Effect of Infestation of Alabama argillacea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) at Different Ages of Cotton Plants in Yield

The cotton leafworm is an important defoliating pest of cotton in Brazil, and occurs in all regions where the crop is cultivated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of larval densities of A. argillacea after different infestation periods on the yield components of four cotton cultivars. The experiment was carried out in Pindorama, SP, Brazil, in the 2008/2009 growing season. The cultivars IAC-25, DeltaOPAL, Fibermax 966 and Fibermax 993 were artificially infested with A. ar-gillacea larvae at three times (30, 60 and 90 DAE) and four densities (0, 2, 4, and 6 larvae per plant). The average boll weight (g), fiber percentage (%), 100-seed weight (g) and yield (kg∙ha−1) were evaluated. With increasing infestation density of A. argillacea, the cotton yield of the culti-vars decreased. The presence of larvae significantly reduced the weight of 100 seeds of cultivar Fibermax 966. Initial infestations reduced the boll weight of IAC-25 and DeltaOPAL, while cultivar