Biology, crop injury, and management of thrips in cotton seedlings

A new, open-access article in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management provides a brief summary of the various species of thrips present in U.S. cotton, their plant host range and injury to cotton, a general description of thrips biology, and management practices currently available to growers.

Several species of thrips are known to infest cotton seedlings in the United States and constitute one of the most common challenges for growers. The species complex, species abundance, extent of crop injury, and impact on lint yield varies widely across the cotton states.

Feeding by thrips results in distortion, malformation and tearing of seedling leaves, reduced and plant height, reduced root growth, and injury to or death of the apical meristem, the latter of which leads to excessive vegetative branching. Plant maturity (i.e., fruit production) can be delayed and in extreme cases, losses of as much a 30-50% of lint yield potential have been reported.

More information: "Biology, Crop Injury, and Management of Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) Infesting Cotton Seedlings in the United States" is available for free at bit.ly/qkmQPn . (DOI: 10.1603/IPM10024)

Citation: Biology, crop injury, and management of thrips in cotton seedlings (2011, September 9) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2011-09-biology-crop-injury-thrips-cotton.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

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