Georgia currently ranks second in the U.S. in bale production and planted cotton acreage (5 year averages are 1.9 million bales produced on 1.1 million acres). Increased management and use of IPM programs has replaced numerous insecticide applications resulting in increased profits for growers, a more sustainable production system, and an improved environmental profile.
Dramatic changes in cotton pest management have transformed the production system, and acreage has increased nearly ten-fold since 1983. Elimination of the boll weevil and adoption of Bt transgenic varieties allowed producers to utilize natural controls more effectively and implement much improved IPM programs. Annual insecticide applications have been reduced from more than 15 during the early 1980s to less than five (5 yr average is 2.6). However, the complex of key pests has changed in the reduced insecticide use production environment.
Currently, stink bugs are a primary pest of cotton in Georgia and the southeast. Knowledge of basic stink bug biology and ecology in cotton and the farmscape has improved in recent years. This information will be used to refine thresholds, improve sampling, and develop innovative management programs such as in-field border applications of insecticides where only a portion of the field is treated. Cotton continues to be an intensively managed crop.
Effective IPM programs are critical to sustain profitability and promote environmental stewardship in cotton production systems in Georgia and the southeast. For more information, please visit the UGA Extension Cotton website.
*Data shown is previous 30 days from the present date.