Soil Treatments with Systemic Insecticides for Colorado Potato Beetle Control, 1983

‘Norchip’ seed pieces were planted in open furrows in State sandy loam soil (Typic Hapludult) on 13 Apr. at our research station near Painter, Va. Each plot was three rows wide (36-inch rows) and 25 ft long with each treatment replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. For furrow application, the granular insecticides were spread with a handheld shaker over the seed pieces and the seed pieces covered. Band treatments were made on 12 May at plant emergence by dribbling the granular insecticide in a 7-inch band over the center of the row and lightly incorporating the granules with a garden hand rake. Evaluation criteria included counts of the number of Colorado potato beetle adults and larvae per 10 plants and foliage damage ratings. Foliage damage ratings were on a scale of 0 to 5 as follows: 0, no damage; 1, slight feeding, less than 5% defoliation; 2, visible feeding with 5 to 10% defoliation; 3 moderate damage, 10 to 25% defoliation; 4, heavy damage, 25 to 50% defoliation; 5, severe damage, greater than 50% defoliation.