Monitoring Bollworm Populations in Arkansas Using Arcmap

The cotton bollworm (Heliocoverpa zea) is an important pest of cotton in Arkansas. Through federally funded grants, extension row crop entomology specialists and county agents throughout the state work together each growing season to monitor this pest using pheromone traps as part of the Arkansas Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program. Each week of the growing season, county agents check bollworm traps that are placed across the respective counties to represent areas with potential for infestation. The number of moths found in each trap is then reported to the Arkansas IPM Program coordinator. Historically, these data have been collected and put into chart form, which is then posted on the University of Arkansas Extension website. Each county has its own bar chart that is posted each week with bollworm counts. Though effective at communicating bollworm numbers, this method is not necessarily easy to navigate or to quickly understand given the frequent need to view multiple counties. To provide a better visual, state-wide representation of bollworm populations and movement of the pest from week to week, we have begun to utilize the spatial program ArcMap. Using ArcMap, we are able to provide growers with a more accurate and better representation of the movement and population dynamics of the cotton bollworm. Weekly updated ArcMaps showing populations statewide will give growers an idea of when to anticipate a flight of bollworms in their fields with one click. These ArcMaps will potentially prevent economic injury level infestations and save growers on unnecessary insecticide application costs while also remaining quick and convenient.