A tiny bug that has plagued Texas sorghum growers for over a year is once again causing big problems for growers.
It appears that methods for controlling the sugarcane aphid, which excretes a sticky substance and damages grain sorghum, vary by climate and region.
What we are finding in commercial fields and our insecticide trial is that our insecticides do not seem to working quite as well as they do in more southern locations with higher humidity and less intense sunlight, Dr. Pat Porter, Extension entomologist, wrote.
Porter encourages growers to move to a more conservative treatment threshold as it’s not clear what’s causing reduced control of the aphids in the High Plains.
With regard to application timing, the prudent thing to do is initiate insecticide applications sooner, before the aphids reach 50-125 aphids per leaf, Porter wrote.
The recommendations are similar to those used in Mississippi.
The explanation of their control plan can be found here: http://bit.ly/1NHOel1.