BOLL WEEVIL KILL RATES BY GIN PROCESSING AND BALE COMPRESSION

Abstract

Although the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman) has been eradicated over much of the U.S.cotton production area, there are still cotton production areas that are infested. As a result, USDA, Animal and Plant HealthInspection Service (APHIS) has procedures in place to keep the weevil from being reintroduced into eradicated areas as wellas being transported overseas to cotton growing areas in other countries. Included in the procedure is the fumigation of baledcotton with methyl bromide prior to shipment. Methyl bromide may not be available as a fumigant in the near future and thefumigation process is expensive. Research was done at the USDA, ARS, Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratoryto determine the actual re-infestation risk from live boll weevils processed through the normal cotton ginning and balingsystems in the United States. Two tests were done: 1) a gin process survival test, and 2) a bale compression survival test. Noweevils survived processing through a saw gin stand and one saw-type lint cleaner. In addition, most weevils were immediatelykilled at compressions of 352.4 kg/m3 (22 lb/ft3) and higher in the bale press. There were also no survivors after six days atthe specified UD bale density of 448.5 kg/m3 (28 lb/ft3). Test results showed it was extremely unlikely that a live boll weevilcould survive both gin processing and bale compression.