Influence of Tillage System and Irrigation Initiation on Susceptibility of Three Cotton Cultivars to Tarnished Plant Bug

This report summarizes two field studies conducted in 2013 in NE Arkansas evaluating host plant resistance of three commercial cultivars of cotton to tarnished plant bug. The three lines have been previously identified as having relatively low, medium and high levels of resistance to plant bugs. The purpose of the studies was to evaluate how resistance might vary within different production systems. In one trial, cultivars were grown in either no-till, cover crop-no till, or a conventional tillage system. In the second trial, irrigation start time was either early or delayed for the three lines. Tillage system and irrigation timing affected compensation capacity and tolerance of feeding injury by plant bug. Implications for practical application of these results will be discussed.