Cotton growth, development, and yield when utilizing ThryvOn under high thrips pressure

Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) are consistent pests in cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum ) production during the early season. In addition to cultural and chemical practices for thrips management, a new Bt ( Bacillus thuringiensis ) trait called ThryvOn is available for thrips management. However, research investigating crop development and yield response to this new technology is limited. Therefore, a field trial was implemented in Tifton, GA, USA, to evaluate thrips prevalence, plant injury, crop development, and lint yield in response to cultivar (with or without ThryvOn) and insecticide treatment under high thrips pressure. ThryvOn cotton exhibited lower thrips densities and plant injury due to thrips than non‐ThryvOn cotton, regardless of insecticide treatment. When interactions between cultivar and insecticide were observed, insecticide treatment reduced pest pressure and positively impacted plant growth to a larger extent in non‐ThryvOn cotton compared to ThryvOn cotton. Similar observations were made for radiation capture by the crop canopy, although significant effects were only observed on one sample date in a single growing season. Lint yields were not affected by cultivar or insecticide treatment in either year, despite significant plant injury in the early season. The data from this study further highlight that newly available ThryvOn varieties offer significant thrips injury protection relative to non‐ThryvOn varieties, decreasing the need for insecticide application. Thrips injury and reductions in plant growth in the early season may not necessarily translate to yield loss if radiation capture by the crop canopy is eventually maximized and there is sufficient growing season length available to mature the crop.