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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 #223998
Title: Integrated pest management of the banded sunflower moth in cultivated sunflower in North Dakota

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

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/21/2008
Publication Date: 6/1/2008
Citation: Knodel, J.J., Charlet, L.D. 2008. Integrated pest management of the banded sunflower moth in cultivated sunflower in North Dakota. Proceedings of 17th International Sunflower Conference, June 8-12, 2008, Cordoba, Spain. p. 243-248.

Interpretive Summary: The banded sunflower moth is a key insect pest of cultivated sunflowers in North Dakota. We investigated pest management strategies to reduce feeding injury caused by the banded sunflower moth in commercial oilseed and confection sunflower fields located in north central North Dakota during 2005-2006. Seed damage from banded sunflower moth was more concentrated on field edges than at 20 m, 40 m and 150 m in the field. As a result, edge spraying was as effective as whole field spraying in controlling banded sunflower moth when populations were low to moderate. Early planted sunflower had a higher percentage of seed damage than later planted sunflower regardless of sunflower type. There was a positive linear relationship between the percent of damaged seed and the subsequent number of banded sunflower moth larvae emerging from heads. The presence of sunflower in adjacent fields had a diluting effect on field densities of banded sunflower moth. In contrast, when sunflower was not present in adjacent fields, fields had a concentrating effect with higher densities of banded sunflower moth. Sixty-one percent of banded sunflower moth reared were parasitized by two species of parasitoids. Parasitism rates were negatively impacted by insecticide spraying in field edges. Parasitoids were effective in searching from field edges to 40 m into the field and were not dependent on the presence of sunflower in the landscape.

Technical Abstract: Banded sunflower moth, Cochylis hospes Walsingham (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a key insect pest of cultivated sunflowers in North Dakota. We investigated pest management strategies to reduce feeding injury caused by the banded sunflower moth in commercial oilseed and confection sunflower fields located in north central North Dakota during 2005-2006. Seed damage from banded sunflower moth was more concentrated on field edges than at 20 m, 40 m and 150 m in the field. As a result, edge spraying was as effective as whole field spraying in controlling banded sunflower moth when populations were low to moderate. Early planted sunflower had a higher percentage of seed damage than later planted sunflower regardless of sunflower type. There was a positive linear relationship between the percent of damaged seed and the subsequent number of banded sunflower moth larvae emerging from heads. The presence of sunflower in adjacent fields had a diluting effect on field densities of banded sunflower moth. In contrast, when sunflower was not present in adjacent fields, fields had a concentrating effect with higher densities of banded sunflower moth. Sixty-one percent of banded sunflower moth reared were parasitized by two species of parasitoids: Glypta prognatha Dasch (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) and Chelonus phaloniae (Mason) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Parasitism rates were negatively impacted by insecticide spraying in field edges. Parasitoids were effective in searching from field edges to 40 m into the field and were not dependent on the presence of sunflower in the landscape.