Cotton Pest Management Newsletter #13
August 29, 2002

Cotton Situation: The Georgia Weekly Weather and Crops Report for the week ending August 25^th listed the crop as 37 percent with open bolls. Crop conditions have declined somewhat and continue to be variable.

Insect Situation: Silverleaf whitefly has built to high numbers in some areas of Tift and Colquitt Counties. Corn earworm and tobacco budworm infestations are spotty and primarily concentrated on late planted fields which are still green and lush. Soybean looper has been reported at treatable levels in south Georgia. Beet, fall, and southern armyworms are spotty. Boll feeding bugs continue to be variable depending on location and insecticide use history.

When is a Boll "Safe" from Insect Attack?: Although cotton is never immune from insect attack, the following chart provides guidelines for terminating insect control for various pests. To use these guidelines, one must first determine the latest population of bolls which will significantly contribute to yield (the boll you plan to fill prior to defoliation). For some pests, the insects will make this decision for us as the field becomes a less suitable host site.

Tobacco Budworm and Corn Earworm: Tobacco budworm and corn earworm infestations are spotty and primarily concentrated on late planted fields which are still green and lush. Where TBW has historically infested cotton, infestations are mixed. We must continue to be timely with insecticide applications if needed and make good decisions on insecticide selection. If TBW is infesting a field, the use of Steward of Tracer would be recommended.

Armyworms: Beet, fall, and southern armyworms have been reported from various parts of the state. This week we have received several calls of fall armyworms (FAW) feeding in blooms. Large FAW larvae are very difficult to control. The threshold for FAW is about 2X that used for CEW and TBW.

Boll Feeding Bugs: Both stink bugs and leaf-footed bugs have been common in cotton visited this week. As bolls move closer to the tops of plants, these insects are easier to observe. In fields where leaf-footed bugs are at high levels, treatments which are used to control brown stink bug should be used.

Last Cotton Pest Management Newsletter: This is the last issue of the Cotton Pest Management Newsletter. I would like to thank all individuals who updated us on current insect situations. Hopefully the information we provide has benefitted you. We will continue to update the Insect Hotline on an as needed basis.

Insect Updates: Check the Cotton Insect Hotline (1/800-851-2847) for updates on current insect conditions. The Cotton Pest Management Newsletter is also posted on the Internet at "www.gaipm.org" and then click on "cotton".

Sincerely,

Phillip Roberts
Extension Entomologist