Yes. Cotton is a perennial plant that will produce fruiting forms (squares, flowers, and bolls) over a long period of time. In response to some environmental stress, perennial plants such as cotton will shed fruiting forms in favor of maintaining vegetative growth. Some level of square shed inevitably will occur due to these physiological reasons. Insect pests can also induce square shed through feeding or ovipositioning on the square. It often takes an experienced cotton scout to determine which is causing the square shed.

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