Novel Pyrethroid Combinations for Control of Sweetpotato Whitefly and Their Impact on Lygus

Abstract

Combinations of two insecticides, often a pyrethroid with an organophosphate, have been used more successfully in sweetpotato whitefly (SPWF) control programs rather than single insecticides when SPWF populations are chronically high. Ten combinations of various insecticides were compared for their effectiveness against all SPWF stages. Applications were by ground, broadcast over -the -top of plots 12 rows x 40 ft on five application dates. Three sampling methods were used: leaf turns and sweeps for adult counts, and microscopic leaf counts for immature stages. Danitol® +Orthene® emerged as the most consistently effective combination on all SPWF stages when compared to the untreated plots. Over all dates and SPWF life stages, the combinations were ranked according to the following order of descending efficacy: Danitol + Orthene 5 Danitol + Lorsban® Karate® + Penncap -M® = Scout Xtra® + Orthene = Asana® + Curacron® = Asana + Orthene < Asana + Phaser® = Scout + Phaser = Asana + Lorsban = Asana + Vydate® < untreated check. Yields were also affected by the combinations, but attributed to SPWF and Lygus suppression. Orthene treatment combinations yielded consistently greater than other entries and was likely due to superior Lygus control and at least average SPWF control. The Asana + Vydate was ranked among the best in Lygus control but low in SPWF control, while Karate + Penncap, Danitol + Lorsban, and Asana + Curacron were ranked high in SPWF control but low in Lygus control. The remaining treatments were more or less intermediate in SPWF and Lygus control. Rankings of these combinations for Lygus control were in the following order of descending efficacy: Asana + Vydate = Scout + Orthene = Asana + Orthene = Danitol + Orthene < Scout + Phaser = Danitol + Lorsban = Karate + Penncap < Asana + Curacron < Asana + Phaser = Asana + Lorsban < untreated check.