Nursery Owner Research Articles

Control of Japanese Beetle Larvae Feeding on the Roots of Eastern Hemlocks at a Nursery in Essex, CT 1984

Abstract A stand of hemlocks (0.5-1.0 m) growing at a nursery was found to be infested with mature larvae (0-10, mean 7/rootball) on 15 Jun. The soil type was a silt loam with a pH of 5.0. Weed growth throughout the season was kept to a minimum by a herbicide program employed by the nursery owner. To determine the effect of Oftanol on the next generation of the Japanese beetle larvae 2 rates of the insecticide were applied with a hand-held cyclone-type applicator on 18 Jun. Each treatment was replicated 3 times and the plots which were 8 rows wide (6.4 m × 13.1 m) were randomized. The weather conditions during the treatment were: temp 84°F, RH 85%, the sky overcast and the soil surface was moist from an early morning shower. Rain fell (0.46 cm) on the evening after treatment and 1.14 cm fell on 24 Jun. The field was not cultivated for 30 days after treatment. On 27 Nov, 5 randomly selected trees were dug from each plot and the soil was knocked from the rootballs into a sifter where larvae could be counted.