The Association was asked to meet with USDA Ag Research Service (ARS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) representatives at their Beltsville, MD facility. CCGGA Assistant Vice President of Technical Services Chris McGlothlin, and National Cotton Council’s Vice President of Technical Services, Chad Brewer, attended the event on behalf of the cotton industry. There, USDA researchers made presentations on the work that is being done at the lab, identifying crucial pheromone research being conducted, working on potential control measures to keep the bugs out of commercial cotton production, as well as other related cotton seed bug research that is ongoing. Both Brewer and McGlothlin explained the importance of trap, lure and pheromone development to try and curb any further incursion of the Cotton Seed Bug to areas without cotton production. 
 
After the discussion, attendees were then led to the research lab, where ongoing pheromone research is being conducted. With only an area of 93 square feet for a containment lab, Dr. Aijun Zhang, Research Chemist with USDA-ARS and his research assistants Dr. Mohamed Ahmed, Dr. Saveer Ahmed, and Dr. Souvic Sarker, maintain a colony of Cotton Seed Bugs, and conduct testing on attractants that could be used in future lures. Squeezing into the room 4 at a time, researchers showed the various equipment and tests examples that individual bugs are subject to in order to test efficacy. Dr. Aijun is hopeful that a patented lure will be available by the end of July, and can be paired with traps in areas where Seed Bug has been detected to keep them out of commercial cotton fields. Stay tuned for more updates.