Thrips counts and disease incidence in response to reflective particle films and conservation tillage in cotton and peanut cropping systems

Abstract

Feeding damage to seedling cotton and peanut inflicted by adult and immature thrips may result in stunted growth and delayed maturity. Furthermore, adult thrips can transmit Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) to seedling peanut, which reduces plant growth and yield. The objective of this research was to assess the efficacy of inert particle films, calcium carbonate or kaolin, in combination with conservation tillage, to reduce adult and immature thrips counts in cotton and peanut crops. Planting cotton or peanut into strip tillage utilizing a rolled rye winter cover crop significantly reduced immature thrips counts. Furthermore, plant damage ratings in cotton as well as TSWV incidence in peanut significantly decreased under conservation tillage. Aboveground cotton biomass and plant stand in cotton and peanut were unaffected by calcium carbonate or kaolin particle film applications. Within each week, immature thrips counts were unaffected by particle films, regardless of application rate. In cotton plots treated with kaolin, total Frankliniella fusca (Hinds) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) counts summed across weeks were significantly greater compared to the untreated control. For adult F. fusca counts at 3 weeks after planting, an interaction between tillage and particle film treatments was observed with fewer adult thrips in particle film and strip tillage treated peanut. Similarly, reduced TSWV incidence was observed in particle film‐treated peanut grown using conservation tillage. Neither cotton nor peanut yields were affected by particle film treatments.

Genetics and Genomics of Cotton Leaf Curl Disease, Its Viral Causal Agents and Whitefly Vector: A Way Forward to Sustain Cotton Fiber Security

“…Thus banning of cultivation of alternative hosts in the close vicinity of cotton crop would help in controlling the vector population. Similarly, avoiding the cultivation of other crops in off season in cotton-growing areas may help in breaking the lifecycle of whitefly ( Rafiq et al, 2008 ; Knight et al, 2017 ). Clean cultivation is important for controlling the whitefly population and disease incidence either through cultural practices or by the application of weedicides.…”

Cereal rye cover crop and herbicide application method affect cotton stand, Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) control, and cotton yield

“…Research has even shown cover crops can reduce populations of thrips (Frankliniella ssp.) compared with conventional systems (Knight et al 2017). The literature clearly suggests that cover crops have the potential not only to improve management of many pests, as well as soil health, but also reduce production costs, labor requirement, erosion, and runoff (Mirsky et al 2012;Teasdale 1996).…”

Cover crops improve early season natural enemy recruitment and pest management in cotton production

“…Thrips in the genus Frankliniella are a serious pest of seedling cotton as well as several other crops worldwide Greenberg et al 2009;Mouden et al 2017). In previous studies, strip tillage and cover crops helped suppress early season thrips populations Knight et al 2017;Manandhar et al, 2017). Conversely, stink bugs, a mid-to-late season cotton pest, are challenging to control and force producers to rely on broad spectrum insecticides such as pyrethroids and organophosphates (Roberts & Toews, 2015), which are harmful to natural enemy communities (Gurr et al, 2017;Isaacs et al, 2009).…”