There were at least ten commercial fields of Ingard in the 1996/97 season with low efficacy pre flowering and requiring up to three insecticide sprays.

Has the introduction of Bt genes into the cotton plant affected its capacity for compensation after insect damage? This question is relevant for three reasons.

It is necessary to research multiple stresses on cotton as plants are generally exposed to many stresses in the field, and interactions between them are largely unpredictable.

Experiments were done using simulated damage to investigate responses of early season cotton to defoliation, tipping out and fruit removal in a range of combinations and intensities.

We introduce a new idea, that recovery capacity is an important trait in cotton resistance to insect damage.