesoro Drive, #120

San Antonio, Texas 78217phone (210) 820-0288

fax (888) 203-1235Region 5

Valley Regional OfficeJose Sanchez, Director900B E. Expressway 83San Juan, Texas 78589phone (956) 787-8866

fax (800) 909-8167Corpus Christi Sub-Office

5155 Flynn Parkway, Suite 100Corpus Christi, Texas 78411

phone (361) 851-2745fax (800) 909-8223

Regional OfficeContact Information

August 2008