ARS | Publication request: Efficacy of foliar applied insecticides against longhorned beetle, Dectes texanus, in sunflower, 2008

Submitted to: Arthropod Management Tests
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: March 15, 2009
Publication Date: September 1, 2009
Citation: Knodel, J.J., Charlet, L.D., Beauzay, P.B., Bichler, D. 2009. Efficacy of Foliar Applied Insecticides Against Longhorned Beetle, Dectes texanus, in Sunflower, 2008. Arthropod Management Tests. 34:F76. 2 p.

Interpretive Summary: Insecticide treatments were assessed for their effectiveness in management of the longhorned beetle, Dectes texanus, in sunflower research plots at a farm cooperator site near Linton, North Dakota, in 2008. This insect feeds in the sunflower stem and can cause reduced yield because of stem breakage of infested plants. Applications were applied when plants were at the 10-12 leaf stage with a backpack sprayer with a handheld boom applied above the plant canopy. Treatments were evaluated by randomly sampling a total of 10 stalks from the center three rows of each plot and recording the number of infested stems. All insecticide treatments except for the low rate of one product had significantly fewer infested stems compared to the untreated check. The results of this investigation show that insecticides are available to assist growers in managing this important sunflower insect pest when incidence of this insect exceeds recommended threshold treatment levels.

Technical Abstract: Insecticide treatments were assessed for their effectiveness in management of the longhorned beetle, Dectes texanus, in sunflower research plots at a farm cooperator site near Linton, North Dakota, in 2008. This insect feeds in the sunflower stem and can cause reduced yield because of stem breakage of infested plants. Applications were applied when plants were at the 10-12 leaf stage with a backpack sprayer with a handheld boom applied above the plant canopy. Treatments were evaluated by randomly sampling a total of 10 stalks from the center three rows of each plot and recording the number of infested stems. All insecticide treatments except for the low rate of one product had significantly fewer infested stems compared to the untreated check. The results of this investigation show that insecticides are available to assist growers in managing this important sunflower insect pest when incidence of this insect exceeds recommended threshold treatment levels.