I am responsible for developing and continuously refining an insect pest management system for cotton, which ranks as one of the most important agricultural commodities in Louisiana.
Cotton is subject to attack by a complex of arthropod pests from the time of planting until harvest.
Key pests are the boll weevil, bollworm, and tobacco budworm which are estimated to reduce cotton yields by 8 percent annually. Other pests include thrips, plant bugs, aphids, spider mites, armyworms, etc. Those individuals are Gene Burris, Roger Leonard, and Steve Micinski. G.W. Elzen, M.B. Layton, R.H. Smith, and M. L. Wall. Insecticide resistance and population trends in the mid-south.