Addition of Starter Fertilizer to Shorten the Window of Susceptibility to Thrips

Thrips are the most consistent insect pest of seedling cotton in the southeastern US, where plants are generally susceptible until reaching the 4-5 leaf stage.  We investigated differences in plant maturity, thrips injury, and thrips infestation dynamics as a function of adding starter fertilizer at planting.  Results show that starter fertilizer produced more vigorous growth, reduced injury, and increased yield.