Cotton Insect Loss Estimates Made

2010 was one of the lightest insect years on record. Loss estimates range from a total of 5.2% of yield in central and south Alabama to 3.6% in the Tennessee Valley region. Most of these losses were attributed to one insect (pest) in each region. For the southern region it was the stink bug, predominately the brown species (3.5%), and for the north it was spider mites (2.3%). Other insects that caused measurable losses were the bollworm (lowest in 38 years), plant bug, and thrips.

Soybeans

Older beans mature and shedding leaves. Younger (wheat) beans filled pods rapidly during the past 2 weeks.

Cotton

Harvest continued at a rapid pace during weeks of 9/12 to 9/18 and 9/19 to 9/25. Many fields are falling into the range of 500 lbs +/- 100 lbs lint.

Weather

Continued hot with 90°+ days and 70°F nights through 9/25. The first significant rainfall in weeks occurred on 9/26. Rainfall was not uniform but varied from 0.1 inch up to 4.0 inches.

Soybeans

- Looper populations seemed to have peaked out. In most instances defoliation was between 5 and 20% where no controls were applied. Therefore, populations were below threshold level in most fields.

- Velvetbean caterpillars were found at damaging levels in one field of late maturing beans (R-4/5) in Baldwin county on September 12th. Velvetbean caterpillars are much more economic to control than loopers since pyrethroids do a nice job on VBC.

Weather

Conditions remain extremely hot (95-97°F) and dry (no rainfall in past 30 days in some counties). Some of these areas only have had two measurable rain events since May.

Cotton

Harvesting is picking up speed, especially in the more droughty areas of the state. More fields are turning brown as each day passes. These early harvested fields are producing some low yields. The plants were “knee” high or less and the bolls were small. In fact, small bolls have been noted statewide. Likely due to the environmental conditions they were produced under.

Weather

After a couple of cool nights, we are back about 90°F each day and over 70°F at night. No rainfall has occurred in a couple of weeks, which lends itself to a “fall” type of drought.

Soybeans

Loopers are the dominant soybean insect, up to 30% defoliation and damaging levels in some fields. A few velvetbean caterpillar and green cloverworms are in the mix. The “grass” strain of the fall armyworm does not appear to feed to a significant degree on soybeans. And, stink bug populations are not as high as anticipated.

Red banded stink bugs were discovered on the Wiregrass Research Farm, Headland, AL (Henry Co.) this week. Since they were found about 180 miles west of Headland last month, they likely may be present in other locations across south Alabama.

Interesting Observation of Stink Bugs

Friends of mine were fishing about 80 miles out in the Gulf over Labor Day weekend and observed hundreds of stink bugs in the water and on their boat. These stink bugs apparently rode a weather front that far out into the Gulf.

Cotton

- A few late maturing fields are still being scouted for insects, primarily brown stink bugs and soybean loopers.
- Defoliation is proceeding on more fields each day and week.
- Harvesting has begun in a few locations. I observed a picker running about 8:00pm yesterday (9/2) in southeast Dallas county.
- Yield potential is all over the board (250 lbs- 1600 lbs/ac.)

Soybeans

Economic levels of soybean loopers, fall armyworms (FAW) and velvetbean caterpillars (VBC) are as far north as Marion Junction in Dallas county and FAWs are occurring near Prattville in Autauga county. Soybean loopers, usually a southern latitude insect are occurring at all points within the state. Both VBC and FAW can be controlled with less expensive chemistry than can the loopers.

Pasture/Hay

Fall armyworm populations are “hit and miss” at damaging numbers all over the state. Some fields have been hit twice within 2 weeks.