Insect Management on Bell Pepper in West-Central Florida, Fall 1994

Abstract

Abstract Transplants were set 8 Aug, 12 inches apart on 8-inch-high and 32-inch-wide beds of fumigated EauGallie fine sand covered with white polyethylene mulch. Each plot consisted of a single row of 12 plants with rows on 5 ft centers. Treatments were replicated 4 times in a RCB design and sprays were applied with a 2.5 gal, hand-held CO2-powered sprayer on 16, 21, 29 Sept, 7, 13, 20, 27 Oct, 3, 10, 16, 23, 29 Nov, 6 and 13 Dec. The sprayer was outfitted with a single nozzle with a D-5 disk and #45 core and delivered 100 gpa at 60 psi. Granular applications were made just prior to soil fumigation (about 2 weeks prior to planting) in two narrow bands 10 inches on either side of bed centers. On 5-6 Oct, each plant in each plot was inspected for small (≤0.5 inch long) and large (0.5 inch long) beet armyworm larvae. On 3 Nov, each plot was rated by two persons for increasing percentage of defoliation by beet armyworm larvae using the Horsfall-Barratt system. With this system, ratings of 1-12 corresponded to 1-100% defoliation. The ratings were averaged prior to analysis. Fruit were harvested on 2, 21 Nov, 14 and 19 Dec and the number and weight of undamaged fruit and the number of fruit damaged by beet armyworm larvae were determined. Fruit with slight feeding damage only on the stem or calyx were considered marketable. Fruit with either slight or severe damage on the fruit wall were considered unmarketable. Fruit also were examined for the presence of oviposition scars on the outside of the fruit and for the presence of larval feeding damage on the inside of the fruit caused by the pepper weevil. On 16 Dec, each plot was sampled by dislodging the insects from the tops of five plants with a 12 inch garden stake into the bottom of a rectangular cake pan painted black and coated with a thin film of vegetable oil. The numbers of pepper weevil adults, armyworm larvae, predator adults and immatures, and aphids were counted. The numbers of predators were totaled over all species since few of any one species were present.