Unusual Weather Creates Unusual Year for Cotton Insects

 

A warm winter followed by a cool April and May and some blasts of hot weather have led to throngs of grasshoppers and other cotton pests this year, according to Alabama Extension agents quoted in Cotton Grower. The grasshoppers are especially numerous in the coastal plain where they do better in the sandy soil there. Slugs, army worms and stink bugs are also affecting this year’s crop. You can read more about them and other cotton pests being seen this year at https://www.cottongrower.com/crop-inputs/insect-disease-management/unusual-weather-creates-unusual-year-for-cotton-insects/.

 

Video: In the Field: Wheat Pest Scouting

Managing insect pests in wheat isn’t about a single solution. It’s about stacking smart decisions. Breeding has delivered wheat varieties with built-in defenses against major insect pests, giving producers a crucial advantage before the season begins. Although no variety is fully immune, ongoing breeding ensures new varieties carry improved tolerance traits, allowing producers to choose varieties that reduce pest pressure to safeguard both yield and quality.