Control of Thrips with Selected Insecticidal Seed Treatments in Texas Cotton

Thrips are early-season pests of seedling cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis is the predominant species in the Texas High Plains region. Thrips attack leaves, leaf buds, and very small squares, causing a silvering of the lower leaf surface, deformed or blackened leaves, and terminal and square loss. Severe infestations can destroy terminal buds, causing excessive branching of the plants and delayed plant growth. Insecticidal seed treatments have become an industry standard. However, additional foliar insecticide application(s) are often required to effectively control thrips incurring high input costs for growers. A field study was conducted on commercial cotton field near Cress, TX to evaluate efficacy of various insecticidal seed treatments to help consultants and producers select proper treatments. At 1 true leaf stage (25 DAP), plots treated with Aeris, Avicta Elite Cotton, and Gaucho 600 + Poncho VOTiVO showed significantly fewer thrips compared to untreated check. At 4 true leaf stage (33DAP), only the plots treated with Avicta Elite Cotton and Gaucho 600 + Poncho VOTiVO sustained fewer thrips compared to untreated check. Thrips damage ratings showed all treatments except Cruiser 5FS to have significantly less damage than the untreated check at 1 true leaf stage. While at 4 true leaf stage, thrips damage ratings showed all treatments except Avicta Duo Cotton to have less damage than the untreated check.