MANAGEMENT OF PHYTOPHAGOUS THRIPS AND TARNISHED PLANT BUGS (TPBS) SPECIES IN COTTON REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE CONFRONTING FARMERS IN THE US COTTON BELT. CURRENTLY, FARMERS DEPEND ON NEONICOTINOID SEED TREATMENTS AND ORGANOPHOSPHATES TO CONTROL EARLY SEASON THRIPS AND MULTIPLE MODES OF ACTION TO CONTROL TPB TO MAINTAIN PROFITABLE YIELDS. IN 2020-21, A NOVEL BT TRAIT TARGETING THRIPS AND TPB IS EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED IN COTTON. THIS TRAIT SUPPRESSES THRIPS AND TPB POPULATIONS, PREVENTING DAMAGE, BUT ALLOWS REDUCED THRIPS AND TPB POPULATIONS TO DEVELOP. PRELIMINARY RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THIS TRAIT HAS VARIABLE IMPACTS ON THRIPS MORTALITY, OVIPOSITION, AND FEEDING BEHAVIOR ACROSS DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES, AS WELL AS DIFFERENTIAL IMPACTS ON FITNESS OF TOBACCO THRIPS (TT) AND WESTERN FLOWER THRIPS (WFT). IN THE EASTERN COTTON BELT, TT IS A KEY PEST OF COTTON SEEDLINGS AND HAS DEVELOPED RESISTANCE TO SYSTEMIC NEONICOTINOIDS. IN THE WEST, TT IS NOT AN ECONOMIC PEST BUT WFT IS AN IMPORTANT FACULTATIVE BIOLOGICAL CONTROL (BC) FOR MITES AND WHITEFLY, THE LATTER A KEY PEST THERE. BECAUSE THESE INSECTS FILL REGIONALLY SPECIFIC PEST OR BC NICHES, THE IMPACT OF WIDESPREAD DEPLOYMENT OF THIS BT TRAIT COULD HAVE GEOGRAPHICALLY VARIABLE EFFECTS ON ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND PEST MANAGEMENT OUTCOMES. THIS PROJECT WILL REVEAL SYNERGIES AND ANTAGONISMS BETWEEN PEST MANAGEMENT AND BC SERVICES THAT WILL HAVE GEOGRAPHICALLY SPECIFIC OUTCOMES FOR COTTON FARMERS AND RELEVANCE TO POLICY DECISIONS REGARDING NON-TARGET EFFECTS AND IRM.THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE TO QUANTIFY LIFE STAGE-SPECIFIC IMPACTS OF THRIPS AND LYGUS ACTIVE BT TOXINS ON WFT, TT AND TPBS IN LABORATORY, GREENHOUSE, AND FIELD CONDITIONS. THESE RESULTS WILL PROVIDE A FOUNDATION FOR REGIONALLY RELEVANT RISK ASSESSMENT AND INSECT RESISTANCE MODELING MODELING FOR NOVEL BT TOXINS IN COTTON PRODUCTION AGROECOSYSTEMS ACROSS THE US COTTON BELT. THIS RESEARCH ADDRESSES THE BRAG OTHER RESEARCH TOPICS DESIGNED TO FURTHER THE PURPOSES OF THIS PROGRAM PRIORITY AREA BY ASSESSING OF THE EFFECTS OF ENGINEERED INSECT RESISTANCE GENES IN A PLANT ON NON-TARGET ARTHROPOD SPECIES AND RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND HOW PESTS OVERCOME PLANT PEST TRAITS CONFERRED BY ENGINEERED GENES.