The Methods Of Cotton Dusting Are Explained By Mr. J. W. Bateman
Madison Journal June 25, 1937

 

Methods for dusting cotton and the equipment needed for this arc outlined in a paper recently sent out by J. W. Bateman, director of the Agricultural Extension Division of Louisiana State University. The paper is as follows:

 

How To Dust

·       Begin dusting when the weevils have punctured approximately 10 per cent of the square.

·       Use only pure cotton-dusting cal­cium arsenate in the form of a dry powder.

·       Use from 4 to 6 pounds per acre for each application, except in the case of presquare dusting.

·       Use only dusting machinery es­pecially constructed for cotton dust­ing.

·       If possible, dust only when the air is reasonably calm and when the cotton plants are moist.

·       Repeat applications at five-day in­tervals, as may be found necessary to keep the weevils under control.

·       When the infestation has been reduced to less than 10 per cent, discontinue poisoning until the weevils again become injurious.

·       If weevils attack the young bolls in the season, make such additional applications as are found necessary to protect those bolls.

·       When fall migration begins with a general dispersal of weevils, it is usually no longer profitable to con­tinue poisoning for the protection of squares, but frequently it is very profitable to make one or more ap­plications at this time if there is a crop of young bolls still subject to damage by the weevil.

·       If a very heavy rain falls within 24 hours after poisoning, repeat the application immediately.

·       Do not expect to eradicate the weevils; poisoning merely controls them sufficiently to permit a full crop of cotton, and you can always find weevils in a successfully poison­ed field.

·       Do everything possible to increase your yield per acre; it costs just as much to poison cotton yielding one-quarter bale per acre as to poison bale-per-acre cotton.

·       If you are in doubt whether poisoning increases the yields, leave an occasional portion of a field un­treated for comparison with the ad­joining poisoned area. This will show how much you have in­creased your yield by poisoning.

Dusting Equipment

·       For applying calcium arsenate dust on fruiting cotton there are many types of machine adapted for different conditions. Each farmer should carefully study his particular dusting problem and select the machine most suited to his needs. The most important types of ap­paratus are as follows:

·       Hand Gun: The hand gun is the least expensive individual machine, but is recommended only when other types are not suitable. One hand gun will treat only about eight acres of cotton in a season.

·       Saddle Gun: The saddle gun is operated from mule back by hand cranking, and will care for from 40 to 50 acres of infested cotton through the season. The machine has two nozzles, one extending on each side of the mule.

·       One Mule Machine: The one-mule machine is pulled by one mule between two rows of cotton, and will care for about 60 acres of in­fested cotton through the season.

·       Traction Cart Duster: The wheel-traction cart duster is usu­ally built with three nozzles and is pulled by two mules. This ma­chine will care for approximately 100 acres of infested cotton through the season.

·       Power Cart Duster: The power cart duster has a fan turning at high speed, operated by a gasoline motor, and permits dusting under more adverse atmospheric condi­tions than any other machine used on the ground. It is particularly suited for large areas or where the absence of dew causes conditions  comparatively unfavorable for dust­ing. The different models vary con­siderably in capacity, but will usu­ally care for from 200 to 300 acres of infested cotton through the sea­son.

Cost of Poisoning

·       The cost of poisoning varies widely with the individual problem, and only average figures can be given. On the basis of present prices (calcium arsenate costs about 7 cents per pound.) The dusting costs about 75 cents per acre per application. Above all, remember to do it right or not at all.

Flea Hopper Control In Cotton

·       Any finely ground sulphur 93 to 95 per cent of which will pass a 325 mesh screen and containing 21/2 to 8 per cent of conditioning agent, is suitable for the control of the cotton flea hopper.

·       Do not use finely ground pure sulphur as it is difficult to apply properly with dusting machinery now available.

·       Application of 2 to 20 pounds per acre should be made, depending upon the size of the plants, severity of the infestation, and the advance­ment of the season.

·       The heavier applications appar­ently bring about quicker condi­tioning of the flea hopper infesta­tion.

·       Do not dust a second time unless the conditions justify a second dust­ing after 7 to 10 days interval.

·       Any type of dusting equipment now used for applying calcium arsenate for boll weevil control is suitable to apply the sulphur for the control of the flea hopper.

·       Special conditioned sulphur dusts for flea hopper control are available at from 3% to 4 cents per pound.

·       The cost of application exclusive of the dust usually amounts to about 30 cents per acre.

·       The total per acre cost, using 15 pounds of dust, will be approxi­mately 80 to 90 cents.