Cotton Farming

Insect pressure, both by species and by infestation level, varied greatly throughout the Cotton Belt in 2003. This past growing season also saw the first commercial plantings of Monsanto's Bollgard II® cotton, giving producers and consultants greater opportunity for field evaluation against a broad spectrum of pests and pressure.

"Based on what we saw this year, Bollgard II stood up very well to our bollworm pressure in July," says Tommy Walker, area cotton agent for Clemson University in Hampton, S.C. "We found up to 88 day-old bollworms per 100 purple blooms in mid-July."

Walker says in conventional and Bollgard® cotton, day-old worms would translate into bloom tag worms, resulting in escapes and boll damage. In the Bollgard II, Walker saw no escapes and little damage.

Bollworm pressure was so great in this region of South Carolina that conventional cotton had to be sprayed up to six times with insecticides. Bollgard cotton was sprayed two to three times for worms and stinkbugs. Bollgard II, meantime, was not sprayed at all for lepidopteran pests.

"We did spray the Bollgard II twice for piercing/sucking insects," Walker says. "We had probably the worst stinkbug pressure I've ever seen. Finding better ways to manage these sucking and piercing insects will be a challenge for us. Where caterpillar pests are concerned, Bollgard II showed tremendous value."

Late plantings protected

Kevin Hoke, a producer in Jonesboro, Ark., planted his cotton a month late May 27 due to constant, heavy spring rains. By mid-summer, fall armyworm pressure was "pretty intense," according to Hoke.

"We had to spray our regular Bollgard cotton three times to keep these armyworms under control," Hoke says. "But we only found two worms in our Bollgard II. One was dead and the other was dying."

Tucker Miller, a cotton consultant in Drew, Miss., says much of his customers' cotton was planted late due to untimely rains and a cool, wet spring.

"Those insects love late-planted cotton, and the budworms and bollworms showed up as expected," Miller says.

Pressure was light to moderate but steady. The consultant says that bollworms have become his No. 1 problem in this part of Mississippi. Their Bollgard cotton was sprayed twice but still sustained 4 to 5 percent boll damage. Conventional cotton was treated four or five times, but in the Bollgard II, no threshold was ever reached with live worms.

Less spraying possible

The 2003 season was the third year that Miller has examined Bollgard II cotton in the field. He had 700 acres of Bollgard II to scout and observe this past season. Several of his customers expressed interest in planting all the Bollgard II seed for 2004 that they could obtain.
Miller says that his expectations for Bollgard II are high farmers should not have to spray for bollworms.

"You have to be able to control bollworms with this technology to justify the incremental expense over regular Bollgard," he says. "Based on what we saw in 2003, Bollgard II is doing that for us now."

Dr. Walt Mullins, a Monsanto entomologist and technical director for Bollgard II, says that producers should not rule out the possibility of having to spray Bollgard II for worms under isolated or extreme conditions.

"Obviously, we're pleased that this new technology is working so well," Mullins says, "but where cotton insects are concerned, you can never say never. There's no doubt that Bollgard II will greatly reduce the number of insecticide sprays needed for worms."

Chuck Farr, a consultant in Crawfordsville, Ark., says that Bollgard II performed to expectations in 2003. He says northeastern Arkansas had moderate to heavy pressure from budworms, bollworms and fall armyworms in 2003.

Farr notes that conventional cotton had to be sprayed up to five times, while Bollgard cotton was sprayed three times. But Bollgard II cotton passed the test.

"We did not have to treat any Bollgard II acres for worms," he says.

Farr is recommending to his customers to plant at least one field of Bollgard II in 2004.

Information for this article was provided by Osborn & Barr, which represents Monsanto. Bollgard® and Bollgard II® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC.

Early BGII Tests Show Promise
By Tommy Horton Editor
Insect pressure, both by species and by infestation level, varied greatly throughout the Cotton Belt in 2003. This past growing season also saw the first commercial plantings of Monsanto's Bollgard II® cotton, giving producers and consultants greater opportunity for field evaluation against a broad spectrum of pests and pressure. "Based on what we saw this year, Bollgard II stood up very well to our bollworm pressure in July," says Tommy Walker, area cotton agent for Clemson University in Hampton, S.C. "We found up to 88 day-old bollworms per 100 purple blooms in mid-July." Walker says in conventional and Bollgard® cotton, day-old worms would translate into bloom tag worms, resulting in escapes and boll damage. In the Bollgard II, Walker saw no escapes and little damage. Bollworm pressure was so great in this region of South Carolina that conventional cotton had to be sprayed up to six times with insecticides. Bollgard cotton was sprayed two to three times for worms and stinkbugs. Bollgard II, meantime, was not sprayed at all for lepidopteran pests. "We did spray the Bollgard II twice for piercing/sucking insects," Walker says. "We had probably the worst stinkbug pressure I've ever seen. Finding better ways to manage these sucking and piercing insects will be a challenge for us. Where caterpillar pests are concerned, Bollgard II showed tremendous value." Late plantings protected Kevin Hoke, a producer in Jonesboro, Ark., planted his cotton a month late May 27 due to constant, heavy spring rains. By mid-summer, fall armyworm pressure was "pretty intense," according to Hoke. "We had to spray our regular Bollgard cotton three times to keep these armyworms under control," Hoke says. "But we only found two worms in our Bollgard II. One was dead and the other was dying." Tucker Miller, a cotton consultant in Drew, Miss., says much of his customers' cotton was planted late due to untimely rains and a cool, wet spring. "Those insects love late-planted cotton, and the budworms and bollworms showed up as expected," Miller says. Pressure was light to moderate but steady. The consultant says that bollworms have become his No. 1 problem in this part of Mississippi. Their Bollgard cotton was sprayed twice but still sustained 4 to 5 percent boll damage. Conventional cotton was treated four or five times, but in the Bollgard II, no threshold was ever reached with live worms. Less spraying possible The 2003 season was the third year that Miller has examined Bollgard II cotton in the field. He had 700 acres of Bollgard II to scout and observe this past season. Several of his customers expressed interest in planting all the Bollgard II seed for 2004 that they could obtain. Miller says that his expectations for Bollgard II are high farmers should not have to spray for bollworms. "You have to be able to control bollworms with this technology to justify the incremental expense over regular Bollgard," he says. "Based on what we saw in 2003, Bollgard II is doing that for us now." Dr. Walt Mullins, a Monsanto entomologist and technical director for Bollgard II, says that producers should not rule out the possibility of having to spray Bollgard II for worms under isolated or extreme conditions. "Obviously, we're pleased that this new technology is working so well," Mullins says, "but where cotton insects are concerned, you can never say never. There's no doubt that Bollgard II will greatly reduce the number of insecticide sprays needed for worms." Chuck Farr, a consultant in Crawfordsville, Ark., says that Bollgard II performed to expectations in 2003. He says northeastern Arkansas had moderate to heavy pressure from budworms, bollworms and fall armyworms in 2003. Farr notes that conventional cotton had to be sprayed up to five times, while Bollgard cotton was sprayed three times. But Bollgard II cotton passed the test. "We did not have to treat any Bollgard II acres for worms," he says. Farr is recommending to his customers to plant at least one field of Bollgard II in 2004. Information for this article was provided by Osborn & Barr, which represents Monsanto. Bollgard® and Bollgard II® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC.

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