Volume 20 - July 6th

USA’s 240th Birthday
Irwin County Extension
107 West Fourth Street
Ocilla, Georgia 31774-1401
Phone: (229) 468-7409
Fax: (229) 468-9838
E-mail: [email protected]
Webpage: http://www.ugaextension.com/irwin
IRWIN COUNTY EXTENSION AGRICULTURE NEWS - Vol. 20 Wed. July 6, 2016
Phillip Edwards Irwin County Extension Coordinator
In This Issue: Meetings, Sunbelt Expo Field Day Thur. July 14, 201,6 Lesser Cornstalk Borers, Disease Notes, Cotton Marketing News, One on One Farmer
Meetings, Whitewater 4-H Days, Journeyman Farmer Certification Program, Spittlebug in Pecan, Soybean Scouting Tips
Recent
Watch for aphid fungus in cotton
Meetings
Sunbelt Expo Field Day
HERD Field Day
Check livestock ponds possible toxic algae
Thur. July 14, 2016 7:15 AM to Lunch
Aug 31, 2016 8:30 AM -4:00 PM
Sunbelt Expo Field Day Thursday July 14, 2016
Impact of acephate on early planted cotton
Spence Field Moultrie, GA
UGA Beef Unit Alapaha, GA
Sunbelt Field Day Schedule
Lesser Cornstalk Borers (Mark Abney UGA Extension Peanut Entomologist)
I mentioned last week that we were getting some reports of lesser cornstalk borer (LCB) in peanut, and that hot, dry conditions could
result in more pressure. Over the last three days I have received a number of calls and emails from agents, growers, and consultants
indicating that LCB is becoming more prevalent in peanut fields. You will usually see lessers in the driest spots in the field first; look for
plants that are wilted and/or have skips beside them and plants at the ends of rows. Checking these areas first can save a lot of scouting
time…if the larvae are not here they are not very likely to be in other parts of the field.
LCB larvae are not always easy to find. Studies conducted in Alabama in the 1980’s showed that the number of LCB moths in a field was
a good predictor of future larval abundance. I am not sure we should go so far as to treat fields just because there are moths present,
but we should be diligent about scouting for larvae in fields where we see moth activity.
Some things to know about LCB: eggs take about 4 days to hatch, from hatch to pupa takes about 19 days, pupation lasts 9 days, and
the adult female will live about a week and a half under hot conditions. A single female moth can lay up to 110 eggs.
Rainfall will help slow population growth, and we do not usually see LCB problems under pivots when adequate water is being applied.
It is important to scout young peanuts under pivots as these fields will probably not be getting irrigated enough to keep the pest at bay.
We do not want to see crown damage occurring in young irrigated peanuts. Once the water needs of the peanuts ramp up, vines lap the
row middles, and pivots are running full steam, LCB should become rare in adequately irrigated fields.
For growers who plan to use a foliar insecticide for LCB control there are a couple things to keep in mind. Insecticides will not be
effective if they do not reach the target. I would not bother spraying for LCB with less than 15 gallons of water per acre; 20 gallons
would be better. I am not aware of any studies that have been done, but spraying at night would almost certainly increase the likelihood
of killing LCB with foliar insecticide applications. I am fully aware that suggesting night sprays and increasing spray volumes will give
most growers a case of indigestion, but these could be the difference between getting control and wasting time and money.
Disease Notes (Bob Kemerait UGA Extension Plant Pathologist)
Here are several important notes for disease management for agronomic crops over the upcoming weeks from Dr. Kemerait.
1. Weather: HOT temperatures with chances of scattered rain showers2. Crop growth stages: Early-planted corn is likely beyond stages where we need to worry about diseases; late-planted corn is quite
susceptible to southern rust and other diseases. The peanut crop is developing sufficient foliar canopy to trap humidity/extend leaf
wetness and increase risk to leaf spot, white mold and other diseases. Cotton is now approaching bloom and also has sufficient canopy
that, when conditions are favorable- risk to foliar diseases like target spot and perhaps bacterial blight.
Peanut: We have entered the "danger zone" when management of leaf spot diseases and white mold becomes critical. These HOT
temperatures and scattered rain showers coupled with irrigation can truly fuel a white mold outbreak. Also, now is a critical time in the
management of leaf spot disease. Growers need to be prepared to use a TIMELY and APPROPRIATE fungicide program (e.g. based on
Peanut Rx) to protect their crop. Dry weather can make white mold worse by inhibiting movement of the fungicide from leaves of the
plant to the crown of the plant' the crown of the plant is a target for managing white mold. Timely irrigation, where available, is very
helpful.
Cotton: With hot temperatures, growers may be more likely to note stress-symptoms resulting from damaged root and vascular
symptoms caused by plant-parasitic nematodes and/or Fusarium wilt. While there is nothing to be done now, growers should note
where nematodes and Fusarium wilt are causing damage in a field to help in decisions for the next cropping season. PLEASE NOTIFY ME
IF YOU FIND OR SUSPECT FUSARIUM WILT IN YOUR FIELDS.
As the cotton crop continues to develop and approached bloom, remember that Target Spot can be a significant issue, especially along
the Coastal Plain and where cotton vegetative growth is rank/excessive. Growers in such conditions, especially where target spot is
currently detected or has been problematic in the past should consider options for management including timing of first application (as
early as first bloom in some situations) and choice of fungicide. NOTE: some agents have told me they are NOT finding references in
the Pest Control Handbook for PRIAXOR. PRIAXOR (4-8 fl oz/A) is a very good, strong fungicide for management of target spot on
cotton. I am checking to see if indeed it has been omitted from 2016 Pest Control Handbook.
BACTERIAL BLIGHT on cotton: (Please see attached pictures for characteristic "angular, water-soaked" spots delimited by leaf
veins. Such are ABSOLUTELY characteristic of the disease. We had a significant out-break of this disease in 2015, primarily on DPL
1454. We are now seeing it in 2016. It is too early to tell how much impact there will be for this season; if you find it let me know. We
have nothing to spray to contain the disease- reducing leaf wetness periods (e.g. managing growth and irrigating at night) can help to
slow the progress of the disease. I hope.
Corn: Southern rust is widely scattered across the Coastal Plain and I know that aggressive use of fungicides in early June helped to
contain it and to slow the burn of the disease. Corn that has reached the dough stage and beyond is "safe"; later-planted corn is VERY
MUCH at risk,
Soybeans: We continue to follow the slow but sure development of soybean rust. It is my opinion that growers with good soybean
yield potential should protect their crop no later than early pod set. Such a fungicide application can be timed with Dimilin and boron
applications and JUST MAKE DOLLARS and SENSE.
Cotton Marketing News
Cotton Marketing News (Continued)
Informal Meetings Concerning On-Target Pesticide Application and Other Current Issues
I hope things will settle down and you can catch up with all your farming work. When you do catch up, I would like to come out and visit
with you and your employees or have you all come and visit with me in a one on one or in a small informal group setting to cover some
general pesticide application tips. This will be informal, brief, and timely especially considering some our coming new approaches to
weed control. All county agents across Georgia will be doing this as well. This is important and will help Georgia farmers as well as
Georgia agriculture. The handout below is a brief idea of just some of the issues and some of what we will address when we meet.
A Fun Opportunity to Help the Irwin County 4-H Club
Journeyman Farmer Certificate Program
Spittlebugs in Pecan Usually Not Worth Spraying
Spittlebugs can be quite obvious in an orchard when they move in. We have had a number of calls lately about spittlebug due to the
large number of spittle masses observed in many orchards. While spittlebug can be alarming, they almost never cause any economic
damage and growers should not worry about them in most cases. The spittlebug nymphs are found clustered together beneath the
frothy mass you see at the base of nut clusters and on the ends of the branches. Two generations normally occur each season in the
southeast. The bottom line here is that it takes a LOT of spittlebugs to do any economic damage. There is little evidence that spittlebugs
damage a pecan crop. I know of an orchard that had a high spittlebug population nearly season long last year and made over 1400 lbs
per acre (without spraying for spittlebug). Over the last 12 years I have only seen one case where spittlebug control was warranted. If
you dig into the frothy mass of spittle and see the nut clusters becoming water soaked (not just wet, but the shuck tissue turning
brown), control may be warranted because the nuts can become so water-soaked that they drop off. But again, it’s a very rare
occurrence that it becomes this bad. Imidacloprid is the material of choice for those who are determined to spray for this pest.
As always for more information contact your Irwin County Extension Office at 468-7409.
Phillip Edwards Irwin County Agent
The mention of trade names in this newsletter does not imply endorsement by the Georgia Extension Service, nor criticism of similar ones not mentioned.
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