ABSTRACT

Sticky cotton, arising from honeydew from the silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii, and cotton aphids, Aphis gossypii, became an issue in SJV cotton. The potential for both species to infest late-season cotton and to contaminate lint places an added burden on IPM programs for SJV cotton. The SLWF has continued to adapt to SJV conditions and cropping patterns and starting in 2001 SLWF populations expanded greatly both in severity and particularly in range. Populations in significant numbers have occurred farther northward and westward into the SJV, placing the pest into the primary cotton production area. Work continued in 2003 with studies on insecticide efficacy on late-season aphid populations, threshold levels for cotton aphids and sticky cotton, and the interaction of harvest aid materials and aphid/whitefly populations.