Cotton Insect Losses for 1994

Michael R. Williams, Extension Entomologist, Chairman

Cooperative Extension Service

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, MS 39762

State Coordinators

Alabama-----Dr. Ronald H. Smith Missouri-----Dr. Clyde Sorensen

Arkansas-----Dr. Don Johnson New Carolina------Dr. Charles R. Ward

Arizona-----Dr. Peter Ellsworth North Carolina-----Dr. Jack Bacheler

California-----Dr. Peter Goodell Oklahoma-----Dr. Miles Karner

Florida-----Dr. R.K. Sprenkel South Carolina-----Dr. Mitchell Roof

Georgia-----Dr. William R. Lambert, III Tennessee-----Dr. Phillip Roberts

Louisiana-----Dr. Jack Baldwin Texas-----Dr. James Leser

Mississippi-----Dr. Blake Layton Virginia-----Dr. James Roberts, Sr.

Background

This information was provided by state coordinators and was collected from surveys of county agents, extension specialists, private consultants and research entomologists. All data are averaged over a total reporting unit, state, etc. For example, if a unit report represents 100 acres and an 8% loss on 25 of these acres, then in the table summary this shows up as a 2% loss. ((.08x25)/100). This type of averaging is used for all data reported including yields and costs of control. Because of averaging and rounding some individual state summary numbers listed as '0' are slightly larger. For example, if the number of insecticide applications fall below 0.1 for a state's total acreage, it is not listed.

Highlights

Anthropod pests reduced overall yield by 6.03% in spite of control measures which cost an average of $42.74 per acre. The bollworm/budworm complex was still the number one pest in the U.S. with a yield reduction of 1.80%. 78% of the U.S. cotton acreage was infested with bollworm/budworm in 1994, requiring 1.9 applications of insecticide per acre. Weevils are a close second in 1994, reducing yields by 1.75%. These pests infested about 55% of the country's cotton crop and required about 1.7 applications of insecticide per acre. While Lygus were probably the most acclaimed pest in some parts of the cotton growing region, they remained the third most destructive pest at 1.16% reduction in yield. Three new areas are reported this year. (1) Boll weevil eradication now covers 2.8 million acres with an attendant cost of $17 million. (2) At planting insecticide applications were made on 7.29 million acres at a cost of $66.6 million. (3) Cutworms were added to the losses estimates for the first time. Total cost of arthropods to the 1994 crop exceeded $994 million.

Key To Tables

Table 1-----USDA Yield Estimates

Table 2-----Boll Weevil Eradication Costs

Table 3-----At Planting Insecticide Applications

Table 4-----Summary of All States

Table 5-----Central Alabama

Table 6-----North Alabama

Table 7-----South Alabama

Table 8-----Alabama Summary

Table 9-----Northeast Arkansas

Table 10----Southeast Arkansas

Table 11----Arkansas Summary

Table 12----Arizona

Table 13----California

Table 14----Florida

Table 15----Georgia

Table 16----Louisiana

Table 17----Mississippi Delta

Table 18----Mississippi Hills

Table 19----Mississippi Summary

Table 20----Missouri

Table 21----New Mexico

Table 22----North Carolina

Table 23----Oklahoma

Table 24----South Carolina

Table 25----Tennessee

Table 26----Texas, District 1

Table 27----Texas, District 2

Table 28----Texas, District 3

Table 29----Texas, District 4

Table 30----Texas, District 5

Table 31----Texas, District 6

Table 32----Texas, District 7

Table 33----Texas, District 8

Table 34----Texas, District 9

Table 35----Texas, District 10

Table 36----Texas, District 11

Table 37----Texas, District 12

Table 38----Texas Summary

Table 39----Virginia