An experiment was conducted to study the interaction of southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), induced injury and boll rot epidemics in cotton. Cotton plants were subjected to excessive rainfall and humidity for five weeks at the end of the season (boll opening). Within stink bug-infested and non-infested plots of cotton, the condition of each boll was characterized for stink bug injury and boll rot symptomology. The proportion of rotted (pathogen induced tissue decay), proportion of hard locked bolls (abiotic induced locule compaction), and percent bug injury was significantly greater within stink bug-infested plots. Normal boll density and harvestable seedcotton were significantly greater in non-infested plots.
Species 1: Heteroptera Pentatomidae Nezara viridula (southern green stink bug)
Keywords: cotton boll rot
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