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Bye boll weevil, hello new pestsOklahoma The good news is that the boll weevil is no longer considered a primary pest of cotton in Oklahoma. The not-so-good news is that there are plenty of other insects producers need to guard against. "Right now, the top three pests cotton growers need to look for are the cotton fleahopper, the cotton aphid and stinkbugs," said Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service assistant specialist Jerry Goodson of the Southwest Research and Extension Center in Altus. The key to controlling these pests is simple enough: look for them. Goodson said producers need to scout their fields, religiously and thoroughly. "We recommend once a week, at least, and it needs to be the same time each week," he said. "If you check on a Tuesday afternoon, you need to check again the following Tuesday afternoon. If you wait until the following Friday, 10 days have elapsed, not seven, and those extra three days can make a big difference in finding and correcting a problem." It also helps for producers to know their vulnerabilities for different types of worms. Cotton bollworm can develop anywhere in the cotton growing region of Oklahoma. Tobacco budworm usually has highest numbers in the alfalfa-producing regions of southwestern Oklahoma. Beet armyworms prefer the sandy peanut regions of the state, and fall armyworm infestations are heaviest in grassy fields. "One advancement for the cotton industry that has helped producers fight various worm species is Bollgard cotton," Goodson said. "Non-Bollgard tends to favor all four major worms, whereas Bollgard works to fend off everything, especially tobacco budworm." As with any insect pest, proper identification is the key to successful treatment. Growers can find color pictures of the pests at different growth stages on the North Texas-Oklahoma-Kansas Web site www.ntokcotton.org. The site also offers a weekly newsletter throughout the season, giving information and recommendations on a number of management concerns. Additional information can be found on the center's Web site at www.osu.altus.ok.us. "Growers are also welcome to drop by the center, e-mail us or call us," Goodson said. 5/19/08 Date: 5/15/08
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