Treatment thresholds for stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in cotton

The green stink bug, Acrosternum hilare (Say), the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L), and the brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say), were predominant phytophagous Pentatomidae detected during 1995-1997 in cotton in South Carolina. These species occurred in similar numbers in conventional and transgenic cotton 'NuCOTN33B', containing the gene for expression of CryIA(c) delta-endotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner variety kurstaki. Adult stink bugs moved into cotton from wild and cultivated alternate hosts during July, and reproducing populations usually were detected in cotton from late July into September. Applications of either methyl parathion (0.56 kg [AI]/ha) directed for stink bugs or lambda-cyhalothrin (0.037 kg [AI]/ha) or cyfluthrin (0.056 kg [AI]/ha) for control of cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), provided effective control of pentatomids in NuCOTN33B or conventional 'DP5415' and increased yields compared with untreated plots. Fiber quality did not differ among treated or untreated plots of NuCOTN33B. The ground-cloth technique was used to estimate populations of stink bugs, and data indicated that treatment at one bug per 2 m of row adequately protected cotton from yield loss due to stink bug damage. Observations on boll damage indicated that treatment might be necessary if >20-25% reveal internal symptoms of feeding injury during mid- to late season. More detailed damage thresholds should be developed to complement an approach based on population monitoring. This study validated current recommendations for management of pentatomids in cotton, demonstrated the necessity of threshold use for stink bugs in transgenic cultivars expressing endotoxin from B. thuringiensis, and provided insight into further development of management options for pentatomids in the crop.