Impact of leaf hairiness and planting date on tarnished plant bug, lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois)

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), has become the primary pest of Midsouth cotton over the past decade. Numerous foliar insecticide applications have to be made during the growing season to suppress the tarnished plant bug and to protect cotton from extensive yield loss caused by this pest. New methods of control are needed to conserve grower’s money, improve yields, and lower the amount of insecticide resistance that is occurring in tarnished plant bug populations. Experiments were conducted at the Mississippi State University Delta Research and Extension Center, located in Stoneville, Mississippi, to determine the impact of tarnished plant bug infestation on yield and maturity of cotton. Weeks within the flowering stage from two separate planting dates were tested to determine the critical period when cotton is most susceptible to damage from the tarnished plant bug. Lastly, smooth, semi-smooth, and hairy leaf varieties were planted to determine the effect of leaf pubescence on tarnished plant bug densities. Results from these trials will be discussed.