Rye Cover Crop, Surface Tillage, Crop Rotation, and Soil Insecticide Impact on Thrips Numbers in Cotton in the Southeastern Coastal Plain 1

Abstract

Cover crops and conservation tillage are becoming increas- ingly important in cotton production in the southeastern United States. It is important to know the effects of changing cropping practices on pest popula- tions. Thrips were collected from cotton seedlings rotated with corn or after a rye winter cover crop, either tilled or untilled, and either with or without aldicarb application. Insecticide application was effective in reducing thrips populations under nearly all cropping practices. No-till plots usually had fewer thrips than plots that were tilled. In 1 year, thrips populations were lower in rye/no-till plots than in no cover crop/no-till plots, but were higher in rye/tilled than in no cover crop/tilled.