Knack, which is produced by Valent USA was recently granted full registration for use against this pest. Both cabbage loopers and soybean loopers are now occurring in Mississippi cotton fields and some fields have already required treatment for these pests. Cabbage loopers are considerably easier to control than soybean loopers, but because most fields now have a mixture of these two species, it is best to choose a treatment that will perform best against soybean loopers. Crops that have cutout must be protected from severe defoliation by loopers somewhat longer than from budworm and bollworm. However, deciding when to treat loopers can be difficult.
Infestations usually develop in the lower part of the canopy first and then progress upward.
Defoliation of lower leaves, in the region where bolls are already mature, is less damaging than defoliation in the upper portion of the canopy. Fields should be protected from excessive foliage loss by loopers until they are nearly ready to defoliate. However, keep in mind that percent defoliation is very difficult to estimate, and defoliation always appear to be more severe than it really is. Treatments recommended for control of loopers are listed in the following table. Note that Orthene and Monitor are only recommended against cabbage loopers.