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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 #270335
Title: Impact of planting dates on a seed maggot, Neotephritis finalis (Diptera: Tephritidae), and sunflower bud moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) damage in cultivated sunflower

Author
item KNODEL, JANET - North Dakota State University
item GANEHIARACHCHI, G.A.S.M. - University Of Kelaniya
item BEAUZAY, PATRICK - North Dakota State University
item CHIRUMAMILLA, ANITHA - North Dakota State University
item CHARLET, LAURENCE - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/31/2011
Publication Date: 8/1/2011
Citation: Knodel, J.J., Ganehiarachchi, G.A.S.M., Beauzay, P.B., Chirumamilla, A., Charlet, L.D. 2011. Impact of planting dates on a seed maggot, Neotephritis finalis (Diptera: Tephritidae), and sunflower bud moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) damage in cultivated sunflower. Journal of Economic Entomology. 104(4):1236-1244.

Interpretive Summary: Sunflower seed maggot and sunflower bud moth are major head-infesting insect pests of cultivated sunflower. Planting date was evaluated as a cultural pest management strategy for sunflower seed maggot and bud moth in North Dakota during 2009 and 2010. Over several locations, a late planting date (early to mid-June) produced fewer damaged heads and less extensive damage for sunflower seed maggot compared to early planting dates (mid- to late May). Three to four times as many adult flies of sunflower seed maggot were seen in early-planted sunflower compared to late planting dates. For years and locations when sunflower seed maggot and sunflower bud moth caused losses of sunflower yield, losses were less in late planted sunflower. Results of this study show that delayed planting is an effective pest management strategy that can reduce head damage caused and mitigate yield losses from sunflower seed maggot and sunflower bud moth.

Technical Abstract: Neotephritis finalis (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae), and sunflower bud moth, Suleima helianthana (Riley) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) are major head-infesting insect pests of cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Planting date was evaluated as a cultural pest management strategy for control of N. finalis and S. helianthana in several production regions of North Dakota during 2009 and 2010. Results of the nine site-year study revealed that late planting date (early to mid-June) reduced damage ratings and percentage of damaged heads for N. finalis compared to early planting dates (mid- to late May). Visual observations of adult N. finalis found that the majority of flies were found in the early planted sunflower (78.2%) compared to the late planted sunflower (21.8%). Late planting date also reduced the percentage of S. helianthana damaged heads compared to early planting dates. Yield losses were reduced with late planting date when populations of N. finalis and S. helianthana were high enough to cause damage. Results of this study showed that delayed planting is an effective integrated pest management strategy that can reduce head damage caused by N. finalis and S. helianthana and mitigate yield losses.