Early-Season Insecticide Applications on Cotton to Control Lygus
Guide A-223
Joe Ellington, Professor*Shane T. Ball Extension Agronomy Specialist
Tracey Carrillo Senior Research Specialist**
College of Agriculture and Home Economics, NMSU
This publication is scheduled to be updated and reissued 6/03.Early-season insect control in New Mexico cotton includes seed treatments, at-planting insecticide treatments, and early-season topical application, which may disrupt beneficials. New Mexico producers may assume that early-season square shed in cotton is due to insects such as lygus. While this can be true, early-season insect control isn't necessarily worth the expense.
Over an eight-year period, NMSU researchers studied lygus control in cotton. All insecticide applications failed to produce a significant increase in cotton yield, even when lygus pressure was extremely high. Although lygus cause early square loss, a cotton crop can recover even from severe lygus damage.
Also, topical insecticide applications for lygus significantly reduced beneficial insect populations for 20 to 30 days after application. The cost of insecticide application, the fact that early-season treatment for lygus doesn't improve yield, and insecticide damage to beneficials indicate that early-season use of insecticide for lygus is rarely needed.
*Dept. of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science, **Dept. of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science
New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. NMSU and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.
Printed June 1998Electronic Distribution June 1998