Management of the Tobacco Aphid and Tobacco Budworm on Flue-Cured Tobacco, 1993

Abstract

Abstract This experiment was conducted at the VPI and SU Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Blackstone, VA, to evaluate TA and TBW control on flue-cured tobacco with various combinations of foliar and soil-applied systemic insecticides. Tobacco was transplanted into experimental plots, 8 X 40 ft (2 rows × 24 plants), 12 May. Ten treatments were established in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications. The Temik soil treatments were applied in 14-inch bands using a tractor-mounted Gandy granular applicator and immediately covered with 6 inches of soil during bed formation on 11 May. Foliar treatments were applied on 9 and 30 Jul using a CO2-pressurized backpack sprayer that delivered 27 gpa at 60 psi through 3, TX-10 nozzles/row. Production practices followed Virginia Cooperative Extension Service recommendations except for insect control. TA populations were estimated on the upper 4 leaves of 10 plants per plot before foliar treatments were applied and at 3, 7, 12, and 20 d after the first application and 4 and 11 d after the second application. TBW were reared in the laboratory on artificial media for 7 d and released at one BW/plant on 20 consecutive plants in the second row of each plot on 6 Jul. TBW on the infested plants were counted on the d before treatment and at 3, 6, and 12 DAT. Leaves were harvested, cured, weighed, and graded by a USDA/AMS inspector. This information was used to calculated tobacco yield and price. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and significantly different means were separated by DMRT. TA count data were transformed to Log10 (x + 1) and TBW counts were transformed to SQRT (x + 0.5) before ANOVA.