Influence of Lygus-Traited Cotton Technology on Performance of Commonly Used Inecticides for Tarnished Plant Bug Management Prior to Bloom

Abstract

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), is the most economically damaging insect pest of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., production in the Mid-South region of the U.S. In Mississippi alone, tarnished plant bug caused approximately $270 in losses per hectare and accounted for nearly 70,000 lost bales per annum during 2021 and 2022. Insecticide use is the foundation of integrated pest management strategies for control of tarnished plant bug in the Mid-South. Prior to bloom, acephate, imidacloprid, and sulfoxaflor are commonly used insecticides for tarnished plant bug management. Research was conducted in the Mississippi Delta region with commonly used insecticides prior to bloom to evaluate their performance in non-ThryvOnTM and ThryvOn cotton varieties. Research suggests that imidacloprid has a limited fit in non-ThryvOn cotton production. However, these data indicate that the additional mode of action provided by ThryvOn cotton could extend the longevity of imidacloprid, along with other commonly used insecticides in Mid-South cotton production.