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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Florence, South Carolina » Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #188230
Title: Evidence that light stink bug damage does not influence open end yarn processing performance

Author
item Bauer, Philip
item McAlister Iii, David
item ROOF, MITCHELL - CLEMSON UNIV, FLORENCE

Submitted to: Journal of Cotton Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/14/2006
Publication Date: 9/15/2006
Citation: Bauer, P.J., Mcalister III, D.D., Roof, M.E. 2006. Evidence that light stink bug damage does not influence open end yarn processing performance. Journal of Cotton Science. 10:161-167.

Interpretive Summary: Stink bugs have become an important pest of cotton in the southeastern United States. Their importance rose as farmers reduced the number of insecticide applications they made following boll weevil eradication in the 1980’s and the widespread use of transgenic cotton cultivars with resistance to bollworms and budworms in the 1990’s. Stink bugs damage growing cotton bolls by piercing the boll wall and feeding on the seeds and juices within the bolls. We conducted this research to determine whether this damage influences cotton textile mill performance. We found that fiber properties and yarn and fabric quality were not improved with insecticide applications to control this pest. This information will be useful to scientists developing improved integrated pest management practices for cotton.

Technical Abstract: Stink bugs [Acrosternum hilare (Say), Nezara viridula (L.), and Euschistus servus (Say)] have become more important as a pest of cotton (Gossypium hirsutem L.) concurrent with the expansion of acres planted to transgenic cotton cultivars. Our objective was to determine if stink bug damage affects textile mill performance of cotton cultivars that represented all combinations of transgenic technology (available in 2002). Six cotton cultivars (Stoneville 474 and its five transgenic siblings; 4793R, 4691B, 4892BR, BXN47, and BXN49B) were grown with and without insecticide application for stink bug control in 2002 and 2003. Stink bug damage was assessed in early August and in late August in each season. Cotton yield, fiber properties, and mill performance were measured. Transgenic traits did not substantially affect cotton mill performance. Stink bug damaged bolls were always greater for the cotton not treated with insecticides than in cotton that was treated. Average percent damaged bolls ranged from 2 to 12% for the treated cotton and 9 to 21% for the untreated control. Although damage to bolls was greater for the untreated control, average seed cotton yield was lower for the cotton treated for stink bugs (1767 kg/ha) than the untreated control (1981 kg/ha) in 2002. In 2003, yields of the treated and untreated control were similar (3765 kg/ha for the treated and 3769 kg/ha for the untreated control). Like yield, fiber properties and yarn and fabric quality were not improved with insecticide applications to control this pest. The data indicate that light-to-moderate stink bug damage does not result in reduced textile mill performance of the harvested fiber.