Growers’ perception of arthropod pests and their management in cotton across seven states in the United States

Abstract

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum [L.]) growers make a number of management decisions to avoid yield losses caused by a range of insect pests, including several thrips species, tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), a complex of stink bug species, and, more recently, the newly invasive two-spot cotton leafhopper, Amrasca bigutulla (Ishida). Given the range of management practices available for these pests, our goal was to document growers’ perceptions of pest status, management practices, and their reasons for implementation. We surveyed 398 growers across seven US states, with questions on the use of seed treatments, foliar or in-furrow insecticide applications for thrips, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic cotton, thresholds to manage stink bugs, and insecticide for two-spot cotton leafhopper. Growers’ decisions on thrips management varied among states, with in-furrow and foliar insecticides being the most common practices. Growers reported managing stink bugs primarily with insecticide applications based on thresholds or week of bloom. Plant bugs were managed by most growers using foliar insecticide sprays, with fewer growers planting ThryvOn® cotton. Most growers reported planting cotton expressing three Bt toxins to manage bollworm, and an additional foliar insecticide application for this pest was made in some states. The two-spot cotton leafhopper made a greater impact in Georgia and South Carolina compared to other states surveyed. Grower perceptions and management choices varied with local pest pressure and perceived risk. Improving Extension support, sampling tools, thresholds, and emerging pest recommendations may increase IPM adoption and reduce unnecessary insecticide use.