Year-Round IPM Program Pages
This year-round IPM program covers major pests of cotton grown in California.
About Squaring to First Bloom
What should you be doing during this time?
Begin weekly monitoring of plant growth.
- Continue tracking degree-day accumulations for plant growth.
Monitor for armyworms, cabbage loopers.
Treat if needed according to Cotton Pest Management Guidelines.
Monitor for spider mites, aphids, and whitefly:
- Keep records
- See photo identification page for their natural enemies.
- Treat if needed according to Cotton Pest Management Guidelines.
Begin sweep net sampling and square retention monitoring for lygus bug activity:
- Keep records
- Treat if needed according to Cotton Pest Management Guidelines.
- Keep records
- Treat if needed according to Cotton Pest Management Guidelines.
Sample for both races of Fusarium if there is evidence of Fusarium in the field, or if you planted a variety with unknown resistance.
Manage alternate lygus bug hosts such as weeds, alfalfa, and safflower next to cotton.
Adjust nitrogen application amount and first irrigation timing to limit rank growth.