Enlargement Of Corn Planting Area In The United States May Lead To Cotton Boll Pests In Cotton Fields

Analysts say that in the 2008 to 09 years, American cotton may be attacked by cotton bollworm. The biggest pest of cotton bollworm cotton is due to a large increase in the area of corn, and the possibility that it will attack two kinds of crops, such as corn and cotton, will increase.

Cotton experts said that in 2007, 15 million 270 thousand acres of cotton were planted in the United States, of which 6 million 700 thousand acres were attacked by cotton bollworms, which were called corn borers when they were grown on corn. Last year, the insect's attack on crops led to the loss of 229186 bales of cotton in the United States.

Recently, Helicoverpa armigera showed the characteristics of anti pgenic technology, and pgenic technology is the latest weapon to prevent crop pests.

It is estimated that 86 million acres of corn will be attacked by corn borer in 2008.

Bacillus thuringiensis, commonly known as BT, is a protein produced from plants, which is the poison of certain insects.

According to the research conducted by Bruce Tabashnik, an Arizona University entomologist, BT was introduced in 1996, but in 2003 and 2006, a large number of borers were found to produce antibodies against the first generation of BT in cotton fields in Mississippi and Arkansas.

In 2006, Helicoverpa armigera in Georgia also produced antibodies against the first generation of BT cotton.

At the end of the growing season, cotton starts to make fruit, which provides a new place for growing insects.

Fred Musser, a professor of Entomology and plant pathology at Mississippi State University, said corn is the best place to live.

The rice balls grow on maize plants. Adults can easily pfer to cotton plants and then lay eggs on cotton plants.

Larvae live on cotton plants and eat cotton bolls.

In Arkansas and Mississippi, the number of Helicoverpa armigera was higher than that in other states, because the number of non BT cotton fields (known as protective bands) was very small.

The cotton planted by the protective belt provides a breeding ground for the Helicoverpa armigera which has not been exposed to BT. The insects that do not touch BT mate with the insect carrying antibodies, and the inherited non antibody characteristics enhance the BT efficiency.

In 2008, cotton bollworms could occur in larger cotton fields in Arkansas and Mississippi.

But if growth conditions permit, cotton losses can be minimized, because BT is only effective for late pest control, and crops can almost recover 100% early losses.

Experts say it is too early to assess how much damage the cotton bollworm can cause to 2008-09.

However, the delay of corn planting time will probably lead to the easy pfer of rice balls to cotton fields.