By Kerry Siders Texas A&M AgriLife ExtensionAgent
Pest and Crop Situation featured in the West Plains IPM Update, September, 12, 2022, Vol. 27 – No. 17; News about Integrated Pest Management in Hockley, Cochran, and Lamb Counties.
Cotton continues to make good progress during this warm weather following some muchneeded rain. Most cotton fields have bloomed out the top/bolled to the top. Most fields have shed all young fruit which will not contribute at harvest and are now filling bolls as best the plant can provide. As I have discussed in prior issues, I do not think water will need to be turned back on with few exceptions in areas which did not receive enough to finish out.
I would be hard pressed to recommend irrigating after September 15. I hate to use calendar dates early in season because we must provide the plant what it needs, when it needs it. However, here at the end we only have so many days, day length, sunshine, and heat units left to accumulate. So, all that equates to forcing the plant to mature out soon and not way late.
Everyday from here out we should be seeing more cracked and open bolls. We will discuss harvest aid timing here next week.
We are not finding much of any insect pest activity. If Lygus are present, they are most likely damaging younger fruit which will not contribute to yield and are not worth protecting. I have seen cotton aphids here this last week, but ladybird beetles were doing their job of cleaning them up. Grain sorghum that is still flowering to soft dough needs to be watched carefully for sorghum aphids, headworms, Lygus, stinkbugs and midge. Insect pests are as variable as the sorghum is in growth stage. Call if you need help.