SERA023: Management of Cotton Insects
Statement of Issues and Justification
Project's Primary Website is at http://cipm.ncsu.edu/ent/Southern_Region/SAAESD/cotton.html (direct link can be found under LINKS)This proposed information exchange group will provide a forum for candid technical discussions of evolving management issues, technologies and new arthropod pest problems facing cotton producers in the US. While many of the specific topics will be activities defined by individual land-grant universities, federal laboratories or private industry groups, no other organizational structure exists for open public dialogue on these topics across the Southern Region. The Cotton Insect Research and Control Conference of the National Cotton Council's Beltwide Cotton Conference is a forum for presentation of papers and exchange of information, but it is not a suitable arena for more detailed evaluation and debate of issues associated with public sector extension and research efforts. Similarly, Cotton Incorporated annually supports Crop Production seminars and COTMAN" advisory meetings that focus more specifically on plant or crop issues and integrate a wider scope of several scientific disciplines. This proposed project targets coordination and exchange of information from public sector institutions related specifically to cotton insects and cotton insect management.
Enhanced communication and regional cooperation should bring efficiency to limited extension and research capacity by optimizing priorities for needed local issues and utilizing the broader base of information generated across the region. Increased regional research and education should expand the total breadth of science on cotton insect management resulting in more sophisticated and efficient cotton pest management approaches. The ultimate benefactor of this cooperative activity is the U.S. cotton grower. Since cotton insect pest management involves a wide sector of private and public support groups, including agricultural industry firms, private consultants, custom applicators, distributors and marketing firms, this proposed information exchange group impacts many stakeholders. A more recent and potentially more involved stakeholder will be regulatory agencies faced with various technical issues related to cotton insects. Recent examples would include policy decisions on Bt resistance and associated mandates for structured crop refuges, and documenting the need to maintain federal labels of specific insecticides important to cotton insect control.
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