Pre-Plant Systemic Insecticides for Fall Alfalfa Stand Establishment, 1981

Furadan was used as soil-incorporated prep I ant treatments to assess the benefit of using systemic insecticides in fall planted alfalfa stand establishment. Experiments were conducted at the Rosemount Agricultural Experiment Station, Dakota Co., MN, on Waukegan silt loam. Treatments were applied Jul 30 to 54 x 40 ft (0.05 acre) plots randomized in a complete block design with 3 replications. Alfalfa was seeded Jul 31 at a rate of 10 lb/acre. Granular applications were made by a Ortho-Whirlybird manual applicator and spray applications were made by tractor-drawn boom sprayer in 27 gal/acre at 100 psi pressure. Insect populations were sampled Sep 1 and Sep 24 using a vacuum machine by taking 15 putdowns-of a 20.3 cm vacuum hose (equivalent to 0.48 m2). Stand counts were taken Sep 11 by counting the number of plants in 10 one ft2 samples/plot.