Boll weevil eradication and the use of transgenic Bt-cotton varieties are dramatically reducing insecticide use on cotton over much of the southeastern U.S. As a result, producer fields may be more accessible to pollinator populations, including honey bees, which may positively impact cotton production. In this study we recorded visits by insects to newly opened cotton flowers in six Bt cotton fields in northern Alabama. Two 1/4 acre plots per field were used for observations, one located at field edge, the other in the field interior. All newly opened flowers were observed in both plots at weekly intervals for six weeks for all fields. All insects present or visiting flowers were recorded. A variety of visitors/flower inhabitants were observed, with significant flower visitation by honey bees during midday periods.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Apidae Apis mellifera (honey bee)
Keywords: cotton, pollination
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