Establishment of a Whitefly Resistance Documentation and Management Program in Arizona

Adult whiteflies were collected from six regions of Arizona and evaluated for susceptibility to fenpropathrin (Danitol®), acephate (Orthene®) and endosulfan (Thiodan®), and mixtures of fenpropathrin+acephate curl fenpropathrin+endosulfan. Strong indications of resistance to fenpropathrin, acephate and the fenpropathrin +acephate mixture were documented in some areas of the state. With all populations evaluated endosulfan was consistently the most toxic of the insecticides evaluated (singly) and was highly toxic in mixtures with fenpropathrin. Whitefly resistance to pyrethroid insecticides and especially mixtures of pyrethroid+organophosphate insecticides could have serious ramifications for the prevention of sticky cotton in Arizona. To combat further development of pyrethroid resistance cotton growers will need to reduce the number of pyrethroid treatments made per season