Lepidopteran pests such as the cotton bollworm can go from insignificant to economically devastating in a few days during the growing season. A single female moth can lay more than 1,000 eggs in eight to 10 days. Within two to three weeks, eggs become hungry worms that can wreak havoc on your crop.1
For example, the cotton bollworm feeds on squares, blooms and bolls. Extensive bollworm feeding can delay maturity or cause fruit loss. Fewer healthy bolls reaching maturity directly impacts yield potential.
To protect cotton against cotton bollworm and other caterpillar pests, entomologists recommend cotton varieties with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) trait technology. According to Extension services, newer cotton varieties with a three-gene Bt trait provide better control than older Bt technologies.2
That’s why all PhytoGen® W3FE varieties come with WideStrike® 3 Insect Protection. WideStrike 3 is a three-gene Bt technology in cotton for better trait durability and resistance management. Available only in PhytoGen cottonseed, WideStrike 3 utilizes three Bt proteins: Cry1Ac, Cry1F and Vip3A. You won't find this combination of powerful genes in any other Bt cotton.
With WideStrike 3, you get season-long control against a wide spectrum of damaging lepidoptera, including improved control of cotton bollworm for reduced insecticide applications. Don’t settle for less protection. WideStrike 3 from PhytoGen provides better protection against yield-robbing lepidopteran pests.
1University of Missouri Extension. Cotton bollworms. https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/cotton-extension/cotton-pests/cotton-bollworms
2Gore, J. 2018. Bollworm management in Bt cotton: early July update. Mississippi State University Extension. http://www.mississippi-crops.com/2018/07/12/bollworm-management-in-bt-cotton-early-july-update/
