The ability of grain sorghum to serve as a trap crop for the corn earworm (CEW) in cotton was investigated in Irwin County GA in 2002. Three 150 ft x 12 row strips of sorghum (sorghum trap) and 3 strips cotton (cotton trap) were planted along a single edge of 4 cotton fields adjacent to corn. Corn earworm populations were monitored in the sorghum trap, in the cotton trap, in field cotton associated with the sorghum trap, in field cotton associated with the cotton trap, and four control fields with no trap crop, but still adjacent to corn. CEW eggs were much higher in the sorghum trap than in the cotton trap. CEW eggs were not different between trap cotton and field cotton associated with the traps. Also, CEW eggs were not different for field cotton associated with the sorghum trap and field cotton associated with the cotton trap. Control fields had higher CEW eggs than trap fields. These results demonstrated that grain sorghum was an effective trap crop for the CEW in cotton.
Species 1: Lepidoptera Noctuidae Helicoverpa zea (corn earworm)
Species 2: Heteroptera Pentatomidae (stink bugs)
Keywords: trap crop
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