Peanuts: Insects haven’t been too bad so far. Lesser Cornstalk Borers usually start to show up in June but so far, so good. I’m sure there are a few out there; I just haven’t found them yet. Last year we had some early Tobacco Budworms, but they have been silent so far too. Thrips were hit or miss, but in the hits, there was minimal damage. I have seen a few early hits of Tomato Spotted Wilt. POST weed sprays are here or getting very close. Cadre+24DB+Dual is a great choice, but if you have ALS-resistant pigweed, you can add Cobra or Ultra Blazer to the mix. If pigweeds are bigger than 3″, use Cobra. The cooler-than-normal May has delayed peanuts a little bit. In the first part of May, I would say weather caused most of the issues, but as we moved into late May, poor seed quality (seed vigor) became more evident. The decrease in heat units and low vigor will more than likely delay blooming, which would delay maturity this fall. No sweat; that just means we’ll have to track maturity a lot closer this fall, as the delay will make it harder to pull the trigger based on average days after planting.
Cotton: Thrip pressure has been about the same as peanuts, hit or miss. We had a few spots of false cinch bugs, but we normally don’t treat them unless they are very heavy. I think only one, maybe two, fields required treatment. Whiteflies are still low. Now is the time we start looking pretty regularly for them. Like peanuts, the cooler weather has had an effect on cotton growth. I’ve seen a good bit that is in the 35-day range, which should be at pinhead square but hasn’t quite gotten there yet. Don’t worry; heat is on the way, and it should take off. Deer seem to be getting worse, and I have no good answer other than fill your limits during hunting season and invite your friends to fill theirs. There are some repellants that have been somewhat effective, but they seem to work for some and not for others. If the deer are really bad, the repellants may be worth a shot.
Corn: As of today, there has not been any southern rust found in Georgia or Florida. We’re looking but having found any yet.
Weather: El Nino isn’t official yet, but it should be declared by next month. NOAA’s predictions through August show warmer and wetter than normal conditions. Tropical activity should be more normal this year; the expectation of El Nino suppresses the development of storms; however, the storms that do develop are usually pretty strong.