In the 1920’s, the boll weevil devastated cotton crops, and now, another insect has been discovered that poses a threat to the crop that has slowly made its way back into many fields in our area.

Toombs County Extension Agent Jason Edenfield said the new threat is called the Two-Spot Cotton Jassid and easily identified by the two black spots on its back.

“This invasive insect has been in Florida for a few years, and we heard it was moving into Georgia,” Edenfield said. “We first saw it in Appling County in our area in early summer, and now we have reports of it in fields in our immediate area.”

The Toombs County Extension Agent said the insect feeds on the leaves of the cotton and emits a toxin that causes the leaves to roll, redden, and prevent the leaves from doing what they typically do.

“Like any plant, if the leaves are negatively affected, what this insect does to the cotton plant will affect the yield,” he said.

Edenfield said the insect has also been eating its way through some fields of okra and egg plants, but those two vegetables aren’t prominently grown in our area.

“I encourage cotton farmers to keep a watchful eye on their crop,” Edenfield said. “Scout your fields; if you see something that doesn’t look right or if you see a Jassid, contact your extension agent. We’ve been learning what we can do to control this insect, and we’ve got some innovative ideas that help. At this point, it’s not about eradicating them, but just keeping them under control.”