Crop Scan AgReport – Weeds, Plant Health and What’s Next in the Central Delta
June 21, 2021 
Cotton Grower® magazine’s Crop Scan AgReport for mid-June shows attention shifting to weed control and plant management in most areas of the Cotton Belt, with an eye on insects as plants continue to mature. In the past week and a half, a tropical depression and Tropical Storm Claudette have brought rain ranging from helpful in some areas to downright destructive in parts of Mississippi and Arkansas. The focus in those areas is on what’s next.
Wes Briggs is an independent consultant providing recommendations on weed, disease, insect and fertility management, plus variable rate soil sampling, for growers in Georgia, Alabama and Florida for more than 30 years. He and his scouting team cover about 10 counties in the tristate area, checking cotton, corn, peanuts, soybeans and some small grains.
Our oldest cotton should be blooming by the end of this week. Our youngest cotton planted behind sweet corn is just now emerging. My area received anywhere 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rainfall this past weekend. Overall, cotton is growing well, and stands are 95% good.
We are focused on weed control, fertilizer applications, and PGR applications. About 90% of cotton has received one post herbicide over-top and 35% to 40% have received two post over-top herbicides.
With recent rainfall and hot temperatures, thrip pressure has declined as of late. Aphids and plant bugs have increased in older cotton and are now our primary focus. Many fields last week reached threshold and were treated for both lygus and aphid. We also are seeing few spots of spider mites, but not at treatable levels as of yet.
Chad Harrell owns and operates Harrell Agronomic Services in Northeastern North Carolina. He is a member of the North Carolina Agricultural Consultants Association and serves on the board of the North Carolina Cotton Producers Association.
Overall, our cotton is finally progressing except for areas that received too much rain. We are now top dressing and finishing up post-emerge herbicide applications. The earlier planted cotton is now squaring and will need PGR’s soon. The later cotton has now become safe from thrips.
Plant bugs have shown up early this year but remain spotty. Some fields have reached threshold for plant bugs and will receive a treatment this week. We are expected to receive a couple more inches of rain this week, which may keep growers out of the field for a few more days.
Tucker Miller is a Mississippi-based independent private consultant for cotton, soybeans, corn, peanuts, rice and vegetables. He is a member and past president of the Mississippi Agricultural Consultants Association.
We’re still sorting out what’s left after the worst flooding I have ever seen in North Mississippi. We got around 20-25 inches of rain in two days. After an initial assessment of my acres, I have lost 30% of my cotton, half of my soybeans, and have hundreds of acres of corn standing in water. There are already a lot of costs in the crop with seed, traits, and treatments. We will probably plant beans in cotton fields after water goes down.
Tyson Raper is the Extension Cotton and Small Grains Specialist for the University of Tennessee.
The week of June 14 was the first stretch of sunshine and warm temperatures that our cotton crop has experienced. Prior to that week, our crop struggled through near-continuous cloud cover with marginal temperatures and frequent rains. Those poor growing conditions created real challenges controlling thrips – two foliar insecticide sprays were often warranted.
The forecast now looks favorable, with warm, clear conditions and slight rain chances through the next two weeks. Still, this is the latest crop I’ve witnessed in Tennessee. The average acre was planted approximately 10-14 days later than normal, and the first half of June set us back even further. We are going to have to do everything we can to emphasize earliness if we are going to reach our typical yield potentials.
In my opinion, a long, hot fall will be required to push the average acre back into the 1,000 lb/A range.
Mark Nemec is a Texas independent agricultural consultant, now in his 27th year of checking cotton, wheat, grain sorghum and corn in the Blacklands and Brazos River Bottom area of Central Texas.
We’ve done an about face here in Central Texas. The rain has stopped, and the clouds have parted. The cotton has responded nicely to the warmer temperatures, and we are finally setting fruit at a better rate. We will need to start applying PGRs next week on a lot of acres.
Insect pressure has leveled off some on fields that were treated for fleahoppers. Some aphids are trying to start up in some areas, but the populations are being held in place by the beneficials. We have also started seeing a few bollworm eggs here and there. It’s looking like a sign of things to come.
Growers are finally getting a handle on all the weed problems. The control has been pretty good despite the weed size being a little over label recommendation. There will probably be one more application to pick up some escapes here and there.
It’s strange to hear it now, but after two weeks of good old Texas heat, some farmers are talking about wanting an inch of rain.
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