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Title: CROP RESIDUE MANAGEMENT AS A CULTURAL CONTROL FOR BOLL WEEVIL IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY OF TEXAS, USA

Author
item Summy, Kenneth
item CATE, JAMES - INTEGRATED BIOLOGICAL CON

Submitted to: Integrated Pest Management of Cotton Boll Weevil in Argentina, Brazil
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/11/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Cotton stalk destruction currently forms the basis for a regional management program for boll weevil in the subtropical Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas. Research conducted during a 15-year stalk destruction effort in this region has shown that an extended cotton-free period tends to significantly reduce the incidence of reproduction by "overwintering" boll weevils, the degree of overwinter survival by emerged adults, and densities of adult and immature stages infesting desiccated cotton residue. Research conducted by USDA has developed efficient means by which to detect undestroyed cotton fields (e.g., the use of Global Positioning System, a sophisticated satellite based radionavigation system maintained by the U.S. Department of Defense) and has provided the means by which to destroy cotton stalks under inclement conditions. The implementation of a regional cotton stalk destruction program in the LRGV region has significantly reduced the incidence of damage caused by boll weevil and other pests during the past fifteen years.

Technical Abstract: Post harvest cotton stalk destruction is an effective tactic for suppressing boll weevils. Since cotton is the principal host of boll weevil in the United States, its absence over extended periods deprives the local weevil population of the resources required for overwintering. Early stalk destruction provides the basis for a regional pest management effort that was implemented in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas in 1981. Accomplishments of this 15-year effort include: 1) the development of surveillance technology for rapid detection of undestroyed cotton fields within a large geographic area; 2) development of technology to facilitate destruction of cotton stalks under inclement conditions; 3) enactment of stringent stalk destruction legislation directed specifically against boll weevil; and 4) an extensive research base that has demonstrated the biological impact of this strategy on the overwintering boll weevil population and the economic gains that have accrued to local cotton producers. An overview of the stalk destruction concept as a cultural control for boll weevil and the current status of the stalk destruction effort in the LRGV region of Texas is discussed.