Screening Germplasm and Quantification of Components Contributing to Thrips Resistance in Cotton

Three hundred and ninety-one Gossypium hirsutum and 34 Gossypium barbadense accessions were screened for thrips resistance under field conditions at the Upper Coastal Plain Research Station in Rocky Mount, North Carolina in years 2014 and 2015. Visual damage ratings, thrips counts, and seedling dry weights were recorded at 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 wk after planting, respectively. Population density and thrips arrival times varied between years. Data from the three separate damage scoring dates provided a better estimate of resistance or susceptibility to thrips than ratings from the individual dates over the season. Tobacco thrips [Frankliniella fusca (Hinds) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)], followed by western flower thrips [Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)], were the dominant thrips species observed in the study. Five resistant G. barbadense accessions and five moderately resistant upland cotton accessions were identified from field evaluations. Greenhouse experiments were conducted in Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 to determine if plant height, growth rate, leaf pubescence, and leaf area were significantly different in resistant and susceptible groups of G. hirsutum and G. barbadense accessions identified from the field screenings. Leaf pubescence and relative growth rate were significantly higher in resistant accessions compared with susceptible accessions in absence of thrips. There was no difference for plant height and leaf area between resistant and susceptible groups. Results suggest thrips-resistant plants have a possible competitive advantage through faster growth and higher trichome density, which limits thrips movement.