When spinosyn was first tested and labelled for use in cotton, it demonstrated great promise for managing difficult to control lepidopterous pests of cotton including among others, tobacco budworm, bollworm, beet armyworm, and fall armyworm. However, the introduction and adoption of Bt cotton reduced the need for foliar insecticides targeting these pests. In recent years the evolution of practical resistance in bollworm to the Cry Bt proteins has renewed interest in foliar insecticides targeting this pest. Spinetoram has proven to be effective toward Bt resistant bollworm, but competition from diamide insecticides has limited its adoption. Currently, spinetoram is primarily utilized in cotton to control thrips, and there is potential for spinosyns to be utilized as an alternative to malathion in the U.S. boll weevil eradication program.
