Management of Plant Bugs Under Water-Deficit Cotton Production Systems in the Texas High Plains

Cotton fleahoppers (CF) and western tarnished plant bugs (WTPB) are the primary plant bug species of Texas High Plains cotton. Both species have the potential to significantly reduce lint yield, but the plants can compensate up to 25% of insect-induced fruit loss prior to first flower. However, plant compensatory capacity for insect-induced fruit loss has correlated strongly with soil moisture and overall plant vigor. We examined the damage potential of CF and WTPB and cotton’s compensatory behavior under various water-stress scenarios.