Insect Control on Staked Tomatoes, 1996

Abstract

Abstract Six-week-old transplants were set on 17 Jun at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station (Fletcher, NC). Plants were set 18" apart within 20-ft rows which were on 10-ft centers. Single-row plots were arranged in a RCBD with four replications. Materials were applied on 29 Jul, 5, 12, 19 and 26 Aug, and 9 and 16 Sep with a tractor-mounted boom sprayer delivering 50-100 gpa (gpa increasing as plants grew) through 7 hollow cone nozzles per row (three nozzles on each side and one overhead). Those treatments which were tar geted specifically at the lepidopterous pest TFW, i.e., Spinosad and Dipel 2X, received Provado 1.6 F (3.75 oz./acre) on 5, 19 Aug and 9 Sep, to minimize damage by PA. Conversely, the CGA-215944 50WP treatment, which was targeted at PA, SB and GHWF, received weekly treatment of Biobit HP (1.0 lb form./acre) for control of TFW. PA populations were monitored on 10, 17, 25, 31 Jul and on 26 Aug by observing 10 leaves (3rd most recently expanded leaf) per plot and recording the number infested with ≥ 1 apterous aphid. PA infestations were rated for severity on 7 and 14 Aug by observing 10 leavei-(3rd most recently expanded leaf) per plot and rating each leaf for apterous PA infestation on 0-3 scale: 0 = no apterous PA, 1 = 1 to 5 apterous PA, 2 = 6 to 15 apterous PA, and 3 = >16 apterous PA. GHWF populations were monitored on 6 Sep by collecting 10 leaflets per plot and counting the numbei of immature GHWF under a stereo microscope. Pink state fruit were harvested on 22, 29 Aug 5, 12, 19, 26 Sep, 3 and 10 Oct. The total number of fruit as well as the number damaged by TFW, SB, and thrips were recorded and % damaged fruit was calculated. All data were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA and means were separated by LSD (P = 0.05).