Project Number: 6402-22000-045-16
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jan 31, 2004
End Date: Jan 31, 2009

Objective:
To determine the efficacy of a single herbicide application in reducing populations of alternate weed hosts of the tarnished plant bug in Northeastern and Southeastern Arkansas cotton fields. In two distinct production environments, evaluate how area-wide destruction of alternate TPB hosts influence populations of this pest in cotton and not-cotton hosts. To evaluate the economic impact (cost:benefit ratio) of herbicide applications in relation to traditional pest management strategies. To demonstrate and transfer the use of this area-wide pest management program to the end user, consultants and extension agents.

Approach:
Areawide destruction of alternate TPB weed hosts will be implemented in Northeast and Southeast Arkansas. Each site will be approximately circular and three miles in diameter (ca. 7 square miles or 4,480 acres). Herbicide applications, using Trimec at about 1.5 qt/acre, will be initiated in early spring (March) to eliminate important TPB hosts within each site. Applications will be made to turn-rows, ditch banks, field borders, and other non-cropping areas. Both insect and plant composition within and external to the treated sites will be sampled. Potential benefits to be evaluated include: reduced costs of production for cotton growers, reduced pesticide use, high benefit-cost ratio, reduce reliance on insecticides and reduced risk of insecticide resistance.