Complementary short term and seasonal field tests of several orchard pesticides to measure their impact on the beneficial arthropod fauna

Abstract

The impact of three insecticides (diazinon, phosphamidon and azinphosmethyl) and one acaricide (bromopropylate) applied for the control of fruit pests on beneficial arthropod populations was determined in four short term and one seasonal test in the field. Arthropod populations on apple trees were not affected by bromopropylate in the short term tests of 24 hours duration except for a slight reduction of spiders and tiny hymenopterous parasites. However, beneficial arthropod populations were reduced significantly after application of diazinon, and in descending order by phosphamidon, which demonstrated acceptable selectivity on anthocorids and mirids, and azinphosmethyl, which in addition was also soft onChrysopa larvae. Coccinellid adults, hymenopterous parasites and spiders were affected by these three organophosphates to the same degree.