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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sunflower and Plant Biology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #211191
Title: Efficacy of foliar applied insecticides and adjuvants against seed-feeding pests on sunflower, 2006

Author
item KNODEL, JANET - NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV
item Charlet, Laurence

Submitted to: Arthropod Management Tests
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/27/2008
Publication Date: 10/1/2008
Citation: Knodel, J.J., Charlet, L.D. 2008. Efficacy of foliar applied insecticides & adjuvants against seed-feeding pests on sunflower, 2006. Arthropod Management Tests. 33:F42. 2 p.

Interpretive Summary: The efficacies of selected insecticide and adjuvant treatments were assessed for injury caused by sunflower seed-feeding insect pests in university research plots in 2006. Adjuvants are added to improve the coverage, adhesion and residual activity of insecticides on the plant. Applications were applied at the beginning of bloom using a tractor mounted sprayer. At harvest, heads were removed, dried, threshed, seed weight determined, and the percentage of seeds damaged by each insect species calculated. Levels of seed damage from the banded sunflower moth and red sunflower seed weevil were low in all treatments with none higher than 1.5% damage. For banded sunflower moth, the following treatments had significantly lower damage than the untreated check: Delta Gold + InterLock + Preference, Delta Gold + AG 06011, Delta Gold + AG 06037, Delta Gold + AG 06015, Delta Gold + AG 06470, and Delta Gold + InterLock + AG 06470. Damage from red sunflower seed weevil was significantly lower in all but two insecticide plots. Damage from tarnished plant bug was higher than the other seed pests. The untreated check exhibited the greatest amount of damage with a mean of 8.3% injury. There were six treatments that had significantly lower damage, including low rate of Delta Gold, Delta Gold + InterLock + Preference, Delta Gold + PowerLock, Delta Gold + AG 06011, Delta Gold + AG 06015, and Delta Gold + AG 06470. The most consistent insecticide and adjuvant treatments that reduced seed damage among all three insect pests were Delta Gold + InterLock + Preference, Delta Gold + AG 06011, and Delta Gold + AG 06015. Although results revealed differences in head diameter among treatments, it did not result in yield differences. The level of insect damage was probably too low to affect yield.

Technical Abstract: The efficacies of selected insecticide and adjuvant treatments were assessed for injury caused by sunflower seed-feeding insect pests in research plots at the North Dakota State University Prosper Research Site near Amenia, ND, in 2006. Applications were applied at the beginning of bloom using a tractor mounted sprayer. At harvest, heads were removed, dried, threshed, seed weight determined, and the percentage of seeds damaged by each insect species calculated. Levels of seed damage from the banded sunflower moth and red sunflower seed weevil were low in all treatments with none higher than 1.5% damage. For banded sunflower moth, the following treatments had significantly lower damage than the untreated check: Delta Gold + InterLock + Preference, Delta Gold + AG 06011, Delta Gold + AG 06037, Delta Gold + AG 06015, Delta Gold + AG 06470, and Delta Gold + InterLock + AG 06470. Damage from red sunflower seed weevil was significantly lower in all but two insecticide plots. Damage from tarnished plant bug was higher than the other seed pests. The untreated check exhibited the greatest amount of damage with a mean of 8.3% injury. There were six treatments that had significantly lower damage, including low rate of Delta Gold, Delta Gold + InterLock + Preference, Delta Gold + PowerLock, Delta Gold + AG 06011, Delta Gold + AG 06015, and Delta Gold + AG 06470. The most consistent insecticide and adjuvant treatments that reduced seed damage among all three insect pests were Delta Gold + InterLock + Preference, Delta Gold + AG 06011, and Delta Gold + AG 06015. Although results revealed differences in head diameter among treatments, it did not result in yield differences. The level of insect damage was probably too low to affect yield.