(E43) PEPPER (BELL): Capsicum annum L., 'Paladin' EVALUATION OF INSECTICIDES FOR LEPIDOPTERAN PEST CONTROL ON BELL PEPPERS, 2005 Thomas P. Kuhar Virginia Tech Eastern Shore AREC 33446 Research Drive Painter, VA 23420 Phone: (757) 414-0724 ext 14 E-mail:
[email protected] Anna V. Chapman E-mail:
[email protected] Erin M. Hitchner E-mail:
[email protected] European corn borer (ECB): Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) Beet armyworm (BAW): Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the efficacy of various insecticides for control of lepidopteran pests on bell pepper. The experiment was conducted at the Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center near Painter, VA. The experiment included five treatments plus a check arranged in a RCB design replicated four times. Peppers were transplanted on 14 Jun. Each plot consisted of a 20-ft-long row with plants spaced 12 inches apart on 3-ft row centers. Plots were flanked by one untreated row. Insecticide applications were made on 21 and 28 Jul, and 3, 9, 16, and 23 Aug. Sprays were applied in 38 gpa of spray using a backpack sprayer equipped with a boom with one hollow-cone nozzle over the top of the row and two hollow-cone drop nozzles directed at each side of the row. On two harvest dates (11 and 31 Aug), all market-sized fruit were hand-picked from each plot and examined for lepidopteran larval feeding damage. Numbers of damaged and marketable fruit were recorded for each plot. Results were analyzed as proportion damaged fruit on each harvest date, and the combined marketable yield for the two harvests (no. fruit/acre). All data were analyzed using ANOVA procedures. Proportion data were arcsine square root transformed prior to analysis. Means were separated using Fisher’s Protected LSD (P = 0.05). ECB and BAW pest pressure was lower than usual for bell peppers in eastern Virginia. There was a significant treatment effect on fruit damage on the second harvest date (31 Aug) only. On that date, all insecticide treatments had significantly less fruit damage than the check, and no differences were found among the insecticide treatments. Cumulative number of marketable fruit was variable, and there was no significant treatment effect. No visible signs of phytotoxicity were observed from any treatment. % damaged fruit Treatment/ formulation Rimon 0.83EC Rimon 0.83EC + Warrior Zeon 1CS Orthene 97SPb Avaunt 30WDG b SpinTor 2SC BAS 320-021 240SC Untreated check
Rate amt product/acre 12 fl oz 12 fl oz + 3.84 fl oz 1 lb 3.5 oz 6 fl oz 16 fl oz --
Cumulative no. marketable fruit/acrea
9 Aug
23 Aug
2.64a
1.26b
48,893a
2.98 a
2.03b
42,705a
2.07a 2.23a 6.72a 6.72a
2.82b 3.99b 1.69b 14.34a
29,086a 34,197a 42,905a 34,364a
Means in a column with a letter in common are not significantly different (Fisher’s Protected LSD, P > 0.05). a Cumulative marketable yield = combined number of marketable fruit from the 11 and 31 Aug harvests. b Orthene 97SP was applied on 21 and 28 Jul while Avaunt 30WDG was applied on 3, 9, 16, and 23 Aug.
