Limited Options for Tarnished Plant Bug Management in Louisiana Cotton

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris Palisot de Beauvois, is the key pest in Louisiana cotton.  High infestations that persist for nearly the entire season have caused a significant increase in insecticide applications. During 2009-11, multiple field trials evaluated insecticide efficacy against this pest in Northeast Louisiana.  The results suggest considerable variability in performance and the most effective strategies relied on co-applications of two or more products. These results provide a summary of insecticide effectiveness and will be used to support the 2012 cotton IPM recommendations.