Voluntary area-wide whitefly monitoring project implementation 1195-1997 Gila Bend, Arizona

Growers, Pest Control Advisors (PCA), and University of Arizona Cooperative Extension personnel formulated and coordinated area-wide cotton pest management strategies in the production area near Gila Bend, AZ from 1995-97. The primary target pest was whitefly with secondary control strategy implementation for pink bollworm. In 1995-1996, the coordinated effort encompassed appoximately 10 000 and 6000 acres which included 10 and 8 cotton producers respectively and 6 PCA. Due to producer interest and initiative in an adjoining production area, project acreage increased to more than 18 000 acres and included 14 producers and 9 PCA in 1997. The project cost of $3.00/acre was supported by participating producers with the monies used to hire students for field scouting. An economic development grant from the Electrical District #8 supported the project coordinator's salary who is a University of Arizona employee. The area was divided into quadrants with every field within the project sampled a minimum of once weekly for whitefly populations using recommended University of Arizona sampling procedure. As whitefly populations approached treatment thresholds, more frequent sampling was initiated. The population data was then faxed to the responsible producer and PCA on the date of sample. Treatment thresholds and chemistry class suggestions were made by Cooperative Extension with final control decisions and material choice at the producer and PCA discretion. Weekly community wide meetings were conducted and used to discuss general area-wide and field specific population dynamics, treatment suggestions, crop condition, and agronomic and entomological area-wide production strategy recommendations.