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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #98792
Title: Effect of selected insecticides on natural enemies in cotton: Laboratory studies

Author
item RUBERSON, JOHN - UNIV. OF GEORGIA, CAES
item Tillman, Patricia - Glynn

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/5/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: Ruberson, J.R., Tillman, P.G. 1999. Effect of selected insecticides on natural enemies in cotton: Laboratory studies. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference. p. 1210-1213.

Interpretive Summary: Conserving natural enemies can provide economic benefit to growers, as natural enemies help to reduce pest populations. Using selective insecticides (those insecticides which mainly target pest species) can conserve populations of natural enemies. We evaluated the toxicity of several insecticides (Karate, Tracer, Steward, S-1812) to selected key natural enemies (green lacewing, Chrysoperla rufilabris; big-eyed bug, Geocoris punctipes; insidiosus flower bug, Orius insidiosus; Trichogramma pretiosum; Cotesia marginiventris) in residual assays. The purpose of this study was to determine if any of the insecticides exhibited low toxicity to the natural enemies tested. Karate and Tracer were generally more toxic to the natural enemies than were the other compounds, although the degree of this difference was quite variable. Steward and S-1812 exhibited good to excellent selectivity to natural enemies, although S-1812 had some toxic effects on Trichogramma pretiosum and Orius insidiosus. Tracer exhibited marginal to good selectivity, but was quite toxic to Trichogramma pretiosum and moderately toxic to Cotesia marginiventris. Tracer is currently a valuable IPM tool because of its selectivity, but does have some toxic effects on parasitoids, at least at the rate tested here. Steward and S-1812 also hold considerable promise as IPM tools as they exhibit good levels of selectivity.

Technical Abstract: We evaluated the toxicity of several insecticides (Karate, Tracer, Steward, S-1812) to selected key natural enemies (green lacewing, Chrysoperla rufilabris; big-eyed bug, Geocoris punctipes; insidiosus flower bug, Orius insidiosus; Trichogramma pretiosum; Cotesia marginiventris) in residual assays. Chrysoperla rufilabris was affected very little by any of the insecticides evaluated. Karate and Tracer were generally more toxic to the natural enemies than were the other compounds, although the degree of this difference was quite variable. Steward and S-1812 exhibited good to excellent selectivity to natural enemies, although S-1812 had some toxic effects on Trichogramma pretiosum and Orius insidiosus. Tracer exhibited marginal to good selectivity, but was quite toxic to Trichogramma pretiosum and moderately toxic to Cotesia marginiventris. Tracer is currently a valuable IPM tool because of its selectivity, but does have some toxic effects on parasitoids, at least at the rate tested here. Steward and S-1812 also hold considerable promise as IPM tools as they exhibit good levels of selectivity.