Midge are beginning to show up in late blooming sorghum fields. Scouting for this pest should be delayed until noon. Headworms are scattered across the area but generally have not been a problem. Lygus bugs have been numerous in some fields. Soft dough commercial fields and especially sorghum grown for seed production need protection when an average of 5-10 bugs are found. False chinch bugs may also still be a problem in some late fields.

Insects remain light across most of the region with only a few exceptions. Many fields now have cracked or open bolls appearing, sending a signal to producers that insects are no longer capable of affecting yield. I know that plant bugs, caterpillar pests and boll weevils can and have been damaging smaller bolls in some fields but these bolls will not contribute much to yield and cannot be protected within economically beneficial parameters. Any bolls worth saving are already beyond the insect damage stage according to the rules we follow in COTMAN, a well documented cotton expert system.

Temperatures have dropped somewhat over the last 10 days signaling the approach of fall weather. Heat unit accumulations have already dropped down to the 15-18 per day range, from a 20-24 per day range earlier. Producers now should be counting heat units for timing harvest aids rather than worrying about insects and potential damage to this year's crop.

While trap catches have gone up noticeably, especially in the two remaining High Plains inactive zones, field presence of weevils does not appear to have increased dramatically. My checking of blooms for adult weevils still is finding only an occasional weevil. This method of survey is similar to windshield checking, a great indicator but worthless in objectively quantifying weevil infestation levels. Last year at this time we would have easily found weevils in flowers in the Northern and Southern High Plains zones. These zones will join the other three active zones next week for fall weevil applications. The only difference is that all fields will be sprayed weekly regardless of trap activity in the new zones while traps will continue to be used to target fields to be sprayed selectively in the three zones in their second full season year of eradication. It will take a few weeks but weevil numbers will stop increasing and begin to decline in these new zones. Just wait and see.

All that increased trap catches means is that more and more fields no longer have squares and small bolls to feed emerging adult weevils. These weevils are then leaving these fields in search of the few remaining fields that still have a food supply. A scarcity of food this year should again decrease the number of weevils entering overwintering sites and survival of those that do enter. So---high trap catches do not necessarily mean high field densities of weevils or damage in nearby fields.

Cotton aphids a non-threat so far. There appears to be little threat of this pest producing a honeydew problem in the coming month before harvest aids are applied. I'm not even sure whether inappropriate use of multiple pyrethroid applications could trigger an outbreak, considering how few aphids there are and the general condition of our crop. So---insect-induced sticky cotton appears to be a non-issue this year for us.

In the "I could not have said it better myself" department, I am providing Extension IPM Agent, Greg Cronholm's Hale/Swisher County newsletter report of August 30:

"A few sorghum midge have been observed in late blooming fields. Continue to scout for this pest on a daily basis during the bloom period. The best time to scout fields is from noon to around 3:00 p.m. Midge emergence is delayed until noon because of our cooler nighttime temperatures typical in the High Plains. Therefore scouting in the morning for this pest will not give a true picture of the population which may be present.

Headworms continue to be found in some fields, while others have none due to abundant predators such as pirate bugs, crab spiders and assassin bugs.

Lygus bugs are abundant in some sorghum fields with 20 to 40 per head observed. We currently do not have a threshold for this pest in sorghum. Damage will depend on the maturity of grain. Soft dough (green grain) sorghum is much more susceptible to bug damage than grain in the hard dough (red grain) stage. Dr. George Teetes, Professor Emeritus, believes the threshold would be from 5 to 10 lygus per head in the soft sough stage. Seed sorghum is much more susceptible to damage than commercial production, since plant bug feeding can significantly reduce seed germination.

False chinch bugs are on the increase in some sorghum fields. Populations of up to 40 per head have been observed. The economic threshold for this pest is in excess of 140 per head at the milk stage."

It would be a good idea to check fields for false chinch bugs. I got a call yesterday from near Portales, New Mexico. A false chinch bug infestation went unnoticed until it was too late, and 700 acres of sorghum will now be baled for hay rather than harvested for grain. The subject of the call was whether false chinch bug damage makes sorghum hay unpalatable for livestock. Apparently a rumor to this effect has been floating around. The answer is NO, false chinch bug damaged grain and hay are perfectly fine. With extremely heavy infestations however, it is possible to bale millions of the bugs in the hay. These of course die and decompose, and the resulting stench and taste might influence acceptance. When massive numbers of false chinch bugs are present in a hay field, cut the plants and let them dry down a few days before baling. This gives the bugs a chance to leave before they are added to the bale. PP

Stem girdler continues to be observed in some sunflower fields, with infestations over 20% of stalks. Many growers don't realize they have had this stem-boring insect until harvest when they observe stalks on the ground. Once lodged, the stalks are broken off at the soil line, and it appears the stalk has been buffed or smoothed. Actually, if you poke the end of the stalk you will find a fine powdery covering plugging the borehole. This was observed in Lamb County earlier this summer where a couple of fields had about a 50% infestation. I have also seen this with high infestations in later planted sunflowers including the Texas A&M research trials in Moore County. Some lodging losses are near 20% in dryland fields. On the other hand, many fields are essentially clean. We still don't have a lot of experience with the insect though we know that it is active in soybean fields, and for that reason we don't recommend planting sunflower behind soybean.

In the August 3^rd issue of FOCUS I discussed the pros and cons of using desiccant in sunflower if a farmer found a high level of stem girdler boring in the stalks. Then, I did not feel that desiccants, which should not be applied before physiological maturity (lemon yellow on back of head with bracts turning brown and black--this is especially critical for confectionary), would accelerate drydown much due the extreme heat we were experiencing. Now growers with a high level of stem girdler boring might be more inclined to consider desiccants because the weather has cooled substantially and humidity is up. We don't have any data to fall back on to guide us in this regard.

Mike Williams, Red River Commodities at Lubbock, reports that some growers seeking quickened drydown will use 5 lbs. of sodium chlorate per acre in 3-4 gallons of water per acre. Moore County growers have estimated that for later planted sunflowers this may hasten drydown by up to five days. The drawback with sodium chlorate among some applicators is the potential corrosiveness of the chemical. In that case the paraquat family of burndown chemicals could be used with similar results. These chemicals can have some activity even with stalk contact in sunflower with minimal leaf area, according to Ken Berndt, field sunflower agronomist for Northern Sun at Goodland, Kansas. The bottom line is we might hasten drydown and harvest five days or so, but unless growers are ready to roll combines as soon as possible, there is no benefit. Growers often fail to realize that sunflower seed moisture can be surprisingly low even when heads still have some moisture in them. Don't hesitate to try a test cutting sooner than you think the sunflowers are ready. If seed moisture is down even though heads are moist, if you can get a sample with minimal foreign matter you might as well harvest lest a late season wind knocks down plants weakened by stem girdler.

Crop progress overview. The cotton crop continues to progress well where moisture has been adequate. Significant rainfall (several inches in places north of Lubbock) has helped finish out some of the irrigated fields. There is some excellent cotton out there in places where irrigation and/or rainfall has been of sufficient amounts. The rainfall, which has occurred in many of the dryland fields and even perhaps for some irrigated fields, has been a mixed blessing. For the harvestable dryland fields, the rainfall will likely bring a cycle of regrowth, which will not be easy to effectively chemically terminate. Some irrigated fields, where water has been pulled off, may also be challenging to kill. But for the irrigated fields that have been pushed this year, the rainfall was certainly timely and will allow some producers to shut down their wells.

From a May 1 planting date, we are now approaching 2000 heat units at Halfway, actually 1964, which is 13 percent above the long-term average. At Lubbock, we are sitting at 2216 from May 1, which is about 16 percent above normal. For Lamesa, we've racked up 2357 heat units from May 1, which is around 14 percent above normal. Air temperatures have moderated somewhat and have been cooler to near normal (see August graph), although for the month of August it appears we will be well above normal again for temperatures. All this is heading us toward another early harvest for many fields in the region. Bolls are beginning to open in many fields across the area, which means that the "harvest aid run is just around the corner."

Where do we stand with accumulated heat units after cutout? As noted in an earlier newsletter, we have worked some with the COTMAN expert cotton management program developed by personnel at the University of Arkansas with funding from Cotton Incorporated. Identification of cutout is one of the key components of COTMAN for determination of insecticide termination and crop termination. For a discussion of insecticide termination using COTMAN rules, see the previous newsletter. COTMAN uses 850 heat units past bloom as a point at which a bloom can make a "normal" boll. In the High Plains, heat unit accumulations of 750 past bloom will probably make an "acceptable boll" that may not have "normal" lint production or may be of lower quality (low micronaire).

Table 1 provides information on where we are as of August 29. It is based on actual Lubbock heat units from August 1 through 29, and from that point forward, it uses the 30-year long-term average for each day. For example, the table shows that for a field that reached cutout (here defined as 4 NAWF) on August 1, we should have obtained 350 heat units by about August 18. For the 450 total, it should be around August 22. For cutout at August 10, we obtained 350 heat units by August 27, and should hit 450 heat units by September 3. This table also indicates the likelihood of obtaining maturity of late season bolls.

 Table 1. Heat unit events based on date of cutout (4 NAWF) and actual Lubbock August 1-29 temperatures with subsequent long-term average values for the remainder of the season.

Since it appears that we are again in a warmer than normal late summer (at least thus far), it is possible that the targeted maturity levels (750 and 850 heat units past NAWF=4) will be obtained earlier than projected using the long-term data after August 29.

Roundup UltraMax can be applied as a harvest aid material to conventional cotton specifically to target weed problems and/or to reduce regrowth potential. Effective silverleaf nightshade (whiteweed) control can be observed in the following season with an application of 26-52 ounces per acre of Roundup UltraMax when weeds are in the green-berry stage. Control of severe weed infestations may be increased by the higher rate. Research has shown that reductions in weed populations of up to 97 percent can be obtained from such an application. Applications made in September should target cotton that is 50-80 percent open. After October 1, cotton can be treated when 30 percent of the bolls are open. Regrowth in Roundup Ready cotton varieties will not be controlled by Roundup Ultra application. Roundup UltraMax also should not be applied to fields grown for seed production since viability and/or vigor of seed will likely be reduced.

Basic best management practices can help boost wheat forage productivity. Last week in FOCUS we discussed some of the beardless wheat. I noted that the 'Russian beardless' and its derivatives (WeatherMaster 135, etc.) have lower tillering than Lockett, Longhorn, and TAM 109 and thus need to be seeded at higher rates. Next week I will discuss information, including variety suggestions, for wheat going to grain.

I want to thank my Cooperative Extension counter-part, Dr. Brent Bean, in Amarillo, for contributing to the following information: Producers can achieve good results from a wheat forage program if they follow a few basic best management practices. Forage production varies widely among wheat varieties, and from year to year, but there are a few basic considerations to keep in mind. When choosing a wheat variety, look at seed size, germination and seedling vigor. You want a minimum test weight of at least 56 pounds per bushel and a germination rating of at least 85 percent or higher. Good quality seed is essential in getting a quick stand, which improves early season forage production.

Try to plant under optimum field conditions (good moisture and soil conditions). Increase your seeding rate when planting under less than ideal field conditions. The seeding rate you use will depend on seed size. Large, heavy seed is preferable to smaller, lighter seed.

Soil testing will help gauge the crop's fertilizer needs. The general rule of thumb on wheat fertility for grain only is to apply 1½ pounds of nitrogen for every bushel of grain the crop should produce, after residual soil nitrogen is accounted for. A rule of thumb to follow for forage production is that 60 to 80 pounds of nitrogen will be required for each ton of dry forage produced.

If grazing and grain production is your goal then apply about 2 pounds of nitrogen for every bushel of your yield goal, followed by a topdress application at jointing with ¾-pound of nitrogen per bushel of yield goal after you've pulled the cattle off. But don't neglect phosphorus in your fertility plan. Adequate phosphorus promotes early forage production.

Deep banding phosphorus is a better bet than a broadcast, incorporated surface application because it puts phosphorus further down in the root zone where it is less likely to dry out. This is particularly important for dryland production where the surface soil dries out and uptake of immobile P cannot occur. In contrast, N is mobile in the soil, and uptake is usually not a concern. Another P option is to apply phosphorus in the seed furrow at planting--by mixing dry fertilizer with the seed, or by directly applying liquid fertilizer into the seed furrow. For further information on deep banding of P, consult "Deep Phosphorus Banding in Winter Wheat: A Risk Management Tool for the Southern Great Plains," by Travis Miller, available from your local Cooperative Extension Office or at http://lubbock.tamu.edu. Click on 'other field crops' then 'wheat.'

If you want to produce hay from your wheat, consider cutting when the crop reaches the boot stage. Protein content of 20 percent is not uncommon when wheat is booting, but protein content decreases significantly once wheat heads out.

The key to getting good wheat forage yields, and perhaps additional grain yield, is selecting a variety that fits your situation and operation. In addition to beardless wheat such as Lockett, Longhorn, and TAM 109, current suggestions for wheat for grazing, especially if growers anticipate going to grain, include Jagger, Custer, TAM 110, and TAM 200. These wheat selections appear to perform well under a wide variety of conditions. CT

David Bender, Experiment Station vegetable researcher, conducts chile and pepper trials on the Brosch farm near Slaton. The chiles are ready, and we will report results on the Lubbock website in the near future. Dr. Bender and Dr. Roland Roberts, our recently retired vegetable specialist, have worked with Slaton chile growers for several years to strengthen the fledgling chile industry in the Southern High Plains. Their data demonstrate that we can grow an excellent product. Local chiles (long green, ancho, and jalapeno) will be available at Fiesta in Lubbock on September 8, Slaton on September 15, and at the Old Mill Trade Days nearest to October 1. They can be purchased fresh, or roasted on the spot. People interested in chile production can call Glen Brosch at (806) 778-4629. PP