Cotton pest management strategies and related pesticide use and yield

The use of pesticides is an integral part of pest management for cotton (Go ssypium hirsutum L.) production. However, in response to environmental and public safety concerns, alternative pest management strategies focused to r educing pesticide usage is becoming more important. The objective of this s tudy is to evaluate various pest control practices as substitutes or comple ments to pesticides in maintaining or enhancing cotton yields. A tobit mode l is estimated using data from that 1994 USDA Cropping Practices Survey of cotton producers in the Sig major cotton-producing states to assess the eff ects of pest control strategies on yield and pesticide use in cotton produc tion. Statistical tests were performed to assess the significance of differ ences between (i) high and low integrated pest management (IPM) fields, (ii ) high and low pesticide use fields, and (iii) high and low yield fields, i n terms of yield, pesticide use, use of individual IPM practices, and use o f tillage and irrigation. High IPM fields had significantly higher yield, l ower yield risk, and higher use of pesticide treatments than low IPM fields . High pesticide use fields generally used more IPM practices and had highe r yield and lower yield risk than low pesticide use fields. High yield fiel ds had lower yield risk used significantly more IPM practices, hut also use d more pesticide treatments per acre than low yield fields.