We finally got some rain and I hate to fuss but we got a little more than we hoped for. It has made getting back in the fields tougher but I’ll quit my bellyaching and be glad we got some. Another plus from the rain is that it should help with our thrips problem. Thrips have been bad the past two weeks but this rain should help beat them down. I have seen a few aphids but so far the populations have been low. Whitefly numbers are down right now but we need to keep our eyes for them because they can populate in a hurry. Lesser Cornstalk Borers and spider mites have been absent as well. We will probably start to see some foliage feeders soon but rarely do they reach threshold levels in June.
Seed quality has been good so far but with time seed quality starts to diminish. so as we move into June planted cotton and peanuts the chance for stand issues/germination increases.
Southern corn rust has been found in Coffee and Colquitt County. Should we sound the alarm? No. It just means that we need to be scouting because it’s close. Keep in mind, if corn has not reached VT tassel or is at R6 hard dough, do not spray. If the field has been sprayed in the last 2 weeks, don’t spray. If the field is being scouted and no southern rust is found, I wouldn’t spray. If the field is not being scouted and you are at tassel stage or beyond and the corn is irrigated with high yield potential, I would scout it or consider a spray. Single-mode of action products like tebuconazole, tetraconazole, azoxystrobin, and pyraclostrobin are good products for about 2 weeks or so. Mixed-mode of action products are better and last longer. Nothing works once the rust is well established in a field of corn.
Get your leafspot programs started on time. Getting behind in a fungicide program early in the season may allow the disease to become established that is difficult (if not impossible) to manage later in the season. I strongly advise you to not wait later than 45 days after planting and to begin as early as 30 days after planting in several situations.
I have seen several stunted cotton plants in fields. These plants all have the same stunt and dark red stem. After an intense investigation, I have determined it to be three-cornered alfalfa hopper damage. The three-cornered alfalfa hopper girdles the stem causing stunting and can cause death. Note the girdle in the picture below.
