Project Number: 5347-22620-017-09
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Oct 01, 2006
End Date: Aug 31, 2010

Objective:
To determine the economic impact of Lygus bugs on the new crops lesquerella and guayule; to evaluate the efficacy and selectivity of registered and experimental insecticides for the management of Lygus bugs on cotton, lesquerella, and guayule; to quantify the effect of biotic and abiotic factors on the flight behavior of Lygus bugs; and to quantify the movement of Lygus bugs from over-wintering habitats into cultivated crops and to measure intercrop dispersal of Lygus bugs during the growing season.

Approach:
Replicated plots experiments will be used to manipulate the density of Lygus bugs and measure effects on yield and quality of lesquerella and guayule. Replicated plots will be used to measure efficacy and selectivity of various current and new insecticides on Lygus bugs in cotton, lesquerella, and guayule. Tethered and free-flight chambers will be used to measure various parameters of flight behavior relative to temperature, light intensity, wind-speed, host plant, population density, and insect age and sex. Mass mark-recapture methods will be used to measure movement from over-wintering habitats and movement within and between lesquerella, guayule, cotton, and alfalfa. Documents Reimbursable with University of AZ.. 425 Log 30956.