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The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), is a key pest of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., in the Mid-Southern U.S. Infestations are often exacerbated near field edges adjacent to alternative host plants, potentially leading to significant yield impacts. To manage tarnished plant bugs along field edges, studies were conducted across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee to evaluate the influence of side-dress applied aldicarb treatments during early squaring on tarnished plant bug densities, square retention, and yield relative to the distance of a corn-cotton interface. Sweep net, drop cloth, and square retention samples were conducted at various distances from field edges. Sweep net samples indicated a significant interaction between sampling week and distance from the field edge, with more tarnished plant bugs detected at 7.62 m than 76.2 m from the field edge. Tarnished plant bug densities were lower in the aldicarb-treated plots compared to untreated plots. For drop cloth samples, significant main effects of week, treatment, and distance were observed, with the highest densities of tarnished plant bugs occurring during the fifth week of sample at 15.24 m from the field edge. Percent square retention was highest during the first week of sample and lowest the second week of sample. Yield losses were greatest within 22.86 m of the interface, even with insecticide management. These findings indicate that proposed in-field buffers could result in economic losses for producers, and aldicarb side-dress applications alone are unlikely to offset yield reductions under high tarnished plant bug pressure.
