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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #95703
Title: WHITEFLY MANAGEMENT IN ARIZONA: CONSERVATION OF NATURAL ENEMIES RELATIVE TO INSECTICIDE REGIME

Author
item Naranjo, Steven
item Hagler, James
item ELLSWORTH, PETER - U OF A MARICOPA, AZ

Submitted to: University of Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/30/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Field studies were conducted in 1997 to evaluate strategies for management of whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. We evaluated the effects of different insecticide regimes (conventional and insect growth regulators) on the abundance of native parasitoids and predators associated with whitefly in Arizona cotton. Immature parasitoids were most abundant in untreated control plots and there was little difference among insecticide regimes. Percentage parasitism was low overall, less than 30%, but was highest in Knack plots and lowest in untreated control and Applaud plots. Predator populations were lowest in plots treated with conventional insecticides, and there were several instances where weekly or season-long populations of several predator species/groups were slightly depressed in IGR plots compared with the untreated check. Overall, results are encouraging and indicate that use of IGRs helps to conserve populations of native natural enemies.