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Virginia:
Insect Update
By Johnny Parker, Agronomist
Commonwealth Gin, Windsor, Virginia
July 17, 2008 -
Insect pressure continues to remain relatively low as our cotton has
very high fruit retention. The plantbug and stinkbug issues will
probably continue to increase slowly. Dirty blooms are an
indication of plantbugs; however, the best way to determine a
threshold for stinkbugs and plantbugs will be based on boll damage
once we get a fair number of small bolls on the plants. I would
project at this time that even next week it would be hard to start
finding heavy pressure develop. We will need to just continue to
monitor these insects on a week by week schedule.
The bollworm moth flight will be interesting to
monitor as well. Since these insects emerge from corn ears, there
is the potential for a big moth flight. But ‘when will it occur’ is
still a question. Bollworms are more important on the non-Bt and
Bollguard I varieties but will be relatively minor on Bollguard II
and Widestrike varieties.
In summary, mid-July appears to be relatively
trouble free from an insect perspective. Cotton will be most
susceptible to damage from late July to late August when it is
loaded with tender bolls.
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