Several commercial formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis (Al) insecticides were applied on cabbage and lepidopterous pests including Tricoplusia it (cabbage looper, CL), Spodoptera exigua (beet armyworm, BAW), and Plutella xvlostella (diamondback moth, DBM) were effectively reduced in population. The ten commercial products did not appear to vary significantly in controlling CL, the dominant species present in the cabbage.

Proclaim® insecticide (emamectin benzoate, MK -244, Merck Research Laboratories) was applied two times during the broccoli growing season for lepidoperous insect control. The primary pest was cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni CL) and very few beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua). After the second application at 1, 2, and 3 weeks after treatment (WAT), Proclaim reduced the number of CL in the broccoli relative to the untreated check. The number of large larvae observed in the Proclaim treated broccoli was one-half of that found in the untreated broccoli. Proclaim efficacy to reduce CL was comparable to the standard treatment of Larvin® (thiodicarb) plus Asana® (esfenvalerate). At harvest, the Proclaim treated broccoli had 20% infested crowns compared to 28% for the standard treatment and 44% in the untreated.

Four experimental insecticides being developed for lepidopterous insect control in vegetable crops were applied on cabbage and demonstrated efficacy against cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni, CL). Chlorfenapyr (Alert®), tebufenozide (Confirm®), spinosad (Success®), and emamectin- benzoate (Proclaim®) reduced the number of larger cabbage loopers following multiple applications. The experimental insecticides were comparable or superior to the commercially available standard treatments of thiodicarb (Larvin®), methomyl (Lannate®), or cryolite (Kryocide®). Evaluations at 7 days after treatment (DAT) showed that Success controlled CL so that no medium to large -sized larvae were observed. Alert, Confirm, and Proclaim were highly effective and less than 0.3 CL/plant were detected. The untreated cabbage had 0.5 to 1.1 CL/plant that were medium to large-sized at various observation dates.

In a small plot field study, diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella, DBM) in cabbage were not significantly reduced by various insecticide treatments when applied one time during the season. ABG -6406 (Abbott Laboratories), Success® (spinosad, DowElanco), and Kryocide® generally maintained larger -sized DBM larval numbers below or similar to the untreated check at most rating dates. Cabbage treated by Xentari®, Alert® (clorfenapyr, Cyanamid), Confirm® (tebufenozide, Rohm and Haas) and Proclaim® (emamectin benzoate, Novartis) exhibited numbers of larger -sized larvae that exceeded the untreated check at certain rating dates. DBM populations were not consistent during the testing period to allow assessment of treatment differences.