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ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Pest Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #317230
Title: Integrated control of sugarbeet root maggot by using resistant germplasm, an insect pathogen, and an insecticidal seed treatment

Author
item BOETEL, MARK - North Dakota State University
item Jaronski, Stefan
item Campbell, Larry
item RIKHUS, JACOB - North Dakota State University
item SCHROEDER, ALLEN - North Dakota State University

Submitted to: Sugarbeet Research and Extension Reports
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/22/2015
Publication Date: 2/6/2015
Citation: Boetel, M.A., Jaronski, S., Campbell, L.G., Rikhus, J.J., Schroeder, A.J. 2015. Integrated control of sugarbeet root maggot by using resistant germplasm, an insect pathogen, and an insecticidal seed treatment. Sugarbeet Research and Extension Reports. Available online: http://www.sbreb.org/research/ento/ento14/IntegratedControlSBRMBoetel2014.pdf.

Interpretive Summary: The sugarbeet root maggot (SBRM), Tetanops myopaeformis (Röder), is the most severe insect pest of sugarbeet in the Red River Valley (RRV). For more than four decades, many RRV sugarbeet growers have relied on granular and sprayable liquid insecticides belonging to the organophosphate and carbamate chemical classes for SBRM control. ARS and NDSU have been evaluating insect pathogenic fungi as potential controls of the maggot for several years. In the 2014 field tests the best alternative to the standard organophosphate with respect to root protection was an integrated control program consisting of a combination of SBRM-resistant sugarbeet germplasm, combined with clothianidin-Beta cyfluthrin seed treatment, and the MA1200 fungal bioinsecticide. Studies of microbial control agent use coupled with insect-resistant/ tolerant plant hybrids have been rare; this study is one of the first.

Technical Abstract: This investigation was carried out during the 2014 growing season to evaluate the following for SBRM management in the Red River Valley growing area: 1) a granular formulation of the fungal insect pathogen, Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin strain MA1200; 2) an experimental SBRM-resistant sugarbeet variety; 3) Poncho Beta insecticidal seed treatment; and 4) integrated programs comprised of various combinations of these alternative control tools. The best alternative, integrated control program in this experiment with respect to root protection consisted of a combination of SBRM-resistant germplasm, combined with Poncho Beta seed treatment, and the MA1200 fungal bioinsecticide. This entry was not statistically outperformed by the moderate (7.5-lb) rate of the chemical standard, Counter 20G, but it provided significantly better root protection than Poncho Beta alone, Poncho Beta+MA1200, MA1200 alone, and the susceptible check. Poncho Beta+MA1200 and MA1200 alone did not provide significant protection. Reflective of root injury data was that the three-way integrated control program consisting of the SBRM-resistant line, Poncho Beta, and MA1200 was not significantly outperformed in root tonnage yield by the 7.5-lb application of Counter 20G. Additionally, combining the resistant line with Poncho Beta (i.e., without MA1200) resulted in recoverable sucrose and root yields, as well as a sucrose percentage not significantly different from those of Counter at 7.5 lb per acre. Alternative control programs, consisting of either single, or combined management tools, resulted in gross revenue benefits that ranged from $59/ac for the stand-alone application of MA1200 to $131/ac for the integrated program consisting of the resistant line plus Poncho Beta seed treatment. However, the conventional chemical insecticide entries, consisting of single planting-time applications of Counter 20G, generated revenue benefits of $228 to $251/ac, depending on the rate applied.