Thrips in Cotton

General Thrips Pressure

Thrips pressure in cotton continues to climb in the NWP of Texas. I have observed immature thrips in some cotton which had a seed treatment insecticide applied. If immature thrips are present following seed treatments then the treatment has lost or is losing its effectiveness. 

Treatment thresholds for thrips in cotton are dynamic; under good growing conditions a foliar treatment should be considered when 1 thrips/true leaf is present but in cotton which is growing slowly due to poor environmental conditions or other stress the threshold should be reduced by 1/2.  Area cotton which has been injured by recent storms should be closely monitored as it cannot afford additional loss of leaf tissue. The lack of leaf surface area will make application coverage even more important.

I can not stress enough the need make timely insecticide applications for thrips. Insecticide applications made based on visual plant symptoms are late and will not provide the economic benefit of a timely application and is what I like to call a “revenge” treatment.

 

Environmentally damaged cotton