Influence of tillage, planting date, and Bt cultivar on seasonal abundance and within-plant distribution patterns of thrips and cotton fleahoppers in cotton
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Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and cotton fleahoppers, Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae), are considered to be significant economic pests of cotton in Texas, USA. A 2-year field study evaluated the influence of planting date, tillage practice, and Bt cotton on seasonal abundance patterns of thrips and cotton fleahoppers and their within-plant distribution patterns in cotton. Thrips were sampled visually while fleahoppers were sampled both visually and with a 'beat bucket' at weekly intervals throughout the growing season. Thrips infestations had two distinct peaks, with the first peak at the one to two main stem node leaf stage and the second peak during the flowering stage. Cotton fleahoppers had only one infestation peak at 13-15 weeks after planting (after crop cutout). Average seasonal abundance of each pest was significantly influenced by tillage practice with higher numbers in conventional tillage compared with that in conservation tillage plots. Thrips abundance was similar between the two cultivars, whereas cotton fleahopper abundance was significantly higher in non-Bt cotton compared with that in Bt cotton. Thrips average seasonal abundance was significantly higher in timely planted cotton compared with that in late-planted cotton. Thrips were more prevalent in upper one-third vertical stratum (51%) followed by middle stratum (33%) and the lower stratum (16%). Cotton fleahopper within-plant distribution was similar to that for thrips, with 65, 24, and 11% of the total abundance found in upper, middle, and lower one-third of the plant, respectively. 2006 Taylor & Francis.
