By Ron Smith
Cotton Farming
It has been quite a journey to have been a part of the most evolutionary period in cotton insects. I began my career as part of the new U.S. Department of Agriculture-Extension cotton IPM educational initiative in 1972 when boll weevils were the dominant cotton insect in Alabama.
The goal of the program was to increase awareness of a management approach to controlling cotton pests, a program which incorporated scouting and economic thresholds. It has become widely recognized as integrated pest management (IPM).