Agricultural crops experience diverse mechanical stimuli, which may affect their growth and development. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of mechanical stresses caused by hanging labels from the flower petioles (HLFP) on plant shape and cotton yields in four cotton varieties: CCRI 41, DP 99B, CCRC 21, and BAI 1. HLFP significantly reduced plant height by between 7.8% and 36.5...

Year to year change in weather poses serious threats agriculture globally, especially developing countries. Global climate models simulate an increase global temperature between 2.9 5.5 °C till 2060, and crop production is highly vulnerable warming trends. Extreme causes a significant reduction yields by negatively regulating the phenology. Therefore, evaluate impact on cotton (Gossypium hirsut...

COTMAN, a crop monitoring program for cotton, uses the concept of 350 heat units after anthesis of the last effective flower population at NAWF=5 for termination of insecticide applications. Research and field observations have indicated that terminating insecticides at 350 heat units after physiological cutout (NAWF=5) results in a higher yield than when terminating earlier or later, although ...

Phytophagous stink bugs are economically important pests of annual and perennial crops in the southeastern United States. Because of insecticide resistance and risk of secondary pest outbreaks, there is interest in identifying cultural practices that could lead to reduced insecticide applications. The objective of this project was to assess the importance of cotton planting date on stink bug da...

The feeding and oviposition activity of overwintering boll weevils,Anthonomus grandis grandis (Boheman), and seasonal ßuctuations in development, survival, and reproduction of progeny of overwintering and Þrstand second-generation boll weevil females were determined in the laboratory at 27 C, 65% RH, and a photoperiod of 12:12 (L:D) h. During the cotton-free period in the Lower Rio Grande Valle...

The boll weevil causes serious damage to the cotton crop in South America. Several studies have been published on this pest, but its phenology and behavior under the tropical conditions prevailing in Brazil are not well-known. In this study the feeding behavior and main food sources of adult boll weevils throughout the year in Central Brazil was investigated. The digestive tract contents of ins...

BACKGROUND Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) comprise a critically important insect pest complex affecting 12 major crops worldwide including cotton. In the US, stink bug damage to developing cotton bolls causes boll abscission, lint staining, reduced fiber quality, and reduced yields with estimated losses ranging from 10 to 60 million dollars annually. Unfortunately, scouting for stink bug ...