Project Number: 6402-22000-039-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Aug 01, 2002
End Date: Aug 31, 2005

Objective:
With boll weevil eradication nearing completion in the SE United States, secondary pests of cotton have emerged as an issue because of insecticidal sprays for boll weevil kept populations below the economic threshold. True bugs, especially the tarnished plant bug and stink bug, beet armyworm, fall armyworm, loopers, bollwor, European corn borer, and the southwestern corn borer. Better understanding of biology, physiology, and ecology needed.

Approach:
Determine the relationship of diapause, overwintering status, and early season development to the ecology of secondary pests of cotton, with emphasis on plant bugs and lepidoptera. Develop biologically-based pest control components for use in areawide pest management strategies for secondary insect pests of cotton.Using genomics and microarray technology, develop an understanding of insect resistance to insecticides and transgenic crops with emphasis on bollworm, budworm, and the tarnished plant bug.

Project Team

Villavaso, Eric Leland, Jarrod Gore, Jeffrey

Project Annual Reports

FY 2003