Not until the fourth instar was reached did nymphs thrive satisfactorily upon unopened bolls.
However, the final effect of treatment on the number of bolls per plant was not significant in either year.
The fruiting site of a boll represents a unique microsite with individual combinations of temperatures, light and metabolic resource allocations.
Bolls at the middle and top parts of the plant had lower mote frequencies than bolls at the bottom of the plant.
The decrease in lint yield for shaded cotton was mainly associated with a decrease in the number of retained bolls.
High levels of late season cotton aphid infestation can cause aphid honeydew accumulation on open bolls, resulting in sticky cotton lint.
Total bolls per plant were also measured immediately prior to harvest.
Of the three yield components (boll number, boll weight and lint percentage), boll number was the most sensitive to shade.
