ARS | Publication request: Insecticide seed treatments for sugarbeet

Submitted to: The Sugarbeet
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: February 10, 2009
Publication Date: May 4, 2009
Citation: Strausbaugh, C.A., Eujayl, I.A., Foote, P. 2009. Insecticide seed treatments for sugarbeet. The Sugarbeet. Spring Issue:27.

Technical Abstract: Pest feeding and vectoring of viruses cause serious problems in sugarbeet production worldwide. In order to ameliorate pest and disease problems on sugarbeet, two seed treatments, Poncho Beta (60 g a.i. clothianidin + 8 g a.i. beta-cyfluthrin/100,000 seed) and Cruiser Tef (60 g a.i. thiamethoxam + 8 g a.i. tefluthrin/100,000 seed) were investigated (the neonicotinoid was tested alone in some trials). The two seed treatments and an untreated check were tested in a series of eight field trials from 2006 to 2008 along with various commercial sugarbeet cultivars in a randomized complete block design with eight replications per trial. Natural pest incidence and curly top symptoms were evaluated. Both Poncho Beta and Cruiser Tef provided significant reduction in curly top symptoms and incidence of spinach leafminer (Pegomya hyoscyami Panzer), black bean aphid (Aphis fabae Scopoli), and sugarbeet root aphid (Pemphigus betae Doane). At times Poncho Beta performed better than Cruiser Tef, but yield parameters for the two products were similar. When averaged over the trials, Poncho Beta improved yields over the untreated check by 3.3 t/A, a 9% increase. Neonicotinoid seed treatments will play an important role in disease and pest management in sugarbeet production, but should be viewed as a supplement to host resistance and not a substitute for it.