By Clint Thompson
The cotton jassid has been noticeably absent in recent months. That is positive news for Georgia’s cotton growers who are on the cusp of planting this year’s crop.
“We’ve been looking and cannot find them right now. We’ve been monitoring sticky cards, we’ve got potted cotton plants out, we’ve looked at winter weeds, and we can’t find them right now,” said Phillip Roberts, University of Georgia Extension cotton entomologist, who added that there are jassids in South Florida. “Maybe we’re looking in all of the wrong places.
“Everybody’s just sitting on hold.”
The cotton jassid made its presence known in 2025, mostly impacting cotton and certain vegetables like okra and eggplant. As long as it is not observed during the spring, then growers won’t have to worry about spraying for the jassid until they start worrying about whiteflies, which is normally later in the summer.
The jassid feeds on the lower surface of cotton leaves, extracting the contents of cells. Symptoms include yellowing, reddening and then bronzing of leaves. The jassid is also extremely small, so it is likely that plant damage will be observed before the insects themselves. It is a pest of cotton, okra, eggplant and sunflowers.
Roberts and the Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC) advise growers that the best course of action regarding jassid management is to scout the plants regularly once the plants start growing.
“Everybody just needs to be scouting. If you find something, we’d appreciate you letting our county agents know,” Roberts said. “Make sure you’re current with the information coming from your county agents.”