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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 #211193
Title: Efficacy of foliar applied insecticides 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 against seed-feeding pests on sunflower, 2006. Arthropod Management Tests. 33:F41. 2 p.

Interpretive Summary: The efficacy of selected insecticide treatments were assessed for injury caused by sunflower seed-feeding insect pests including the banded sunflower moth, red sunflower seed weevil, and tarnished plant bug in university research plots in 2006. Treatments 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 determined. 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, only the high rate of Mustang Max and the middle and high rates of Warrior had significantly lower percent damage than the untreated check. Damage from red sunflower seed weevil also was significantly lower in the plots treated with the middle rate of Warrior, but not the higher rate. Plots sprayed with the low rate of Warrior and the higher rate of DPX-E2Y45 also had significantly lower seed weevil damage. Damage from tarnished plant bug was higher than the other two seed pests. The untreated check exhibited the greatest amount of damage among all pests with a mean of 7% injury. There were four insecticides that significantly lowered damage caused by this insect, including the low and high rate of Warrior, the high rate of Mustang Max, and the low rate of DPX-E2Y45. Although results revealed significant differences in head diameter among the treatments, it did not result in yield differences. It is also likely that the level of insect damage was too low to affect the yield.

Technical Abstract: The efficacy of selected insecticide treatments were assessed for injury caused by sunflower seed-feeding insect pests including the banded sunflower moth, red sunflower seed weevil, and tarnished plant bug in research plots at the North Dakota State University Prosper Research Site near Amenia, ND, in 2006. Treatments 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 determined. 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, only the high rate of Mustang Max and the middle and high rates of Warrior had significantly lower percent damage than the untreated check. Damage from red sunflower seed weevil also was significantly lower in the plots treated with the middle rate of Warrior, but not the higher rate. Plots sprayed with the low rate of Warrior and the higher rate of DPX-E2Y45 also had significantly lower seed weevil damage. Damage from tarnished plant bug was higher than the other two seed pests. The untreated check exhibited the greatest amount of damage among all pests with a mean of 7% injury. There were four insecticides that significantly lowered damage caused by this insect, including the low and high rate of Warrior, the high rate of Mustang Max, and the low rate of DPX-E2Y45. Although results revealed significant differences in head diameter among the treatments, it did not result in yield differences. It is also likely that the level of insect damage was too low to affect the yield.