Cultural Practices to Decrease Thrips Densities in Cotton Production Systems

Thrips are economically important pests of seedling cotton in the southeastern US. Feeding damage to seedling cotton causes leaf curling, stunted growth, and reduced plant stand. The objective of this research was to explore methods for disrupting thrips host finding behaviors with the goal of reducing colonization.  Field trials were conducted in cotton and peanut utilizing different tillage practices and reflective particle films. In cotton, particle films had no significant effect on thrips densities, plant height, stand count, maturity, or plant biomass  Fewer adult and immature thrips were observed in cotton that was stripped into rolled and standing rye compared to conventional tillage, but reduced plant stand, maturity, and biomass, and only significantly differed from one another with regards to the first week immature counts. The use of neonicotinoid seed treatments reduced adult thrips during the first week of sampling and immature thrips during the first two weeks.