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Title: BEMISIA WHITEFLIES, STICKY COTTON AND STICKY COTTON SAMPLING

Author
item HENNEBERRY, THOMAS
item Naranjo, Steven

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Significant progress has been made in understanding many of the components of cotton lint stickiness related to infestations of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) strain B (= B. argentifolii). Research suggests that Bemisia honeydew contains over 20 sugars, but over 58% of all the sugars are made up of a trehalulose and melazitose. These two sugars are significantly correlated to cotton lint stickiness. Field studies have investigated the relationship between whitefly population densities and development of sticky cotton. Manual thermodetector counts of lint at periodic intervals during the open boll cycle increased adult and nymph whitefly densities. Thermodetecor counts of 5 (the tentative upper limit of nonsticky cotton) did not occur until average pest densities during the open boll period exceeded = 9 adults per leaf or = 3 nymphs per cm sq of leaf disk. These results suggest that established action thresholds to protect cotton yield will also effectively prevent sticky cotton development. Generally, >95% of all bolls have opened by 15 September. Early harvest (20 September) prevented development of late-season sticky cotton, whereas extending the season, without insecticide protection, exposed open cotton to increasing whitefly populations and the associated development of lightly sticky lint by harvest (25 October).