BATON ROUGE, La. (RFD News) — Cotton producers are being urged to stay alert for cotton jassid, a relatively new pest that can quickly damage crops if left unchecked.
Dr. Dawson Kerns, an entomologist with Louisiana State University, said early detection is one of the most important tools producers have in limiting damage.
“It’s going to be looking for those visual signs of damage and catching them at first sight. You want to detect that color change in that leaf when it’s still barely turning yellow. If you start waiting until it starts reddening, then you’re behind. Early detection, looking for those signs on the borders where they’re going to show up first. Any kind of isolated indicator plants along the borders or margin of the field, that’ll show signs of damage. Detecting the insect when it’s still at a low population when it first makes its way into the field is going to be key.”
The cotton jassid, also known as the two-spotted cotton leafhopper, was first detected in Florida in 2024.
