Field efficacy of three insecticides against cabbage stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) on two cultivars of white cabbage

Abstract

In 2002 – 2003, three insecticidal substances were tested for their ability to reduce the damage inflicted on plants of white cabbage by cabbage stink bugs, Eurydema ventrale and E. oleracea (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). The two cultivars of cabbage tested were: the early cultivar, ‘Tucana F1’, which requires about 60 days from transplanting to harvest, and the mid-early cultivar ‘Hinova F1’, which requires about 120 days. In a field experiment, the growth and damage on cabbage plants sprayed with malathion (two sprays), potassium soap [potassium salts of fatty acids] (five sprays), and refined rape oil (five sprays) were compared to the growth and damage on unsprayed plants. Potassium soap and refined rape oil are considered to be environmentally friendly insecticides. In 2002, plants of the cultivar ‘Tucana’, that were treated with malathion had the highest plant weights [PW], head weights [HW], HW/PW ratio, and the lowest number of frame leaves. In the drier year of 2003, there were no significant differences in damage between the three treatments for either cultivar, except during the last assessment done on 13 August. In 2003, plants of ‘Tucana’, treated with potassium soap, had the highest PW and HW. The significantly lowest PW and HW values were recorded from the untreated plants. For the cultivar ‘Hinova’, the PW and HW were heaviest from the plants treated with malathion. In both years, the HW/PW ratio of Hinova (mid-early cultivar) did not differ between treatments, while the plants of ‘Tucana’ (early cultivar) treated with malathion had the highest ratio. Of the three substances tested, malathion was the most effective at reducing the damage on white cabbage plants caused by cabbage stink bugs. However, in an attempt to reduce the use of synthetic insecticides, instead of malathion, we recommend the use of refined rape oil (49 EUR/ha), as it is as effective as potassium soap (81 EUR/ha), but much cheaper.