Zika Virus Information and CDC Alert

                The Zika Virus has certainly been making news of late.  Here I am passing forward the latest and best information I have on the subject.  At the very least, I view this as good educational information that will help us in our travels and possibly back home.  The following is from a U.S. Center for Disease Control travel alert:

Zika Virus Alert

January 18, 2016

The U.S. Center for Disease Control CDC has issued a travel alert related to Zika virus.

Zika is an illness caused by a virus transmitted by the Aedes mosquito (which also transmits Dengue). It is present in tropical zones across the globe, including the Americas. Zika is not transmitted from human to human.

Only 1 in 5 patients exposed to Zika develop symptoms which are usually mild. Common symptoms are fever, joint pains, rash, conjunctivitis (red eyes) as well as headache or muscle aches.  The illness lasts up to a week and resolves spontaneously.  Serious illness is very uncommon.

Zika appears to pose a risk for pregnant patients. It is associated with certain fetal malformations.

The CDC recommends that pregnant patients at any stage of pregnancy or those intending to become pregnant should consider deferring travel to affected areas.

Prevention: There is no vaccine to prevent Zika.  Travelers are advised to take general measures to avoid mosquito borne diseases:

§  Use DEET containing insect repellant. According to the CDC, DEET is safe in pregnancy.

§  Wear long sleeves and leggings

§  Use screens and insect repellant impregnated mosquito nets or tents.

§  Avoid being outside at dusk and dawn when mosquitos are most active.

If you think you may be pregnant and may have been exposed through travel and have any of the symptoms, you should see you doctor immediately.

Areas affected

Most tropical zones have reported Zika outbreaks.  The official CDC Level 2 advisory applies to:

§  Puerto Rico

§  Mexico

§  Central America

§  South America – tropical zones, including Brazil

Specific emphasis is placed on Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Suriname, and Venezuela.

For more information, please refer to the following CDC sites:  http://www.cdc.gov/zika/  http://www.cdc.gov/zika/pregnancy/travel-health-notices.html  http://www.cdc.gov/zika/pregnancy/question-answers.html

            With spring and summer will come mosquito season.  While the fear of this new to us virus is likely greater than the actual danger, it does sound like something we would want to avoid.  For a review of mosquito IPM, please revisit the May 16, 2013 Plains Pest Bugoshere Blog “Controlling Mosquitoes Through IPM.”

Blayne

Comment Period for Transform on Sorghum Open

The following was released by Dr. Robert Bowling, Extension Entomology Specialist, Corpus Christi yesterday, February 1st:

All,

The EPA has opened a brief public comment period for the TX Section 18 request for Transform on sorghum for SCA management. Please forward this message to all your sorghum producers and encourage them to make their comments. Their voice will only be heard if they respond to this request. Their thoughts around the subject are important and their voice will be heard if they take time to send their ideas around this product for SCA management in sorghum!

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/01/27/2016-01571/sulfoxaflor-receipt-of-application-for-emergency-exemption-solicitation-of-public-comment

Robert Bowling, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor and Agrilife Extension Entomology Specialist

Texas A&M Agrilife Research and Extension Center at Corpus Christi

10345 Hwy 44

Corpus Christi, TX 78406

Thanks Robert!

Blayne

2015 End of Growing Season Plains Pest Management Survey

Greetings All,

I hope this time finds you on a break or wrap up from a successful, timely, and bountiful harvest.  With a little weather forced time away from the field, we took the opportunity to compile our Plains Pest Management End of Year Performance Survey ahead of the mandatory deadline this year.  Please take just a few moments to let us know how we did this year by following this link: https://agrilife.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3I8q1qiwgzfMUip

Don't worry, we are never really finished around here.  Keep an eye out for content, especially as it pertains to the sugarcane aphid as we wrap this growing season up and finalize all our research data and get our overwintering survival studies out, but it is the time of year to get our performance survey out there. 

Please let us know how we did this year so we can continue to serve your needs to the best of our abilities.  The survey should remain open through Thanksgiving, but if you have a minute sooner, it would be greatly appreciated.  

Thanks!!

Blayne Reed

EA-IPM, Hale, Swisher, & Floyd

225 Broadway, Suite 6

Plainview, TX 79072

2015 Harvest Aid Trial – 19 DAT Data

2015 Harvest Aid Trial – 19 DAT Data

October 14, 2015

            Today I gathered 19 DAT data from our 2015 Harvest Aid Trial.  Harvest aids and their uses in cotton have always been more art than science.  This season does seem to be shaking up our standards for expected product performance a bit.  Both from this trial and what I am seeing in the field indicates the uniqueness of the season. 

                My first observation is that bolls are maturing well and the majority of fields are either ready for harvest aids or are nearing it, the odd and very late fields aside.  I am not concerned, for the most part, about being able to open bolls at this time.  My second, and main observation, is that the leaves are very hard to knock off the plant this season, much more so than I have experienced.  The results of this trial point to this trend.  Straight ethephon, even at higher rates tending into the lower 40 oz. range are not dropping leaves like I would normally expect.  Even adding some of our usually very useful and popular PPOs are not returning the defoliation I have come to expect over the years, with a few exceptions (please note data below for performance and/or product exception).  I am  not noting any major issues with leaf stick, although we do have differences in this trial, the amount is too low to be a major concern.  A touch of defoliant added to solid rates of ethephon, something I have shied away from in recent years due to past performance issues, do seem to be working better and much like what I would expect from those higher rates of ethephon in most seasons.  I have not seen any one treatment that I can stamp as a one shot treatment this year, even at 21 DAT.  We often say that every season, but the stubbornness of the leaves really brings this statement to absolute fact this season.  I am also seeing issues with regrowth following the first treatment and under the recent weather pattern we have had.

                So, on to the results of this trial.  This year the trial is on Mike Goss’ Farm approximately 6 ½ miles southwest of Tulia.  For this trial, we selected 7 cotton harvest aid treatments including an untreated check of interest to area producers and Ag industry.  The trial is a small plot RBD replicated 4 times.  Plots are 4 40-inch rows wide X 38-feet long.  Data collected today was % open boll, % defoliated, % green leaves still attached, % stuck leaves, and today’s data includes a 0-10 regrowth rating with 0 representing no regrowth.  At the time of treatment on September 25^th, this field was only at 20 % open boll and not truly ready for a blanket harvest aid treatment but was one of the most mature in the area.  It was selected for the purpose of an early look at harvest aid performance and to be readily available for the Swisher Cotton Day on October 8^th. 

 

 

 % Open Boll @ 19 DAT

% Green leaves still on the plant @ 19 DAT

% Defoliation @ 19 DAT

% Stuck Leaves at 19 DAT

Regrowth rating on 0-10 scale with 0=no regrowth @ 19 DAT

Thanks,

Blayne