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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Kimberly, Idaho » Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #358440
Research Project: Development of Elite Sugar Beet Germplasm Enhanced for Disease Resistance and Novel Disease Management Options for Improved Yield

Location: Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research

Title: Management of curly top in sugar beet with foliar insecticides

Author
item Strausbaugh, Carl
item WENNINGER, ERIK - University Of Idaho

Submitted to: Journal of Sugar Beet Research
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2019
Publication Date: 6/1/2019
Citation: Strausbaugh, C.A., Wenninger, E.J. 2019. Management of curly top in sugar beet with foliar insecticides. Journal of Sugar Beet Research. 56(1&2):88.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Curly top (CT) caused by Beet curly top virus is a widespread disease problem vectored by the beet leafhopper in semiarid sugar beet production areas. Host resistance is the primary defense against CT, but resistance in commercial cultivars is only low to intermediate. The neonicotinoid seed treatments supplement this resistance to provide early season CT control, but are currently under review. In order to identify other CT management options, 7 foliar insecticides (Aza-Direct, Beleaf, BotaniGard, Endevor, Rycar, Sultan, and Truvia) were compared versus a non-treated check and 2 commercial insecticides (Poncho Beta and Asana) in 2018 on commercial sugar beet cultivar B57. The plots were arranged in a randomized complete block design with 8 replications. A CT epiphytotic was created by releasing six viruliferous beet leafhoppers per plant at the 8-leaf growth stage on 19 Jun, which was 1 week after the foliar treatments were applied. A natural infestation of black bean aphids (BBA) also allowed for aphid control to be evaluated. Foliar CT symptoms were evaluated on 24 Jul and 5 Sep and the percentage of plants with an aphid colony in the crown was determined on 24 Jul. In the non-treated check, CT symptom development was severe and 42% of the plants had BBA. Based on visual CT ratings, Poncho Beta and Asana were significantly better than the 7 foliar insecticides which provided little or no influence on the control of CT. Poncho Beta ranked first for aphid control (4% of plants had aphids), but Truvia (18%) also performed better than most other products. These data show that sugar beet production in areas with curly top and black bean aphids would potentially suffer without the availability neonicotinoid seed treatments.