Field tests in Louisiana determined the influence of cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, infestations during early (vegetative) and mid-season (flowering) periods on cotton yields. Treatments were arranged in a split plot within a randomized complete block with main plots consisting of irrigation regime (irrigated vs. non-irrigated) and subplots consisting of cotton aphid control strategies (treated vs. non- treated). Plants were tagged and sampled weekly to quantify cotton aphid density and to monitor the presence of the entomopathogenic fungus, Neozygites fresenii. Boll retention, vegetative boll number and weight, and mainstem boll number and weight were recorded. Cotton aphids began to infest plants in mid-May and reached peak densities during late June and early July. Populations rapidly declined following the onset of N. fresenii in early July. Interactions between irrigation and insecticide treatments on cotton aphid densities and plant yield components will be discussed.
Species 1: Homoptera Aphididae Aphis gossypii (cotton aphid, melon aphid)
Keywords: IPM
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA