Gila Basin Voluntary Pest Management Project, 1995 and 1996

Abstract

Growers, Pest Control Advisors and Cooperative Extension, University of Arizona personnel coordinated areawide pest management activities in an area near Gila Bend, AZ to maximize the effectiveness of strategies to control pink bollworm and whitefly. Data on insect populations and pesticide applications is held within a database that is shared with cooperators on a real time basis. Control measures are discussed and common goals reached for reduction of pests within the area. Assessments from growers support the whitefly survey activities of the personnel. Fields were surveyed once per week. Data describing the population is faxed or phoned to the Pest Control Advisor and remedial action implemented at their discretion. Cooperative Extension personnel suggested pesticide use patterns to reduce resistance of whitefly and checked for field populations using University of Arizona recommendations. In 1995 an areawide pin head square program was followed based on Heat Units After Planting for timing pink bollworm susceptible stage of the cotton plant for each field and combined with the Heat Unit Model for pink bollworm emergence to determine percent emergence of the population. In 1996, many of the growers planted genetically engineered cotton and used lures to reduce pink bollworm and used the insect growth regulators under the Section 18 for whitefly control.