Last year thrips were one of the few pests that were more of a problem than usual. This year, as always, the potential for thrips problems depends on the weather. Thrips migrate into cotton as adults that have developed on nearby host plants, such as wheat and weeds. The adults are capable of flight, which allows them to move considerable distances on prevailing winds. Dry conditions tend to cause alternate host to become less attractive and windy conditions result in more movement of thrips.
Cotton is much more sensitive to thrips injury than crops such as corn or soybeans.
This is because once cotton seedlings emerge from the ground, the terminal initially grows very slowly, providing thrips an opportunity to feed on this tender meristematic tissue for an extended period of time. Once plants reach the 3 to 4 leaf stage, they become relatively safe from thrips injury. Thus conditions that favor vigorous seedling growth allow plants to pass through the window of susceptibility quickly. However, conditions such as drought or cool weather result in slower plant development and make crops more susceptible to thrips injury. Fields that were not treated with any type of thrips material at planting must be scouted carefully for thrips until the plants reach the 3 to 4 leaf stage.