Early Season Thrips in Cotton

I have seen large numbers of thrips in wheat, which will likely move into adjacent cotton as the cotton emerges and wheat desiccates. Cotton will need to be monitored closely from emergence. The first week is critical in thrips management.

Act fast to prevent damage, insecticide applications made after visual damage occurs are too late to provide adequate protection. We are continuing to refine the thrips action threshold, which will take growing conditions into consideration  as well as the thrips numbers in the field. Insecticide applications for thrips  after the 5th true leaf are not warranted and should be avoided to protect beneficial arthropods. 

Acephate applied at emergence may be necessary if producers used no preventive insecticide seed treatments. Follow-up applications may be necessary, based on threshold (one thrips per true leaf under good growing conditions or one-half thrips per true leaf under poor growing conditions). If a preventive insecticide seed treatment is used, then subsequent insecticide application should be based on the same threshold, but the thrips population should include immature thrips, which is an indication that the seed treatment is beginning to lose effectiveness.  More drought and early season pest concerns in a Southwest Farm Press article by Ron Smith,  http://southwestfarmpress.com/cotton/drought-early-season-pests-concern-hp-cotton-experts