Cotton aphid is a sucking pest that infests most cotton acreage in Georgia. Previous research in Georgia has not demonstrated a consistent yield response to aphid control in cotton. Although some insecticides are effective in terms of lowering plant stress from aphids, most growers opt to wait for natural reductions in aphid populations caused by the fungus Neozygites fresenii. Detecting the aphid-transmitted cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV) in the U.S. Southeast requires investigating the impact of aphid management on CLRDV and resulting disease. During 2019, researchers were not able to influence the incidence of CLRDV in small plot trials with aggressive aphid management, and we were not able to eliminate aphids with the use of insecticides. Further research is needed to more fully understand the impact of aphid management on CLRDV.
