Thrips Pressure Heavy Despite a Late Planted Crop

No doubt this is a very late planted crop by Mississippi standards, so I was a little surprised when numerous thrips calls started coming in about a week or so ago. Usually thrips issues are much worse on cotton that is growing off slow due to cold weather or any number of issues that may slow growth.  However, we have planted a lot of acres of cotton in the last couple weeks that has emerged in 4 to 5 days with numerous adult thrips per plant and immatures present despite seed treatments. In my own untreated plots we are averaging about 75 immatures per 5 plants prior to first true leaf.  This is an indication that we do have high thrips populations around. So far in my test plots, seed treatments appear to be holding numbers down but we are taking some injury and many need to be treated.

Treat or not to treat? We should consider treatment when we average 1 thrips per plant with immatures present or multiple adults per plant and you are seeing injury in the bud. Keep in mind this is already a late planted crop and thrips injury can certainly delay maturity and push it even later if not controlled. Below is a very good article that Dr. Scott Stewart posted that on UTcrops.com that sums up choices of products and pros and cons very well. http://news.utcrops.com/2013/05/thrips-in-cotton/ I strongly encourage you to read this post on product choice.