Insect Control Termination Decisions Across Irrigated and Rainfed Management Zones in Center Pivot Irrigated Cotton

Progressive growers in Arkansas incorporate site-specific zone management practices in center pivot sprinkler irrigated fields, reducing both seeding and fertilizer rates in the lower yielding non-irrigated portions of the field relative to irrigated crop areas. We wanted to find out if this zone approach was practical for use in an insect pest management program.  Are differences in plant growth and pest risk among irrigation zones sufficient to be worthy of extra time and effort required for increased sampling time by scouts?This poster will summarize results from   insect control termination field trial  in a conventional blanket spray compared to management zone approach. In late season plants in the rainfed zone were well past the “safe” stage while those in the irrigated zone were still in the susceptible stage for tarnished plant bug. Yield data along with a simple economic comparison will be included in the presentation. The field print calculator with its sustainability index will be used to compare a zone compared to conventional management approach.