Cotton Insect Newsletter Vol. 22, No. 15, August 25, 2004

Cotton Situation:  It seems like we just finished planting seeds, and now it's almost over--all over, but the picking and ginning that is.  This does look like a better-than-average crop.   As for me, this will be my last newsletter of not only this season, but for all seasons.  Since retiring in June 2003, I have continued to work for Clemson University on a part-time basis.   Unfortunately, the grant funds that provided my support will be used up by the end of 2004.     Cotton is a great crop!  I have been very fortunate to work with all of you good folks in the agricultural industry for 22 years, and I'm going to miss it.   Insect Situation: There are still a few bollworms to be found in cotton fields.  I haven't heard of anyone spraying cotton for worms this week, but it wouldn't surprise me if there aren't a few unnecessary insecticide applications going out.  This is no time to be utilizing early-season thresholds to determine whether or not to apply controls.  When those high-dollar fruiting positions are being filled in July, we don't want to see much damage.  It takes a heap more worms to do economic damage to bolls positioned at or near the tops of plants in late August.        Stink bugs are not out of the picture yet.  But just like with bollworms, consider the location of the fruit being attacked when deciding if you need to spray.  Seeing 20% injured bolls (quarter-sized) in cotton that has reached cutout would not concern me like it would if I saw 20% injury to bolls further down on the plants.  In some of this late-planted cotton, there are still some middle bolls being set that will be susceptible to sb’s.  The odds of these late bloomers making open bolls are getting slimmer by the day. A season would not be complete without mentioning the ubiquitous cotton aphids and their propensity to suck up plant sap and spurt out honey dew.  When they excrete the sugary substance and it lands on the lint in open bolls, there is a potential problem.  A sooty mold feeds on honey dew and discolors the lint resulting in a lower color grade and reduced price.   Whiteflies are also capable of doing this dirty deed.   Fortunately, we rarely see sooty mold problems in South Carolina.  We often see aphids in terminals when bolls are open, but there is usually enough rainfall to clean the lint before any discoloration occurs.  Rain will also prevent or significantly reduce the problems with “sticky cotton” for the mills.  When I last saw problems with sooty mold, it was in some cotton in Orangeburg County that was not harvested until late November.  The bottom line is “it ain’t over till it's in the gin.”  Honey-dew dropping insects can still sneak in and reduce the quality of your cotton crop.  Field Days/Cotton Tours:         September 2 –  Edisto Research and Education Center                                     Morning session: Peanuts and Cattle/Forage Tour                                     Afternoon:  Vegetables and Cotton/Soybean Tour         September 9 –  Lee County Cotton Field Day, Steve Welsh farm                                     Mike Jones's Variety Trial                                     Herbicide test on FiberMax hybrids            September 14 – Pee Dee Research and Education Center                                     Morning Cotton Tour at PDREC                                      Afternoon DP&L Company Tour          September 23 – Bayer Crop Science/FiberMax Tour at Sellers      Boll Weevil Eradication: In the August 23 edition of the “Southwest Farm Press,” Charles Allen, Program Director of the Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation Inc., indicated that the boll weevil eradication program was coming along nicely in most active zones.  Growers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and the Northern Backlands have recently requested referendums to become active participants in eradicating the boll weevil.  These will be the last two areas in Texas to come on board.   It has been 21 years since South Carolina growers first became active participants in boll weevil eradication.  Hopefully, it won't be too much longer before cotton growers throughout the US Cotton Belt will “fear no weevil.”  And they said it couldn't be done--how sweet it is!   Mitchell Roof  Extension Entomologist

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