Whitefly Management in Arizona Cotton - 1994

1. Areawide Management:

2. Winter/Spring Sanitation:

1. Deprive the whitefly of a winter habitat. Terminate and destroy all abandoned host crops and crop residue immediately after harvest.

2. Control weeds in non-crop areas, including head-rows and fallow fields.

3. Host Crop Sequences:

1. Allow the maximum time possible between host crops.

2. In alfalfa:
   1. Delay fall establishment as long as possible.
      
   2. In established fields, use fall dormancy and sheep feeding.
      
   3. Use a minimum number of days between cuttings.

3. Terminate spring vegetable crops as early as possible and destroy all crop residue.

4. Spring melons are a prime whitefly host. Control whiteflies in melons. Destroy vines immediately after harvest.

5. Wherever possible, plant cotton upwind, at least one-half mile from other whitefly host crops and river areas.

4. Cotton Management:

1. Plan to plant early and terminate early. Encourage uniform planting and termination dates within your community.

2. Texas and Arizona research and experience show that many smooth-leaf varieties are less susceptible to whiteflies than are hairy-leaf varieties.

3. Avoiding moisture stress will delay whitefly population build-up.

5. Integrated Pest Management:

1. Pest control advisors should routinely check field edges and centers for whiteflies. Whiteflies are often first found in the field edges. When high populations are present in the field edges, and not in the centers, treat only the edges. This approach will reduce costs and help preserve beneficials.

2. Be especially alert for rapid whitefly build-up when nearby host crops are in decline.

3. Sticky traps may be useful for detecting whitefly migrations into cotton fields.

4. Provisional Action Threshold: Timely insecticide treatment prevents outbreaks. Treat when there are 5-10 adult whiteflies on the 3rd to 5th uppermost fully expanded leaf.

6. Chemical Control:

7. Resistance Management:

1. Minimize the number of treatments required to control whiteflies by initiating treatment on a timely basis.

2. To the extent possible, rotate the class of insecticide used every seven (7) days.

3. A resistance management strategy must consider all insecticides used in the field regardless of the pest for which it was applied. As far as possible, use different insecticide classes for pests other than whiteflies.

4. The combination of endosulfan + Ovasyn[R] may reduce populations of beneficial insects less than treatments with pyrethroids. Consider this treatment for early-season use.

8. Further Information:

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