Optimization of an immunomarking technique for the study of tarnished plant bug movement between corn and cotton

Abstract

A key economic pest of cotton in the mid-south is the tarnished plant bug (TPB), Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae). It is believed that early season crops like corn play a major role in building up TPB populations which then move to nearby cotton fields. The objective of this research was to determine the movement dynamics of TPB at the interface of these crops. Our 2009 data indicate TPB movement from corn into cotton occurred when corn was maturing from silk stage to milk. However, tasseling corn is more attractive compared to pre-squaring cotton to TPB. A supporting study evaluated the retention time of protein markers under simulated midsouth summer conditions. We measured the impact of adding sorbitol to an egg protein solution on retention time of the protein on TPB acquisition. We found that sorbitol decreased acquisition time and raised the detection values of proteins in the absence of rain.