Cotton Survey

The cotton pest survey is a cooperative effort by Clemson-DPI and USDA-APHIS-PPQ to protect South Carolina’s cotton industry and preserve a safe and healthy environment. DPI field staff will trap for four targeted pests including the Silver Y moth (Autographa gamma), the old world bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), the Egyptian cottonworm (Spodoptera littoralis), the cotton cutworm (Spodoptera litura), and the cotton seed bug (Oxycarenus hyalinipennis). The use of a bucket trap will help collect samples from the field, while a visual survey will be conducted for the presence of the cotton seed bug.

Cotton is a major crop in South Carolina and accounted for 258,000 acres of farmland with 360,000 bails produced in 2013 alone. Not only is cotton of great economical importance, but it has also a great historical importance as well. The price and production has fluctuated greatly throughout the years but remains a high valued crop that is responsible for an increase in textiles throughout the United States. Monitoring and preventing pests from decimating the cotton industry will allow these industries to thrive and flourish.