SOUTHERN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS DECEMBER, 1981 ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COTTON PRODUCTION IN THE COASTAL BEND REGION OF TEXAS

A long-season (160-180 days) cotton variety duction system, there has been an upward trend with a conventional production system was for- in cotton acreage from about 50,000 in 1975, to merly grown in the Texas Coastal Bend Region. approximately 300,000 in 1980 (Texas Crop and Cotton producers in the region used intensive in- Livestock Reporting Service, 1970-79). The secticide applications throughout the growing conventional cotton production system no longer season and harvested in August or September, exists in the region because of the complete and occasionally in October. In general, inten- adoption of the short-season system. Universal sive insecticide applications for boll weevil and adoption of the short-season production system fleahopper control destroyed the beneficial in- led to all gins converting to stripper harvested sects and spiders. Late-season tobacco budworm cotton. infestations were thereby aggravated. These This study examines the value and economic late-season insect infestations were a result of impact of short-season cotton production system the relatively high rainfall during August and under IPM strategies as it relates to yield and September. Moreover, high rainfall during this producer returns in the Coastal Bend Region of time not only interfered with harvest, but also Texas. The study has implications for cotto