May is here and it is time to plant cotton. Many decisions have already been made related to varieties, plant populations and preemergence herbicides. Consultants and agronomists have reviewed reports from 2023 to help them attempt to forecast what production obstacles their farmer clients may face in the year ahead. Looking back helps prepare for what may lie ahead, especially for insects.

After cotton emerges and begins squaring, plant bugs will begin appearing. Agronomic and environmental variables impact pest populations, so farmers and their consultants should be ready to pull the trigger to protect cotton stands from this pest before they cause significant damage to young cotton squares.

“Migrating pests from host plants are always difficult to gauge, but May is the time to evaluate prospective plant bug populations based on collected sampling in weedy hosts,” says Derek Clarkson, senior sales consultant, Crop Protection, Corteva Agriscience. “I would advise growers to make sure they have a supply of Transform® WG insecticide with Isoclast® active ready to go so they can control plant bugs early and protect their crop’s long-term yield potential.”

After several years on the market, consultants continue to recommend Transform WG insecticide, which is trusted by farmers as a benchmark product for controlling plant bugs. It is the only member of the Group 4C class of insecticides and features Isoclast^® active. It provides a needed rotation option for resistance management programs and delivers quick knockdown plus the residual control farmers expect and need.

Best management practices support decisions related to making targeted spray applications through an effective insect management program. An integral part of that program and those practices should include adherence to state pest thresholds. Economic data on crop costs, plus potential market prices for the crop, help establish economic thresholds for the different row crops. Most state Extension offices offer an online insect control guide. Product performance ratings are usually incorporated into the guide. Both are invaluable assets.

“If we have ample heat units moving past May and into June, cotton will grow quickly, eventually setting fruit that could become susceptible to plant bugs,” Clarkson says. “Transform WG insecticide offers effective insect control through contact and ingestion and can even control insects outside the direct line of spray because it has translaminar movement which means that once sprayed, it can move from the top surface of the leaf down through the leaf tissue to the cells on the underside of the leaf. It is soft on beneficial insects and doesn’t increase the potential for spider mites later in the crop season.”

See how Transform^® WG insecticide can help protect your cotton and your bottom line by visiting Corteva.us or contact your local Corteva Agriscience representative.  

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