This tip was provided by:
Calvin Trostle, Extension Agronomy, Lubbock, 806-746-6101, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu
Statewide
Ensuring Later-Planted Sorghum Growers have Sugarcane Aphid Resources
For grain sorghum planted since mid-April in the Concho Valley, North Texas, and the High Plains, the good news is that it appears the downstate reports of sugarcane aphid are still well distant. The longer this remains the better. For this planted sorghum as well as forthcoming High Plains sorghum the “First Things” SCA information from Texas A&M AgriLife entomologists are below. Though you may be concerned about cost of treatment—and these management guidelines emphasize the need for treatment when thresholds are met—you can reduce the potential that those costs spin out of control (money you spend on another spray; the money you lose on a damaged crop) by appropriate scouting and timely spraying. One of our High Plains AgriLife Extension IPM agents, Kerry Siders (Hockley/Cochran/Lamb Counties) has noted “A good first shot can eliminate the need for a second spray.”
- Current SCA control recommendations from AgriLife Extension entomology colleagues. This includes the “Scout Card” at http://lubbock.tamu.edu/files/2016/03/ENTO-047.pdf (recommendations unchanged from 2016). There has been a move within AgriLife to reduce the aphid thresholds downstate to the lower SCA numbers in line with High Plains recommendations.
- Texas Sugarcane Aphid News blog at http://txscan.blogspot.com/ Of particular interest on the blog, scroll down to the Feb. 20, 2017 entry which lists 9 AgriLife videos (41 minutes total) pertaining to all aspects of SCA. I highly recommend all sorghum producers in the High Plains take an hour to view these.
- Other SCA and sorghum insect management info. is found at http://www.texasinsects.org/sorghum.html,
