Corn harvest began in east central Louisiana last week, according to Roger Carter of Agricultural Management Services in his July 21 AMS Ag Report. “Early reports are of 100 bushels per acre plus. Exact figures are not yet available.

“This was 715 planted on dryland. It was very droughty in the area where this corn was harvested, a sign that our corn yields could be a little better than we originally thought.”

Other crop conditions reported by Carter:

GRAIN SORGHUM — Late grain sorghum is infested with borers. We are beginning a regimen of pyrethroids on a five-day to seven-day interval through flowering. Most of the late-planted grain sorghum was behind wheat and is approaching the boot stage.

A sample of early-planted grain sorghum was cut last week and had moisture of 15 percent.

SOYBEANS — Our oldest soybeans are near R7; the youngest are at V5.

Fungicide strategies haven’t changed. Unless we get a rain, little fungicide will be applied. Quadris is back in the system at certain locations. Stratego is still available at one or more locations. And there is plenty of Headline, Domark, and others.

Stink bugs were treated on several hundred acres of good beans last week, but levels are not nearly as high as we have seen the past several years. Banded cucumber beetle levels as high as two per sweep. Bean leaf beetles are not threatening in the numbers we expect in a dry year. Three-cornered alfalfa hopper populations have exploded in a few fields. There are no worms.

Some soybeans will never be harvested due to severe drought while others have an average yield potential. Several non-irrigated fields in southern Tensas Parish could cut 50 bushels per acre or better, while a few miles southward beans could be cut for hay.

COTTON — Oldest cotton is at the 25th node. The youngest is at the 12th true leaf. NAWF is 3 or less on 25 percent of this area’s cotton.

When it rains, heavy rates of Pix will be applied to limit regrowth potential. The extensive root system that has developed during the drought and the reserve of nitrogen that has not been utilized will cause much regrowth. We have seen in the past that 2 to 3 feet of lush regrowth can limit sunlight penetration to bolls and cause deterioration of maturing bolls and open bolls.

Through July 20, we have not recommended any insecticide this year on approximately 15 percent of our total cotton acres and only one application on another 20 percent. Fifty percent of our cotton acres have had two applications.

Plant bugs are increasing rapidly in many fields. Multiple applications on a five-day interval may be required to quell these populations. We are using Orthene, Bidrin, or dimethoate in addition to pyrethroids where worms are present. Some Centric/Trimax is still being applied. We are using some Brigade/Discipline where mites are present with some success. We’re also using some Zeal, Abba, Zephyr, Portal, Kelthane (dicofol), etc., where mites are not being controlled with Brigade/Discipline.

Hitting the target is especially important. The use of twinjet or cone tips is a must. If by the application is by air, use 10 gpa instead of 5.

Bollworms are present in most fields, but it is hard to find worm damage of any kind in some refuge cotton.

Cotton yields will be far below last season due to extensive drought. Cotton on clay soils is the poorest we have seen in many years, but where a few have caught some rain, cotton yields will be at profitable levels.

Tim White, Walter Myers, Wil Miller, Matt Myers, Lydia Ellett, and Roger Carter of Agricultural Management Services, Inc., are located in east central Louisiana, serving Catahoula, Concordia, northern Avoyelles, southern Franklin, and southern Tensas parishes.