The efficacies of Bollgard^TM cotton and non-B.t. cotton were examined under contrasting crop management strategies at two locations in eastern North Carolina in 1996. The effects of natural enemy conservation/disruption, early/late planting of cotton, and application of pyrethroids as needed for supplemental insect control were observed. Results suggest that disruption of natural enemies with insecticides during midseason did not negatively affect yields in pyrethroid-treated and untreated BT plots and treated NBT plots because mean yields (lbs seed cotton/ acre) were significantly higher in the conserved plots of only the untreated NBT cotton plots. Although no significant differences were detected in mean % egg deposition, mean % larval infestation, and mean % damaged fruit between early-planted and late-planted plots at either test site in 1996, yields were higher in early-planted cotton than in late-planted cotton. Pyrethroid-treated BT plots had significantly lower % bollworm larval infestation and % damaged fruit and significantly higher yields than untreated BT cotton at both test sites in 1996. Yields in BT plots were increased by 11% (Edgecombe Co.) and 23% (Martin Co.) when a pyrethroid was applied for bollworm control.