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Nocturnal Migrations of Cotton Insect
Pests Indicated by Doppler Radar Observations |
ABSTRACT An outbreak of beet armyworms and other lepidopterous pests devastated cotton production in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in 1995. Major infestations occurred later in the year at San Angelo and other cotton production areas in Texas and Oklahoma, but there have been no reports that connected the infestations by these migratory pests. The objective of this study was to evaluate the capability of a WSR-88D Doppler radar to locate and monitor pest emigration from severely infested areas. We found that discrete (source) areas of maximum radar reflectivity (13.5 to 16.5 dBZ) appeared approximately 0.5 h after sunset, and displaced downwind. The source areas were located in the vicinity of major infestations in cotton by beet armyworms, loopers, and bollworms/budworms reported in Willacy County, TX. We envision that, at a minimum, the WSR-88D Doppler radar data can be coupled with atmospheric data to estimate the timing and intensity of dispersal of migrating insect pests for use in crop advisories. |
©National Cotton Council, Memphis TN |
Document last modified April 16, 2003
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