Wharton County is now under a state quarantine after cotton leafhoppers were found on nursery plants shipped from Florida. The fast-spreading pests can cut cotton yields in half and threaten a $1.5 billion industry across Texas. Ag Commissioner Sid Miller ordered the quarantine February 5th for Wharton, Fort Bend, Grimes, and Cameron counties. Local extension agent Corrie Bowen says the outbreak came from an infested hibiscus shipment to a local retailer. Nurseries face the biggest impact, but cotton planting here should stay on schedule.