E74

Abstract

The efficacy of eight foliar applied insecticides was evaluated for armyworm control in tomato at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, Wimauma, FL in the spring of 2011. ‘SecuriTy 28’ transplants were set 1 Apr, 18 inches apart within the row on 8inch-high and 32-inch-wide beds of Myakka fine sand covered with white polyethylene mulch. Each plot consisted of a single 21-ft long row per bed. Plots were spaced 5 ft apart between rows and 7 ft apart within rows. Treatments were replicated four times in a RCB design. Treatments were applied on 11, 17 and 24 May (60 gpa) and on 3 and 10 Jun (90 gpa) (Table 1) using a 2.5 gal handheld sprayer with a spray wand outfitted with a single nozzle with a D-5 disk and 45° core. The sprayer was pressurized by CO2 to 60 psi. Fruit from the middle 10 plants of each plot were harvested on 1 and 14 Jun. Fruit in all categories were counted and weighed. Worm damaged fruit were separated and recorded first, without distinction of the damaging species involved. The remainder of the fruit were classified as culls, where zippering, cat-facing or blossom end rot were present, or graded for size by machine where extra large fruit were > 2.75 inches in diameter, large were 2.51 to 2.75 inches in diameter, medium were 2.26 to 2.5 inches in diameter and small were 2.25 inches or less in diameter. The data were reported as marketable extra large, the sum of all marketable fruit, cull fruit or worm damaged fruit per 10 plants. The percent of worm damaged fruit by weight and number was calculated [(worm damaged fruit)/(total fruit)]×100 and transformed using arcsine [√(% of worm damaged fruit/100)] prior to ANOVA. Means were separated by Fisher’s Protected LSD (P=0.05). Means and LSDs were reported in the original scale.