Arizona cotton experienced a severe crisis in 1995 stemming from resistance of whiteflies to synergized pyrethroid insecticides. The insect growth regulators (IGRs) Knack® (pyriproxyfen) and Applaud® (buprofezin) served a pivotal role in resolving this problem. Statewide monitoring of whitefly resistance is conducted annually in Arizona to assess the status of resistance in this important pest. In this paper we provide an update on results from whitefly collections made from 19 cotton fields located throughout Arizona. Overall, whitefly control in Arizona cotton remained excellent in the 2001 season and there were no reported field failures. However, we detected major decreases in susceptibility to Knack of whiteflies collected from cotton. Whereas it was extremely rare to have any whiteflies surviving bioassays of 0.1 μg/ml from 1996 to 1998, this changed in 1999, and by the 2001 season over 60% of Arizona sites evaluated had •2% pyriproxyfen-resistant whiteflies. One collection from Eloy, Arizona, in 2000 had >50% of whiteflies surviving Knack bioassays of 0.1 μg/ml. Whiteflies throughout Arizona continued to be moderately less susceptible to Applaud, relative to susceptibility levels in 1996, when the IGRs were first introduced. In contrast to our findings with Knack, changes in susceptibility to Applaud have been only moderate and quantitative. Arizona whiteflies continued a six year trend of reduced resistance to synergized pyrethroid insecticides, as indicated by bioassays with mixtures of Danitol and Orthene. Problematic frequencies of whiteflies resistance to synergized pyrethroids were found at only two of 19 locations sampled. Steps should be taken now to prepare for the onset of more severe resistance to IGRs in Arizona cotton. Factors that could undermine the current success of whitefly resistance management in Arizona are discussed. Education efforts should reinforce the importance of limiting IGR use in cotton to a maximum of one treatment each per season and rotating conventional insecticides as recommended in the three-stage resistance management strategy implemented in 1996. Because Knack and Applaud have received registrations for use in Arizona vegetable and melon crops grown in proximity to cotton, it is now especially critical that Extension education efforts focus on cross-commodity coordination of IGR use recommendations to preserve the activity of these important insecticides.

Two experiments were conducted at the University of Arizona Maricopa Agricultural Center in 2002 designed to evaluate cotton yield and fiber quality at various plant populations and to test cotton variety performance in a twinline per bed cotton production system. The plant population experiment consisted of four target populations which included 60, 80, 100, and 120,000 plants per acre (PPA) and two varieties, Stoneville 4892BR and AG3601. The resulting plant populations were 52800, 69200, 82800 and 96200 for ST4892BR and 54800, 70800, 90500 and 104500 for AG3601. The two lowest plant populations resulted in the highest lint yields for both varieties and were similar but there was a significant linear of decreasing yield with increasing plant population. The highest lint yields in the twin line variety experiment were DP449BR (1743 lb/acre) and DP5415R (1702 lb/acre) which were not statistically different.

Each year the University of Arizona conducts variety trials across the state to evaluate the performance of upland cotton varieties. These tests provide unbiased data on the performance of varieties when tested side-by-side under typical production practices. In 2001, we planted a total of 12 trials, one in the Yuma region (Yuma county), two in the western region (La Paz and Mohave counties), five in the central region (Maricopa and Pinal counties), one in the southern region (Pima county), and three in the eastern region (Graham, Greenlee, and Cochise counties). We tested seven to twelve commercially available varieties at each test site. The purpose of this report is to present the results of the 2001 tests conducted in the Yuma, western, central, southern, and eastern regions of Arizona.

Upland cotton advanced strains and commercial check comparison varieties were evaluated in replicated field studies at three locations in 2001. The test sites include Yuma, AZ., Maricopa, AZ., and Safford, AZ.. Nine seed companies submitted a maximum of six advanced strains entries per location. Four commercial check varieties were used at Maricopa and Safford-DP5415, NuCOTN33B, SG747, and ST474. Five commercial check varieties were used at Yuma-DP5415, DP33B, SG747, ST474, and DP451BR.

Cotton lint contamination from honeydew excreted by sweetpotato whiteflies, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), is a serious problem in the textile industry resulting in reduced lint processing efficiency. The insect growth regulators, Applaud® and Knack®, provide effective control of sweetpotato whiteflies on cotton by interfering with their reproduction and development. Protection from honeydew lint contamination is attributed to reduced sweetpotato whitefly populations. We investigated the potential direct effect of Applaud and Knack on sweetpotato whitefly honeydew production. In the field, amounts of the major sugar components of honeydew produced by adults and nymphs collected on day six following Applaud or Knack applications to cotton field plots were not significantly different compared to amounts produced by those collected from untreated plots. In the laboratory, adult mortality and amounts of honeydew sugars produced by adults were not affected by confinement for 48 h on Applaud or Knack residues from cotton leaf dips or following nebulizer contact spray applications. In contrast, mortality of first and second instar nymphs on leaves was higher on day six following leaf dips in Applaud solutions compared with leaf dips in Knack or water solutions. Nymph mortality on day six following leaf dips in Knack solutions was higher than mortality of nymphs following leaf dips in water. Honeydew collected during the period between two to 50 h after leaf dip treatment had reduced amounts of glucose, fructose and trehalulose, but not sucrose and melezitose per nymph compared with honeydew from nymphs on leaves dipped in water. Results were more variable for sugars in honeydew collected 96 to 144 h after leaf dip treatment. Nebulizer sprays of Applaud and Knack to nymphs on cotton leaves also resulted in reduced amounts of sugars in honeydew and nymph mortality following treatments.

Experiments were conducted at the University of Arizona Safford and Maricopa Agricultural Centers during the 2001 cotton season to compare the effectiveness of 0.5 and 1.0 lb a.i./A topical applications of Buctril (bromoxynil) on annual morningglory species. At Safford, the percent control of annual morningglory was statistically greater following 1.0 lb a.i./A Buctril applications at 97 percent control compared to 83 percent control resulting from 0.5 lb a.i./A Buctril applications. Both the 0.5 and 1.0 lb a.i./A Buctril rates, had similar initial effects on morningglory seedlings. Initial leaf symptoms included a dark-green “water soaked” appearance that progressed into leaf necrosis. At both rates, all morninglory leaf tissue was destroyed leaving green stems which sometimes remained viable and produced new leaves rather than turning chlorotic and dying. The number of escapes in the center two rows of four-row plots was significantly greater after 0.5 lb a.i./A Buctril applications at 12.4 escapes compared to 1.5 escapes following 1.0 lb a.i./A Buctril applications. An average of 12 escapes in an area 40 ft by two cotton rows is sufficient to cause substantial yield losses in the absence of other control methods. At Maricopa, there was no statistically significant difference in the phytotoxicity caused by 0.5 and 1.0 lb a.i./A Buctril rates when applied to 1, 2, or 3 true-leaf exposed morningglory seedlings (i.e., not partially covered or shaded by other plants) that were thoroughly contacted by the herbicide sprays. Both experiments found that morningglory control was significantly greater following two sequential 0.5 lb a.i./A Buctril applications compared to a single 1.0 lb a.i./A application due to continued emergence of seedlings. Growers with morningglory infested fields that make a 1.0 lb a.i./A application should be prepared to make an early season post-direct application using other herbicides to control later emerging morningglory plants.

Twin-line (two seed lines 7.25 in apart per bed) and conventional single seed line per bed cotton production systems were compared at 16 sites across Arizona and Blythe, Ca. in 2002. The twin-line system produced more lint than the conventional single-line system at 4 of 16 locations; the yields of the twinline and single-line systems were 1273 and 1186 lb/acre, 1572 and 1461 lb/acre, 1478 and 1290 lb/acre, and 1309 and 1210 lb/acre, respectively, at the Grasty, Ramona, Rovey, and Wells sites, respectively. There were no significant differences in yield or fiber micronaire in 7 of the 16 experiments. The twin-line system produced less lint than the conventional system at 5 of 16 locations; yields of the twin-line and single-line systems were 2019 and 2189 lb/acre, 1400 and 1489 lb/acre, 1537 and 1845 lb/acre, 1065 and 1200 lb/acre, and 1271 and 1431 lb/acre, respectively, at the Chaffin (75K), Cooley, Hull, Papago, and Wakimoto sites, respectively. Fiber micronaire was reduced in five experiments; the micronaire values were 4.25 and 4.73, 4.46 and 4.78, 4.60 and 4.85, 4.76 and 4.98, and 4.93 and 5.15, in the twin-line and single-line systems, respectively, at the Rogers, Papago, Grasty, Hull, and Perry sites, respectively. Research will continue in 2003 in order to develop system comparison data for multiple years and to elucidate the reasons for the variable results measured in the 2002 cotton season.

A single field study was established during the 2002 growing season to evaluate the effects of planting date (PD) on the yield and fiber quality characteristics of several cotton varieties commonly grown in the Upper Gila River Valley of Safford. Seven varieties were chosen for evaluation in 2002 ranging from early to medium-full varieties. These seven varieties were planted on three separate planting dates (2 April, 15 April, and 3 May) in a split-plot within a randomized complete block design with four replications. Overall analysis of variance revealed significant differences due to PD (OSL=0.0291) but no significant differences among varieties (OSL=0.5164) or in the interaction between PD and variety (OSL=0.4052). Four of the varieties evaluated produced the highest yield with the later PD (3 May). The remaining three varieties performed best with the 2nd PD (15 April).

A field experiment was conducted at the University of Arizona Maricopa Agricultural Center (MAC – 1100 ft. elevation) in 2002 to evaluate plant population relationships with conventional row spacing under a range of high population conditions with new Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) varieties. The varieties, which included AG3601, DP458BR, and STV4892BR, were each planted to six densities of 15,000, 30,000, 45,000, 60,000, 75,000, and 90,000. Inseason plant measurement data revealed crop vigor and fruit retention levels were well within the optimum threshold for all varieties and populations. There was no interaction between variety and population in terms of lint yield and fiber quality parameters. However, results show significant differences in lint yield and fiber strength among varieties but not the fiber micronaire. In addition, higher population had no significant effect on lint yield or fiber quality. Higher populations had no effect in lowering fiber micronaire to premium levels as well.

Arizona has experienced a trend of increasing fiber micronaire values in recent years resulting in substantial discounts on fiber value. There is some evidence to suggest that irrigation termination (IT) management can influence fiber micronaire. Field studies were conducted in 2000, 2001, and 2002 at the University of Arizona Maricopa Agricultural Center (1,175ft. elevation) and in 2001 and 2002 at the Yuma Valley Agricultural Center (YVAC; 150 ft. elevation) to evaluate the effects of three dates of irrigation termination on the yield and fiber micronaire of several Upland cotton varieties. Three dates of irrigation termination (IT1, IT2, and IT3) were imposed based upon crop development into cutout. The earliest irrigation termination date, IT1 was made slightly ahead of an optimum date to provide sufficient soil-water such that bolls set at the end of the first fruiting cycle would not be water stressed and could be fully matured. Thus, the IT1 date was imposed to try to reduce overall micronaire. The second termination (IT2) date received one additional irrigation over an optimal point for the completion of the first cycle fruit set and two irrigations beyond IT1. The final (IT3) date (late September) was imposed so that soil moisture would be sufficient for the development of bolls set up through the last week of September, thus providing full top-crop potential. In general, lint yield and micronaire results revealed significant differences among the IT treatments. Micronaire and lint yield values consistently increased with later IT dates.