Does Pheromone Trap Placement Height Change Bollworm Catch Accuracy?

Key findings

• ▸Canopy-height trap placement outperformed both above- and below-canopy placement at every density level tested.
• ▸Trap density had no statistically significant effect on catch accuracy once height was controlled for.
• ▸Findings suggest extension guidance should prioritize placement height over simply adding more traps.

Abstract

Pheromone trap monitoring is a standard tool for tracking cotton bollworm pressure, but placement guidance varies widely across extension programs. This controlled trial across 24 cotton plots compared trap catch accuracy at three placement heights against three trap-density levels, using manual scouting counts as ground truth. Trap height was a substantially stronger predictor of catch accuracy than density, with traps placed at canopy height outperforming both above- and below-canopy placements regardless of how many traps were deployed per plot.