Commercial and experimental insecticides were evaluated for their ability to control diamondback moth (DBM) on green cabbage in Yuma, AZ. At early to mid-heading, all the insecticides evaluated appeared to offer similar control. However, on large, full sized cabbage, Asana, Alert, Lannate, Success and S-1812 offered the best DBM control, while Lorsban, Proclaim and Intrepid appeared weak. Unlike other areas of the U.S., DBM in Yuma still appears to be highly sensitive to a wide range of insecticide chemistries.

Knack was evaluated for its potential for regulating aphid populations in green leaf lettuce. However, Knack did not appear to be a viable control option, and probably did not work due to an inability to deliver the material where the aphids were on the underside of the lower leaves. A soil injection treatment of Admire at planting, and a foliar standard of Warrior + Endosulfan applied at the initiation of aphid colonization and again 14 later, were highly effective treatments.

The timing and application methods of new insecticide chemistries for aphid control were compared to imidacloprid in several studies in 1998 and 1999. Foliar applications of Fulllfill, Aphistar, Actara and Acetamiprid appear to provide an alternative method of controlling aphids on lettuce comparable to prophylactic applications of Admire. Timing applications as aphids began to colonize was critical for preventing head contamination at harvest. In addition, at planting and side dress soil applications of Platinum provided aphid control comparable to Admire. Residual activity of the new foliar alternatives appeared to differ depending on spray timing relative to aphid density and plant stage. These studies suggest that more than one application of the foliar products will be necessary to adequately suppress aphid contamination in heads. Evaluations of thiamethoxam suggest that it is more mobile in the soil than Admire and may be a candidate for side dress applications for aphid management.

Several small plot studies were conducted during the spring of 1999 to examine the population growth, distribution and control of the lettuce aphid on romaine. The lettuce aphid population developed to greater numbers more quickly and spread among plants more rapidly when compared with other aphids species under late spring growing conditions. Most of the lettuce aphids sampled were found on the hearts of the plants rather than the frame and wrapper leaves. Our preliminary efficacy studies suggest that foliar sprays, when timed properly and with proper coverage, can provide adequate control of the lettuce aphid for up to 14 days. Furthermore, significant suppression of apterous lettuce aphid populations was observed in plots where pyrethoid treatment were sprayed for thrips control. The implications of these results for future research and management of lettuce aphids in desert lettuce is discussed.

Several new insecticide chemistries were evaluated and compared with standard chemistries for residual efficacy against cabbage looper in lettuce. Four field trials were conducted at thinning, and heading stages of lettuce. These replicated trials clearly demonstrate that the new insecticides provide a solid 7 day residual efficacy (>90% control) following spray applications. Overall, Success at rates ranging from 4.5-6.0 oz/acre appeared to provide the most consistent residual activity on larvae present on plants at time of application. Confirm, appeared to have less consistent residual, but control was generally similar to Success. The newer compounds Proclaim and Avaunt, showed good residual efficacy for up to 7 days, and will be a welcome additions to the growers insecticide arsenal. Finally, the fact that all of these compounds are effective against large larvae, in part explains their consistent residual activity on lettuce.

A single application of buprofezin (Applaud7) at 0.38 lb AI/A had the fewest number of adult whiteflies (WF) on rating dates at 13, 21, and 27 days after treatment (DAT). The number of immature WF at 21 DAT of a single Applaud application ranged from 0.8 to 5.2 nymphs/leaf, significantly less than the untreated. Applaud treatments were effective in minimizing the immatures for 21 DAT of a single application and then numbers began to increase before 27 DAT. Applaud plus two subsequent weekly applications of bifenthrin (Capture7) plus endosulfan (Thiodan7, Phaser7) was almost similar to single applications of Applaud alone and adult numbers were also low. Weekly applications of the pyrethroids plus endosulfan reduced the adult WF relative to the untreated at 1 week after treatment (WAT). At 2 WAT of the third application, fenpropathrin (Danitol7) and Capture continued to show reduced numbers of adults and esfenvalerate (Asana7) was similar to the untreated. Danitol treatments had numerically fewer adults than Capture which was lower than Asana. The lowest adult and immature WF populations were observed season-long in the CGA-293343 (Novartis) treated cantaloupes. Both rates, 0.067 and 0.09 lb AI/A performed similarly and numerically slightly fewer nymphs were observed for the higher rate. CGA-293343 plus CGA-215944 (pymetrozine, Fulfill7) performed similar to the two rates of CGA-293343 alone.

A single application of S-1812 (Valent) at 0.15 and 0.20 lb AI/A effectively reduced Plutella xylostella (diamondback moth, DBM) in broccoli compared to the untreated check. S-1812 at 0.15 lb AI/A performed similar to thiodicarb (Larvin) at 1.0 lb AI/A. S-1812 significantly reduced the DBM at 5 days after treatment (DAT) and control was effective for up to 14 DAT. S-1812 was less effective against Trichoplusia ni (cabbage looper, CL) compared to DBM control efficacy or Larvin. S-1812 reduced the development of small CL to larger sized larvae.

CGA-293343 and Admire applied to the soil at planting time provided good control of WF at rating dates 34, 45, and 52 DAP. Cantaloupes treated with CGA-293343 at 0.09 lb AI/A showed a greater increase in number of immatures after 45 DAP compared to the CGA-293343 at 0.18 lb AI/A applied on melons. At 59 DAP, the higher rate of CGA-293343 continued to reduce the number of immatures compared to the lower rate and untreated check. Admire treated melons with or without a subsequent foliar insecticide treatments showed reduced WF nymphs at 45 and 52 DAP or 10 and 17 days after treatment (DAT) of foliar applications. Foliar applications of Applaud or Asana plus endosulfan did not significantly reduce WF immatures compared to a single at-planting time application of Admire. The application of either foliar treatment did not extend the length of control beyond that offered by the Admire treatment.

New soil injected and foliar insecticides were evaluated for their efficacy towards potato aphids in green leaf lettuce. The soil injected insecticides, Platinum and V10066, both appear to be viable alternatives to Admire, providing effective aphid control through harvest or ca. 90 days post-planting. Two foliar applications of Acetamiprid or Aphistar timed ca. 14 days apart beginning at the onset of aphid colonization provided superior aphid control over Provado or Fullfill, and control similar to that of the soil injected insecticides.

Proclaim and a normal use rate of 5 oz/ac of Success were highly effective against cabbage looper, Heliothis and beet armyworm. A low rate of 1.5 oz/ac of Success provided sufficient control of Heliothis and beet armyworm, but was weak against cabbage looper. While a low rate of 2.56 oz/ac of Warrior was not especially active against any of the target species. However, when this rate of Warrior was mixed with the low rate of Success, control across all the species was good, and was statistically similar to the higher rate of Success. Although Intrepid appeared slightly more active than its sister compound Confirm, it appears that it too will benefit from the addition of a pyrethroid for control of Heliothis and cabbage loopers on large lettuce plants.