By Clint Thompson
Georgia’s cotton growers should be mindful that a new insect is on the radar of the University of Georgia (UGA) Cotton Team.
Phillip Roberts, a UGA Extension cotton entomologist, spoke about the Cotton Jassid at the recent Georgia Cotton Commission meeting. He said the insect was observed in multiple counties in Florida in 2024, including Jackson County in the Florida Panhandle. Its proximity to South Georgia makes the Cotton Jassid a threat to the region’s cotton crop.
“Any time we have a new pest, an invasive pest, we’re going to take it seriously. We’re looking for it, and we’ll be actively looking for it,” Roberts said. “If we do find it in Georgia, we’ll do what we need to do. What I tell folks, first we’ll see how we can control it and second thing, we’ll understand if we need to control it; and the third thing is when to control it.
“Any time we have anything new, it is a concern.”
The Cotton Jassid will feed on the lower surface of leaves, extracting the contents of cells. Symptoms include yellowing, reddening and then bronzing of leaves. The Jassid is also tiny, so it is likely that plant damage will be observed before the insects themselves. It is a pest of cotton, okra, eggplant and sunflowers.
“It can feed on a lot of different plants. Cotton and okra are two of the preferred hosts. I just want to encourage folks in South Georgia if they suspect this, meet up with a county agent so we can come and try to confirm and hopefully not find it,” Roberts said.