Tarnished plant bug is the most important insect pest of cotton in Mississippi. Management of this insect is difficult because of insecticide resistance as well and the overwhelming population densities in many areas of the Mississippi Delta. Given the level of plant bug infestation and damage observed in cotton over the past several growing seasons, information is needed to improve management of vegetative growth once fruit retention is reduced. Little data exists regarding the impact of nitrogen application on infestation by tarnished plant bug. In addition, growers have been progressively reducing seeding rates as seed and technology fees have increased over the past 15 years. Although seeding rates have been reduced, nitrogen application recommendations have not changed. This research was initiated to determine the relationship between crop management factors and tarnished plant bug and to further refine N rate recommendations in the presence of reduced plant populations.

Here is a vital new source of "need-to-know" information for cotton industry professionals. Unlike other references that focus solely on growing the crop, this book also emphasizes the cotton industry as a whole, and includes material on the nature of cotton fibers and their processing; cotton standards and classification; and marketing strategies.

Damage to Cotton; feeding mechanism and oral secretions; resistance in host plants; mass rearing of the ternished plant bug; mass production of cotton seedlings; Development of seedling screening; Mass screening of cotton seedlings; Development of screening methods for detecting and measuming resustance in the cotton square.