AN IMPROVED PLANT WASHING PROCEDURE FOR MONITORING EARLY-SEASON INSECT PESTS IN COTTON

Two plant washing techniques were compared for efficiency of extractio n of thrips (primarily Frankliniella fusca (Hinds)) and cotton aphids, Aphis gossypii Glover, from seedling cotton. The techniques included a plant washing method previously reported and a modification of this procedure that included centrifugal flotation. Both techniques were eq ually effective in extraction of insects from plants grown in a clay l oam soil, and the techniques were comparable at both high and low inse ct population levels. A significant increase in sample quality, as mea sured by time required for quantification of insects after extraction, was found when centrifugal flotation was included in the procedure. T ime required for individual sample quantification was decreased by 30 to 69% with the use of centrifugal flotation. For plants grown in a cl ay soil, there was no advantage in insect recovery efficiency and time required for sample quantification was significantly reduced on only one of three sampling dates.