Monitoring Tarnished Plant Bug Resistance in Cotton Varieties

Tarnished plant bug (TPB) is one of the most prominent pests of cotton in Arkansas. It has been ranked as the number one pest of cotton, causing the highest crop losses in recent years. Insecticides are the most commonly used tool for managing TPB in cotton by growers. Due to the growing development of resistance in the TPB to some of the most commonly used insecticides, resistant cotton varieties have become important to evaluate. Host plant resistance is one of the main tenants of integrated pest management and can be a useful tool in managing insect pests. The objective of this research study was to evaluate TPB populations on a range of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars that vary in their resistance to TPB in larger plots (16 rows by 100 feet). These data could potentially eliminate the need for grower insecticide applications as well as delay resistance to commonly used insecticides and provide growers with additional knowledge of what cotton varieties work best for their pest management programs.