Influence of Flower Thrips on Fusarium Hardlock Severity

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) fiber is sometimes affected by hardlock, which is characterized by a failure of the fiber to expand outward from the boll at maturity. Because affected fiber is inaccessible to mechanical harvesters, yield loss can be considerable. Hardlock has been linked to infection by Fusarium verticillioides. The involvement of flower thrips (Frankliniella spp.), which are commonly found in cotton flowers, was explored. At 1100 h, approximately 10% of cotton flowers contained thrips that were carrying F. verticillioides. The effect of thrips and/or Fusarium in flowers and bolls was explored under greenhouse conditions. Exposing flowers to Fusarium and thrips resulted in bolls with the most severe symptoms. Exposure to either Fusarium or thrips alone resulted in more hardlock than was noted in the control group. The impact of thrips was also evaluated under field conditions. Field plots were treated with insecticides, a fungicide, both, or left untreated. Insecticides reduced thrips numbers and reduced hardlock severity. The fungicide had no impact on thrips numbers and was less effective at reducing hardlock. Combining insecticide and fungicide applications was no more effective than using insecticides alone, although it more frequently increased yield. The untreated control plots generally had the most severe hardlock and lowest yields. Reducing hardlock severity resulted in higher yields, although not consistently. These studies suggest that thrips increase the severity of hardlock, and reducing their numbers may diminish hardlock severity.