Validity of the Pinhead Square Treatment Program for Pink Bollworm Suppression and Impact of Several Insecticides on Arthropod Fauna in Cotton

Abstract

A limited chemical control tactic known as pinhead square treatment has gained recent Favor as a component of pink bollworm population management. The strategy has economic and ecologic goals of using reduced insecticides early in the season (to include lower rates, half the acreage, and less potent chemistry) in order to reduce later season risk of pink bollworm infestations. This strategy also depends in part on the cultural tactic which results in "suicidal emergence" of overwintering pink bollworms through optimal planting date management. The combination of these tactics has been used in the past to overcome boll weevil populations area-wide. This study is focused on the evaluation of this system as a basis for pink bollworm suppression. Though only preliminary is presented here, it is clear that there are numerous insects impacted by this practice which interact in complex ways to influence pest populations of all kinds. Furthermore, the fate of such a practice in any production system is also influenced by the specific chemical agent used. This experiment details the use of four different classes of insecticide chemistry as well as one bioinsecticide. The experiment has been duplicated in 1993; however, only 1992 data are shown here.