Control of Arthropod Pests on Cantaloupe, 1986

Abstract

Abstract ‘Magnum 45’ variety cantaloupe was direct seeded in beds on 2 m centers on 17 Mar at the Texas Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Weslaco, TX. Soil type was a Willacy fine sandy loam. Plants were thinned to 45 cm spacing on 15 Apr. Sixty-eight kg N-32 per ha was applied prior to planting. Pesticide treatments were applied 22 Apr and 6 Jun to single bed, 9 m long plots with a tractor mounted, C02 powered sprayer calibrated to deliver 143 liter/ha (2.8 kg/cm2, 4 TX-4 nozzles, 6.4 kmph). Arthropod populations were monitored by surveying 3 primary vines per plot on 29 Apr and 14 May and recording number of cucumber beetle adults, melon aphids, spider mites, flea beetle adults, leafhopper nymphs and adults, leaves with leaf miner mines, leaves, flowers, and fruit. Melon yield was determined as wt/melon and total wt of melons/plot on 3, 6, 10 and 13 Jun. Aphid and mite counts were transformed by taking the loglO + 1 of counts, due to the aggregated nature of populations of these species.