With cotton prices down, many growers are looking for ways to cut production costs. This article emphasizes the importance of staying diligent in scouting and treating mite and insect pests in 2025.

First, do not undervalue the importance of an independent crop consultant. Their job is to make the grower profitable. This is a small investment because 1) grower time is valuable and farms are becoming larger; 2) insecticide choice is often nuanced, dependent on correct species identification, quantification, and expected future pest pressure; 3) growers often won’t take random samples (which are required) because they don’t want to miss any damage. They are emotionally invested; and 4) reliable scouting is hot and tedious work in July, August, and September.

Second, growers often underestimate the yield benefits of treating pests above threshold. Many say their crop has low yield potential or that their insecticide budget is already spent. Unfortunately, pests don’t adjust their feeding accordingly- they consume the same amount regardless. In fact, crops with lower yield potential can suffer proportionally greater losses.

The next article will focus on an example using data generated from experiments evaluating yield effects for insecticides for tarnished plant bug in North Carolina cotton.