Current Situation: Drier weather has set in over the last week and the forecast for the next week mirrors the same thing. Growers started planting cotton and peanuts this past week. The area corn crop ranges from just planted to V8.
Corn irrigation schedule: The UGA Irrigation reference guide for corn, cotton, peanut and soybean. The illustration below shows the irrigation requirements for corn based off days and weeks after planting, and inches per week and day. Another great irrigation scheduling tool that is free is the UGA Smart Irrigation Crop Fit App. If you would like more information about this app please see the SmartIrrigation is Transitioning to SmartIrrigation CropFit.
EPISODE 8, SEASON 2
In this episode, Dr. Scott Monfort talked peanuts with Dr. Glen Harris, Dr. Scott Tubbs, Dr. Cristiane Pilon, and Mr. Rome Ethredge (consultant in SW Georgia). In this episode, the peanut team talks about what is currently going on in the field along with answering grower questions. https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/allaboutthepod/episodes/Episode-9–Season-Two—-Week-Two-of-Planting-e2itq8p.
Planting Calculations—Simer Virk. Below are some useful formulas to determine seeding rate, seed spacing, number of seeds per foot or assess emerged plant population based on stand counts in certain length of the row.
Weed Control Programs for Field Corn, Peanuts and Soybeans. Below are weed management suggestions from Dr. Eric Prostko for field corn, peanuts and soybeans. This document is in the link below.
2024 Peanut/Field Corn/Soybean Weed Control Recommendations
Below is the herbicide program for peanuts.
Minimizing herbicide injury from preemergence herbicides
Planting season has started in Colquitt County and I receive numerous calls from growers, consultants and retailers about ways to minimize herbicide injury. Pre emerge herbicides form the foundation for Palmer amaranth control programs in cotton. Lets discuss some points to consider in order to minimize injury.
- Plant high vigor seed into moist soil (preplant irrigation often needed if available).
- Shallow planting depth increases herbicide injury potential.
- Apply proper PRE residual herbicides within 24 hr of planting.
- If feasible, irrigate between 30 hr after planting and prior to 24 hr before emergence. Then do not irrigate again until at least 5 days after emergence. Most often, the greatest damage occurs when the first irrigation/rainfall event happens during emergence.
- Irrigate to develop a perfect cotton stand; however, limit irrigation events during the first two weeks after planting to as few as possible after activating residual herbicides.
Thrips Management: Use an At-Plant Insecticide (Phillip Roberts): Thrips are consistent pests of cotton, infesting nearly all cotton acres planted in Georgia each year. Thrips are the only insect pest of cotton that a preventive insecticide is recommended. We consistently observe a positive yield response to at-plant insecticides used for thrips control. A reactive approach based on scouting and use of thresholds is recommended for less consistent insect pests such as stink bugs, corn earworms, whiteflies and others to maximize profitability. With most insect pests there are agronomic and management practices which influence the risk and severity of infestations. Below are a few thoughts to consider as you make decisions for your at-plant thrips management program.
Use the Thrips Infestation Predictor for Cotton-TIPs https://products.climate.ncsu.edu/ag/cottontip/. TIPS is a web-based tool which predicts thrips risk by location and planting date. Thrips risk in the Coastal Plain of Georgia is generally higher on early planted cotton compared with later planted cotton. Thrips Management: Use an At-Plant Insecticide
The illustrations below show results of the Thrips Predictor model for Moultrie, GA for todays planting date (April 28, 2024).
Pecan Casebearer: Its that time of year for pecan growers to monitor pecan nut casebearer. County agents and entomologists are checking traps across the pecan production region each day until moths are captured for two consecutive days. The first date of consistent captures is what we refer to as the biofix date. The biofix dates and spray decision window can be reviewed by looking at the Pecan Nut Casebearer Risk Map. Tanner Wilson, UGA Colquitt County Ag Educator is monitoring the local trap.
Pecan irrigation schedules for young and bearing trees. Below are the irrigation schedules for both young and bearing pecan trees.
How do I graze pearl millet? Pearl millet produces several tillers (new shoots) at the base of the plant (below left). After pearl millet
is cut or grazed, new tillers emerge from basal buds at the base of the plant (below right). As a result of this anatomical trait, pearl millet can be grazed to within 4 – 6 inches and still recover relatively quickly (e.g., 12-18 days of rest before grazing again or 22-35 days for being cut for hay or baleage again.)
Have a great week,
Jeremy M. Kichler
Colquitt County Extension Coordinator
The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension does not endorse or guarantee the performance of any products mentioned in this update.