Pink Bollworm Trapping In West Texas and Eastern New Mexico

This paper describes a pink bollworm pheromone trapping study conducted during the fall of 2010. Up to 20 fields were selected in each of four areas: Pecos Valley NM, Gaines County TX, Dawson and Martin Counties, TX and Midland and Upton Counties, TX. In each area up to ten Bt cotton fields and ten non-Bt cotton fields were GPS located and trapped (1 trap per field). The cultural practices used to produce the crop on each trapped field were fully described. In addition, three pink bollworm pheromone trap lines were established and run. The trap lines were loops to the south of these areas to detect possible pink bollworm movement from these potentially infested areas into the eradicated El Paso/Trans Pecos zone. The goal of this work was to determine highest probability cultural conditions for development of pink bollworm populations and timing and direction of movement of pink bollworms from infested areas into eradicated areas. We expect that this work will lead to a model of pink bollworm survival in the un-eradicated area north and east of the El Paso/Trans Pecos zone. We expect that this information will be useful in developing control strategies and/or low cost pink bollworm eradication programs for the future.