By Clint Thompson
The lingering dry conditions being experienced across some areas in Georgia and Alabama means insect pressure is high in pecan orchards.
Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist, discussed what insects are most problematic for Southeast growers in an interview with AgNet Media.
“Black aphids have been horrible over the last month, I would say, and mites also in places. We’ve seen some insect pressure over the last month and are still seeing it at the moment,” Wells said. “We’re kind of at the point in the season also where growers, it’s a good idea to put on a spray for stink bug and/or weevil, if you have weevil. Not all orchards have that, but a lot of our older orchards do.
“But stink bug is one that is probably a good idea to make a spray for, because they can damage the kernels late. We generally see a lot of them move to pecan orchards when peanuts are dug. As corn dries down and if you’ve got a lot of row crops around you, cotton certainly, it’s especially important to do those stink bug sprays. Usually, unless there’s a serious big problem, we can get by with just one. But it’s also worth keeping an eye on.”
Broad Spectrum Insecticides
Broad spectrum insecticides are usually reserved for those insect pests, though growers are more inclined to wait until late in the season to use those.
“It’s going to also hurt some of the natural enemies out there that feed on the insect pests. And then those pests like aphids and mites are going to flare back up sometimes after those sprays. We’re kind of at that point right now where it’s getting about time to make that spray, but then you also need to come back a week to 10 days later and double check and make sure you’re not getting flare ups from those aphids and mites behind that,” Wells said.