Speed-Sprayer Trials for Citrus Thrips Control, 1992

Insecticides were evaluated spring, 1992 in two fields at the University of California’s Lindcove Field Station near Exeter, Calif, for control of citrus thrips. Pesticides were applied with an FMC CP-267 speed-sprayer pulled behind a tractor. In Field 23, the efficacy of a stomach poison/bait (Veratran-D/Sugar) was evaluated with and without various foliar nutritional tank mixes when applied shortly after petal fall (29, 30 Apr) and 2 weeks later (11, 12 May) using 100 gal of water per acre and outside coverage (achieved by reducing fan speed from a full throttle wind velocity of 130 mph to 80 mph). In Field 41-42, 5 treatments were applied (29, 30 Apr) all with outside coverage: 0.1 lbs AI of Baythroid in 50, 100, or 200 gal/acre were compared with 200 gal/acre Baythroid tank mixed with Unocal Plus (a liquid nitrogen supplement containing 1.87 lbs of N per gal) or Unocal Plus + Zinc Sulfate + Manganese Sulfate. Driving speed was 2 miles per hour in all tests. Each field was divided into 2 blocks and one replicate of each treatment was assigned to each block randomly; each replicate plot was six rows wide and 5-8 trees long. In each plot, 6 data trees were chosen from the center two rows of each plot, excluding the trees at the end of a row.