WESLACO — By law, growers can begin planting the Lower Rio Grande Valley’s 2002 cotton crop on Feb. 1, but cotton experts are hoping they hold off for a few weeks.
“We’re hoping our growers will plant within a smaller, more compact window, between Feb. 15 and March 15,” said John Norman, cotton integrated pest managment (IPM) entomologist at the Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Weslaco.
To help break the life cycle of the costly boll weevil insects, state law requires that Valley cotton be planted between Feb. 1 and March 31, and that all cotton stalks be harvested and destroyed by Sept 1.
By destroying old stalks, boll weevils are left homeless and unable to feed and reproduce into the next year’s cotton season.
“If, like last year, we can get a vast majority of our growers to plant within that smaller, one-month window, boll weevils can’t move from the early-planted cotton to the later-planted cotton,” Norman said. “If growers plant at about the same time and treat for weevils at the same time, we have a better chance of suppressing those populations.”
Norman expects Valley growers to plant cotton on some 215,000 acres this year. That’s roughly the same acreage as last year, but lower than the 270,000 acres planted in 2000.
“Lack of irrigation water for our irrigated crops, a lack of timely rainfall for our dryland cotton, and low cotton commodity prices can all be blamed for fewer acres planted, with little if any relief in sight,” said Norman.
At both national and local cotton meetings, Norman said, he’s noticed a drop in the number of growers participating, a reflection of the country’s weakening agricultural economy.
On the positive side, Norman notes that efforts by Rio Grande Valley growers to suppress weevil populations, which cost growers millions yearly in insecticides and lost production, appear to be successful.
“Weevil populations last year were lower than anticipated, and right now are lower than they were last year at this time,” he said. “But to claim victory, we really need to look at the numbers over a several-year period to be sure.”
In addition to planting within a smaller window, Norman recommends early insecticide treatments on those fields with high over-winter weevil populations, or in fields that have a history of such populations.
“Be aggressive with in-season insecticide treatments, say beginning in mid-May, as soon as weevil populations reach economic damage levels. Treat, don’t abandon those fields,” he said.
He also recommends that growers add insecticides to defoliation applications at the end of the season and destroy stalks as soon after harvest as possible.
“For those using the newer conservation method of farming, add insecticides to the herbicides used in stalk destruction,” he said. “And if you plant a fall or winter crop in an old cotton field, make sure volunteer cotton stalks are killed off before the new crop is established. Those fields are a big source of boll weevil survival and reproduction into the next year’s crop.”
-30-