Investigating Injury Relationships Between Verde Plant Bugs Feeding On Cotton Bolls; Boll Age, Boll Diameter and Accumulated Degree-Days

Our studies over a 2 years (2009 & 2010) and 2 locations (Weslaco and Corpus Christi, TX) investigated the relationship of feeding-injury of the verde plant bug, Creontiades signatus Distant, to a range of cotton boll age classes further defined by boll diameter and accumulated degree-days (anthesis to the time of infesting) for first-position cotton bolls infested (enclosed) with the plant bugs. The most detrimental damage (yield loss) to younger cotton bolls are when the boll abscises. Abscission rates for smaller cotton bolls, <150 ACDD, or to 1.5 cm in diameter was from 60 – 70 %.