Efficacy of newer and neonicotinoid insecticides against whitefly Bemisia tabaci on vegetables

Abstract

Whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is an important sucking insect pest of vegetables, and against this pest fifteen insecticides belonging to neonicotinoid, organophosphate, synthetic pyrethroid and new green chemistries were evaluated. The evaluation was done with laboratory and field collected populations with leaf dip bioassay. Significant variations in the susceptibility of the two populations were observed, and the population collected from field was less susceptible to the neonicotinoid, organophosphate and synthetic pyrethroids. The newer insecticides like flonicamid 50WG, spirotetramate 15OD, diafenthiuron 50WP, sulfoxaflor 240SC, cyantraniliprole 10OD, flupyridifurone 200SL and spiromesifen 22.9SC proved to be the most effective against field collected population (mortality of 100, 100, 97.78, 96.30, 87.92, 78.89 and 66.03%, respectively), as compared to neonicotinoid and conventional insecticides. These newer molecules with novel mode of action could be used as an effective alternative for neonicotinoids against whitefly in vegetables crops.