Record rainfall in early 2019 created a multitude of early season challenges for Mid-South farmers. Unfortunately, 2020 started much the same way, increasing the potential for multiple planting dates, variable cotton growth stages and the need for intensive pest management.

Fourth-generation cotton grower Blaine Lee of Tallulah, Louisiana, is prepared for the potential variability this year may bring. He emphasizes the importance of scouting, making timely insecticide applications and choosing products that offer long-lasting residual activity.

“Our primary goal is always to shoot for high yields,” he says. That means investing in the inputs he needs to optimize yield, even in challenging years. 

Maximizing yield requires effectively controlling troublesome cotton pests such as tarnished plant bug and stink bug. The unique active ingredient in Transform^® WG insecticide with Isoclast^® active provides fast knockdown and powerful residual control while offering growers a much-needed rotational partner to fight resistance. 

“We generally don't adjust our inputs from year to year. We stay on the same page each year with one goal  - maximizing yield,” Lee says. “Having a federal label for Transform gives us great peace of mind. When we sit down to do our budgets, we know we're going to be able to use it and we are confident in the tarnished plant bug control it provides. It makes everything a lot easier.”

If uncontrolled, tarnished plant bug populations can cause economically significant injury to cotton, Lee says. “If we couldn't effectively control tarnished plant bugs, it would be impossible to produce a profitable cotton crop.”

When determining treatment thresholds and application timing, Lee puts his confidence in his crop consultant, Hank Jones.

“We always apply a full rate of Transform shortly before bloom for tarnished plant bug control,” Jones says. “After the bloom stage, we use sweep counts to determine if a second shot of Transform is needed.”

Because tarnished plant bug populations often migrate into cotton from nearby maturing cornfields, the long-lasting residual provided by Transform is essential to maintaining control of this yield-robbing pests.

“We're pretty much hitting a home run with Transform,” Lee says. “The residual activity provided by Transform is crucial. It's the greatest benefit that Transform offers us as cotton farmers. That long-lasting residual is a huge insurance policy and it provides us with peace of mind.”

He adds, “These days, I don't know if I'd want to farm cotton without Transform.”

Visit Transform.Corteva.Us to learn how Transform can improve pest management on your farm.

_{TM ® Trademarks of Dow AgroSciences, DuPont or Pioneer, and their affiliated companies or their respective owners. Transform WG is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions. © 2020 Corteva. CA14-396-024 (04/20) BR   CAAG0TFRM057}