Last season, we had more plant bugs in cotton than we would normally be talking about. Cotton is now squaring and reports of a few plants are coming in. There are not many reported; however, scout Andrew Taylor took this picture of an adult plant bug.
Adult Plant Bug – Photo by Andrew Taylor
We still do not need to spray if not needed. Sometimes, less retention can occur even when plant bugs are not present. We need to monitor both square retention and plant bugs. Plant bugs are mobile and can move in and out of fields fast. They can be present and not causing square loss. Here is a threshold from UGA Extension Entomologist Dr. Phillip Roberts:
Threshold
Here is a photo of an adult plant bug taken by scout Andrew Taylor. He is also reporting some “black flags”.
Thomas County Ag 