We’re currently in the dog days of summer, and it sure feels like it.
Peanuts: Nearly all of the peanuts I have been looking at are pegging, which means they are approaching peak water use. Now isn’t the time they need to water stress. With a majority of peanut acreage planted in mid to late May, along with the crazy weather we had for the first 30-60 days, the major question to be asked is, “When will peanuts reach optimal maturity this year?”. Peanuts are probably 1-2 weeks behind compared to previous years, and the high heat they are going through right now could speed them up. I say that to say this; we will have to start maturity checks a little earlier so we can track the crop more effectively. White mold weather is perfect right now; hot, humid days, so be vigilant.
Cotton: Like peanuts, cotton is reaching peak water use, so don’t fall behind as we move through bloom. Also, like peanuts, cotton is a little behind. Right now, we’re at about 75% squaring with 30% setting bolls which is a little behind our 5-year average. But it’s been hot, and cotton has been taking off recently, so those numbers are changing daily. Plant bugs have been reported in some earlier planted cotton, but I haven’t seen many around here. Spider mites are spotty in dryland areas. Corn earworm moth traps here in Tifton have had an uptick in moth numbers, so keep on watch for corn earworms. Two-gene cotton has seen a few escapes of corn earworms. Just remember that if we have to treat corn earworms, use pyrethroids cautiously because they are not as susceptible to pyrethroids as they used to be. I have not seen any whiteflies yet, but they can blow up in this heat.
Corn: Some good news is that a good bit of corn is hitting black layer now, which means we can ease up on the water. Common Rust is in Tift County, but we don’t usually worry about it. Southern Rust and Tarspot are in counties around us but have not been confirmed in Tift yet. The good thing is that most of our corn has dented or is passed that stage, so Southern Rust and Tarspot aren’t as concerning as they were a few weeks ago.