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How to Manage Pests

UC Pest Management Guidelines

| More pests | More crops | About guidelines |

Potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae.

Cotton

Leafhoppers

Scientific Names:
Potato leafhopper: Empoasca fabae
Southern garden leafhopper: Empoasca solana

(Reviewed 1/08, updated 1/08)

In this Guideline:

DESCRIPTION OF THE PESTS

Several species of leafhoppers may occur on cotton. The southern garden leafhopper is most common in desert valleys, and the potato leafhopper is most common in the San Joaquin Valley. Only these two species cause economic damage. The potato leafhopper generally appears in cotton fields near potato fields in the Arvin-Edison area of Kern County and near the Sierra Nevada foothills in northern Kern, Tulare, and Fresno counties. Outbreaks of the southern garden leafhopper are most common near sugarbeet fields in the Imperial Valley.

Adults are pale green, wedge shaped, 0.12 inch (3 mm) long, with inconspicuous white spots on the head and pronotum. Adults fly or jump when disturbed. Nymphs and adults readily run backwards, sideways, or forwards.

DAMAGE

Adults and nymphs suck sap from veins on the undersides of mature leaves, mostly on the lower half of the plant. The midrib veins become roughened. Affected leaves may become distorted, leathery, and develop yellow or red blotches. Though rare, severe infestation may cause plants to shed squares and small bolls. Larger bolls may turn soft and spongy, and fail to mature. Other species cause leaf stippling.

MANAGEMENT

Natural enemies usually keep leafhoppers from building up large populations in cotton. However, if large numbers migrate to cotton from other hosts, treatment may be needed if extensive symptoms appear.

Monitoring and Treatment Decisions
There is no treatment threshold for leafhoppers. Before applying an insecticide, check for swollen, lumpy main veins on a sample of injured leaves to make sure the field symptoms are actually caused by leafhoppers.

Common Name Amount/Acre** R.E.I.+ P.H.I.+
(trade name)   (hours) (days)
The following materials are listed in order of usefulness in an IPM program, taking into account efficacy, selectivity, persistence, and impact on honey bees. When choosing a pesticide, also consider information relating to environmental impact.
 
A. ALDICARB*
  (Temik) 15G 10–14 lb 48 90
  SELECTIVITY: High
  PERSISTENCE: Pest–Long; Natural Enemies–Short
  MODE OF ACTION GROUP NUMBER1: 1A
  COMMENTS: At layby by cultivation. Sidedress granules 8–16 inches to one side of the plant row, 2–6 inches deep. Do not graze or feed trash to livestock. Do not make more than 1 application at planting and 1 application after the crop emerges. Apply between March 1 and Sept. 1 only.
 
B. MALATHION 8E Label rates 12 0
  SELECTIVITY: Low
  PERSISTENCE: Pest–Short; Natural Enemies–Short
  MODE OF ACTION GROUP NUMBER1: 1B
  COMMENTS: Ground or air application
 
C. METHAMIDOPHOS*
  (Monitor) 4 EC 1–2 pt 72 50
  SELECTIVITY: Moderate
  PERSISTENCE: Pest–Short; Natural Enemies–Moderate
  MODE OF ACTION GROUP NUMBER1: 1B
  COMMENTS: Use 25 or more gal water/acre by ground or 5–10 gal water/acre by air. Apply before bolls open.
 
D. IMIDACLOPRID
  (Provado, etc.) 1.6F 3.75 fl oz 12 14
  SELECTIVITY: High
  PERSISTENCE: Pest–Moderate; Natural Enemies–Short
  MODE OF ACTION GROUP NUMBER1: 4A
  COMMENTS: A neonicotinoid. Foliar application. Do not exceed 0.31 lb a.i./acre/season.
 
E. ACEPHATE
  (Orthene) 97 4 oz 24 21
  SELECTIVITY: Low
  PERSISTENCE: Pest–Moderate; Natural Enemies–Moderate
  MODE OF ACTION GROUP NUMBER1: 1B
  COMMENTS: An organophosphate. Do not graze or feed trash to livestock. Apply in water at 5–10 gal spray/acre by air or 10–25 gal spray/acre by ground. May induce outbreaks of spider mites.
 
F. DINOTEFURAN
  (Venom) 20 SG 0.44–0.67 lb 12 14
  (Venom) 70WG 1–3 oz 12 14
  SELECTIVITY: moderate/high
  PERSISTENCE: Pest–Moderate; Natural Enemies–short
  MODE OF ACTION GROUP NUMBER1: 4A
  COMMENTS: A neonicotinoid. Kills lady beetles.
 
** Mix with sufficient water to provide complete coverage.
+  Restricted entry interval (R.E.I.) is the number of hours (unless otherwise noted) from treatment until the treated area can be safely entered without protective clothing. Preharvest interval (P.H.I.) is the number of days from treatment to harvest. In some cases the REI exceeds the PHI. The longer of two intervals is the minimum time that must elapse before harvest.
* Permit required from county agricultural commissioner for purchase or use.
1 Rotate chemicals with a different mode-of-action Group number, and do not use products with the same mode-of-action Group number more than twice per season to help prevent the development of resistance. For example, the organophosphates have a Group number of 1B; chemicals with a 1B Group number should be alternated with chemicals that have a Group number other than 1B. Mode of action Group numbers are assigned by IRAC (Insecticide Resistance Action Committee). For additional information, see their Web site at http://www.irac-online.org/.

[Precautions]

PUBLICATION

[UC Peer Reviewed]

UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Cotton
UC ANR Publication 3444
Insects and Mites
L. D. Godfrey, Entomology, UC Davis
P. B. Goodell, UC IPM Program, Kearney Agricultural Center, Parlier
E. T. Natwick, UC Cooperative Extension, Imperial Co.
D. R. Haviland, UC IPM Program, Kern Co.
Acknowledgment for contributions to the insects and mites section:
E. E. Grafton-Cardwell, Kearney Agricultural Center, Parlier
N. C. Toscano, Entomology, UC Davis

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