Colquitt County Row Crop Update June 15, 2026

Jun 15, 2026

Current Situation: Cotton and peanut growers are finishing up planting this past week. Cotton jassid was found last week in Tifton. Corn crop ranges from VT to dough. Cotton crop ranges from just planted to squaring.

Cotton

Last week, Dr. Roberts informed county agents that low numbers of adult cotton jassids were detected on okra at the Tifton Experiment Station on June 10, 2026.

As a reminder, only the adult stage can be reliably identified; immature (nymph) stages cannot be conclusively identified. Adults can be identified by the presence of two prominent black spots on the wings (see photo by Justin Odom below).

Some of the earlier planted cotton starts to square in Colquitt County, Dr. Roberts has a few points to consider when managing plant bugs. Tarnished plant bugs and clouded plant bugs have become a more consistent pest of cotton in parts of Georgia. A few bullet points below to consider when planning your plant bug management program:

• Early planted cotton appears to be at greater risk for plant bugs during squaring.

• Later planted cotton appears to be at greater risk for late season plant bugs.

• Primary damage during squaring is feeding on small squares; these small, damaged squares will be shed by the plant.

• The best sampling tool for adult plant bugs migrating into squaring cotton is a sweep net.

• Square retention should be monitored from the onset of squaring until early bloom; our goal is to maintain at least 80 percent of fruit as we enter bloom.

Plant bugs may feed on larger squares; this often occurs when we have plant bugs reproducing in the field. Large squares will often remain on the plant and result in dirty blooms.

• If you see dirty blooms, the field should be scouted for immature plant bugs. The best sampling tool for immature plant bugs is a drop cloth.

• Plant bugs may also feed on small bolls resulting in internal boll damage.

• Clouded plant bugs should be counted 1.5 times (i.e. 2 clouded should be counted as

3 tarnished) and added to your plant bug count.

• Scout and use thresholds.

• Consider aphid infestations when making plant bug sprays.

• On farms where plant bugs are consistent and problematic, consider using ThryvOn or Diamond.

Source : uga.edu

Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.