Insect Control on Sweet Peppers, Delaware, 1975

Sweet peppers were transplanted June 10 in Williamsville (Sussex Co.) Del. Insecticide treatments were replicated 3 times and plots were 3 rows wide x 40 ft long with plants 1 ft apart in the row and 3 ft between rows. There was a 10 ft-wide alley between the randomized complete blocks. Spray materials were applied on a weekly schedule with a 2-gal, CO2 sprayer at 25 psi pressure in 1 gal water (= 38 gal water/acre) starting July 9 and ending September 16. The Furadan 10G treatment (= Standard) was applied by hand using a small shaker and placing the granules in a furrow ca 2 inch deep and 5 inch from the plant. This material was “side dressed” on June 24 at 2 lb a.i./acre and on July 23 at 3 lb a.i./a. Bio-film, 6 oz/100 gal, was added to the three Pirimor treatments. Peppers were harvested on August 19, September 11 and 30 from the middle rows of each plot and all fruit were inspected for “worm” infestations. The first and last harvests consisted of all the red and green peppers over 2 inch diameter at the stem end, and the second harvest was of commercial-sized reds only. Worm infestations in peppers harvested on September 30 were essentially the same as in those of the September 11 harvest. Green peach aphid populations were recorded weekly from leaves sampled at random from the middle rows of each plot.