Leaf trichome and insecticide interactions relative to Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) management in a cotton-cucurbit strip cropping arrangement

Authors: CREMONEZ, PAULO - Auburn University; KHEIRODIN, ARASH - Texas A&M University; PERIER, JERMAINE - Mississippi State University; NAGAOKA, MIRELA - University Of Georgia; DUNN, THOMAS - University Of Georgia; PARKINS, ALBERTHA - University Of Georgia; SCHMIDT, JASON - University Of Georgia; RODRIGUES, CAMILA - Auburn University; DA SILVA, ANDRE - Auburn University; Simmons, Alvin

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/19/2025
Publication Date: 2/1/2026
Citation: Cremonez, P.S., Kheirodin, A., Perier, J.D., Nagaoka, M.M., Dunn, T.P., Parkins, A.J., Schmidt, J.M., Rodrigues, C., Da Silva, A.L., Simmons, A.M. 2026. Leaf trichome and insecticide interactions relative to Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) management in a cotton-cucurbit strip cropping arrangement. Journal of Economic Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toaf321.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toaf321

Interpretive Summary: The application of insecticides is commonly done by growers to manage whiteflies in crops. Cultivars with smooth leaves have been shown to have the potential to suppress populations of the sweetpotato whitefly pest as compared with cultivars with hairy leaves. We conducted a study to investigate any interaction between plant resistance based on leaf type and insecticidal control as a way to enhance the overall management of whiteflies. The results of this field study indicate a preference of whiteflies for cotton and cantaloupe cultivars with hairy leaves as compared with smooth leaf cultivars, and there was interaction with two insecticides. Pyriproxyfen primarily reduced immature whitefly populations, while cyantraniliprole managed both immature and adult whiteflies; the smooth leaf cotton had greater whitefly suppression than the smooth leaf cantaloupe, and cyantraniliprole resulted in more whitefly mortality in the hairy leaf cultivars than the smooth leaf cultivars. The results demonstrate the role of leaf types on whitefly populations, and will be useful for researchers to develop real-world models with compatible strategies of Integrated Pest Management.

Technical Abstract: Host plant resistance (HPR) through the absence of leaf trichomes has shown potential for suppressing sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), in smooth (glabrous) crop cultivars. The objective of this study was to investigate the interaction between HPR and insecticidal control, aiming to enhance their collective efficacy in whitefly management. Field trials were conducted in cotton and cantaloupe planted as strip crops at two locations in southern Georgia, USA: Tifton and Camilla. Treatments comprised two insecticides, based on the active ingredients pyriproxyfen and cyantraniliprole, with two different trichome conditions: pubescent (hairy), or smooth leaf cultivars. During the crop growing season, B. tabaci adult, egg, and nymph populations were monitored, and whitefly preferences evaluated. The results indicate a preference of whiteflies for cotton and cantaloupe pubescent cultivars, largely attributed to the presence of leaf trichomes. Pyriproxyfen predominantly reduced nymph populations, while cyantraniliprole was effective against both immatures and adults. Significant interactions among crop type, trichome presence, and insecticide application in determining B. tabaci abundance were measured. The glabrous cotton cultivar demonstrated greater whitefly suppression compared to glabrous melon, and cyantraniliprole exhibited a heightened initial mortality in pubescentcultivars. The study underscores the importance of selecting smooth leaf crop cultivars in integrated B. tabaci management strategies. The results illuminate the need for developing real-world testing models with compatible strategies of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs for B. tabaci, and provide a wide-ranging insight into the interactive effects and dependency of multiple components involved in whitefly control in multi-cropping systems.