Evaluation of Insecticidal Soap As Deer Repellent in S.C. Cotton

This research measures the efficacy of DES-X insecticidal soap in warding deer away from cotton plants in the Savannah Valley Region of South Carolina. The data collection spanned six weeks for each field and included weekly visual ratings, trail camera observations, NDVI measurements, and yield data. Three different plot identities were utilized- check plots that were not sprayed, plots with a single DES-X application, and plots with DES-X applied at the beginning of the test and after two weeks. The plots were laid out in areas that historically faced significant deer pressure or that seemed to lend themselves to deer activity and were stratified in a way that each of the three plots appeared in close proximity. The test was conducted in small- and large-scale plots on both the Edisto Research Station and on-farm trials.