EVALUATION OF SELECTED INSECTICIDES TREATMENTS AGAINST SOIL INSECTS IN FIELD CORN, 2004

Insecticide efficacy against cutworms and sugarcane beetles was evaluated at the Macon Ridge Research Station near Winnsboro, LA. Corn seed were planted into a Gigger-Gilbert silt loam soil (pH = 6.2, 1% organic matter) on 11 Mar. Plot size was four rows (centered on 40 inches) by 35 ft. Treatments were replicated four times in a RCB design. All insecticide treatments were applied at planting. Aztec, Lorsban, Counter, and Fortress were applied with granular applicators on a John Deere 7300 Series row crop planter equipped with T-Banding attachments. Regent and Capture were applied in-furrow with a CO2 charged spray system calibrated to deliver 5 gpa at 32 psi through 80015 nozzles (1/row) mounted in front of the planter’s press wheels. Poncho was applied to seeds prior to planting. Rows two and three were examined at V1, V3, and V4 growth stages on 1, 6, and 15 Apr, respectively, to determine the number of damaged plants per 70 ft. On 21, 23, and 27 Apr, plants on rows two and three were examined for injury from sugarcane beetles. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and means were separated according to DMRT (P ≤ 0.05). From the time of planting until the final insect sampling date, 2.8 inches of rainfall was recorded. There was an additional 24.9 inches of rain that occurred prior to harvest on 9 Aug.