A new chemistry

for managing
soybean aphid
Erin W. Hodgson, K.D. Johnson, and M.E. O’Neal
Department of Entomology
Iowa State University

2009 ICM Annual Conference

2 December 2009
 Outline
• How we fight against pests

• Review of new products

• 2003-2008 efficacy results

• Profit analysis – are they worth it?

 Insects:
What do we know
about them?
All insects eat (at some point)
• Similar to ours

• Eat treated foliage as

immature or adult
• Penetrates and spreads
in the body
• We can take advantage!
 Insects have a nervous system
• Similar to ours
• Signals for movement
• We can take advantage!
 Insects have an exoskeleton
• Different from us

• Made up of many layers

– Muscle attachment

– Protection from enemies

– Waxy cuticle holds water

• We can take advantage!

 All insects molt
• Must molt between
immature stages (instars)
• One final molt to become
an adult
• Regulated by hormones
• We can take advantage!
A
4
2 3
1
E
 Insects have to breathe
• Take in O2 through
spiracles
• Release C02
• We can take
advantage!
 Insecticides:
How do they work?
 Insecticides usually…
• KILL: target the nervous system, growth and
development, or energy production

• REDUCE: life expectancy, offspring capability

and general success

• REPEL: deter or severely limit

 How do products get inside?
• Contact – needs to penetrate cuticle to
reach target site

• Ingestion – sometimes called stomach

poisons, can include contact poisons

• Respiration – enters the spiracles

IRAC (Insecticide Resistance Action Committee)
• Uses Mode of Action
(MoA) labels
• Based on target site
• Rotate classes to
preserve utility and
diversity; promote safety
• Avoid over/miss-use of
certain products
 Nerve/muscle targets
• Carbamates/Organophosphates (1)
– Methomyl, Chlorpyrifos

• Cyclodiene organochlorines (2)

– Endosulfan, Fipronil

• Pyrethroids (3)
– Cypermethrin, λ-cyhalothrin

(#) = chemistry class

 Nerve/muscle targets
• Neonicotinoids (4)
– Thiamethoxam, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid

• Pymetrozine (9)
– Pymetrozine, Flonicamid

• Indoxacarb (22)

(#) = chemistry class

 Growth/development targets
• Pyriproxyfen (7)

• Benzoylureas (15)
– Novaluron, Bistrifluron

• Buprofezin (16)

(#) = chemistry class

 Respiration/Digestion targets
• Diafenthiuron (12)

• METI acaricides (21)

– Tolfenpyrad, Pyridaben

• Microbial disruptors (11)

– Bacillus thuringiensis

(#) = chemistry class

 How Bt works…
1. insect consumes foliage
2. toxin binds to gut
3. gut breaks down, allows
normal bacteria to enter
body cavity
4. insect dies in 1-2 days
 New chemistry
• Tetramic acid derivatives, ketoenole (23)
– Lipid synthesis inhibitors
– Immatures can’t grow; adults can’t reproduce
– Spirotetramat (MoventoTM, UltorTM)

• Systemic activity
– Targets fluid-feeding insects
– Should be available in 2010 with imidicloprid
 New products in soybean
• HeroTM (PY + PY) • Centric® 40WG (NI)
ζ-cypermethrin + Bifenthrin Thiamethoxam

• CobaltTM (PY + OG) • Endigo ZC® (NI + PY)

Chlorpyrifos + γ-cyhalothrin Thiamethoxam + λ-cyhalothrin

• Leverage® 360 (NI + PY)

Imidacloprid + β-cyfluthrin
 Stewardship:
Can IPM and insecticides
work together?
 Definition of
Integrated Pest Management

“IPM is a sustainable approach to managing

pests by combining biological, cultural,
physical and chemical tools in a way that
minimizes economic, health, and
environmental risks.”
 Keystone concept: thresholds
• Be ‘ok’ with some insects
– Avoid calendar-based sprays
– Use a cut-off point to suppress insects

• Extend insecticide effectiveness

– Saves money!
– Delay genetic resistance
– Preserves natural enemies
 Thoughts on aphid control

• Know if populations are going up or down

– Don’t spray too early
– Sample every 7-14 days

• Aim for 100% control with a treatment

– Get the maximum coverage possible
– Use sufficient volume and pressure
Turbo flat fan TT11002 at 30 psi (10 gpa at 5 mph)

Hollow cone TX-3 at 60 psi (10 gpa at 5 mph)

 Soybean aphid
• Use the economic threshold

– An average of 250 aphids per plant in 80% of the

field with increasing populations from flowering
(R1) through seed set (R5.5)

• One well-timed treatment will protect yield

Average # of soybean aphids per plant 800

700
economic injury level

600

500

400

300
economic threshold

200

100

0
29 Jun 6 Jul 13 Jul 20 Jul 27 Jul 3 Aug 10 Aug 17 Aug 24 Aug 31 Aug
Cumulative
aphid days (CAD)
• Look at seasonal aphid pressure

Examples

10 aphids for 10 days = 100 CAD

100 aphids for 10 days = 1000 CAD

1,000 aphids for 10 days = 10,000 CAD

•Helps visualize treatment differences

Economic injury level

Economic threshold

Soybean aphid population variability

 Insecticide efficacy:
Do the products work?
 Foliar product comparison
6000 70
a a a

Mean yield bu per acre (± SEM)

a a a ab ab a a a
Mean cumulative aphid days (± SEM)

ab ab
b ab ab
5000 60

E 50
4000 *All foliar products, regardless of
A.I., had fewer CAD; some products 40
3000 had better yield.
30
D
2000
20
ABCD
1000
ABC ABC ABC AB
ABC
ABC
10
AB AB A A AB AB AB
0 0
Hero
250/ plant

Warrior II
Untreated

Cobalt

Centric
Dimethoate
Aphid free

Endigo
NuFos
Mustang Max

Leverage
Baythroid XL
Baythroid XL

Lorsban Adv
Lorsban 4E

+ Lorsban
at R6

Controls Pyrethroid (PY) Organophosphate (OP) OP + PY NI NI + PY

Foliar treatments were applied 1 Aug 2008

 Seed treatment comparison
6000 a 70
ab
ab ab
Mean cumulative aphid days (± SEM)

b ab b

Mean yield bu per acre (± SEM)

5000 60

C *All products, regardless of A.I. or 50

4000
timing, had fewer CAD; ST + F had
highest yield. 40
3000
B
B 30
B
2000
20

1000 10
A A
A
0 0

+ Stratego

+ Leverage
Gaucho
Aphid free

CruiserMaxx
Untreated

+ Stratego
Leverage

Gaucho
250/plant
at R6

Controls Seed Treatments (ST) Foliar (F) ST + F

 Insecticide performance (2003-2008)
8000 70
D a
Mean cumulative aphid days (± SEM)

b b b b ab

Mean yield bu per acre (± SEM)

c
d d 60

6000
50
D
*Historically, seed 40
4000 treatments alone can
not control SBA. 30

20
2000
C C
B 10
B B B
A
0 0

NI ST

NI + PY

ST + PY
OP + PY
Aphid free
Untreated

NI’s
PY’s
OP’s

Controls
Spirotetramat performance
 Conclusions

• Labeled products are effective if coverage

is sufficient, no genetic resistance (yet)

• Insecticides applied at threshold provides

consistent yield protection

• Multiple applications did not improve yield

but reduce CAD
 Conclusions

• Tank-mixing did not reduce CAD

• Seed treatments alone lack residual activity

to control aphids under heavy pressure,
may require foliar to protect yield

• Seed treatment plus foliar provided slightly

higher yield
 Where to get more information
• ICM News
www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews

• Soybean Insects Guide

www.ent.iastate.edu/soybeaninsects

• Soybean Aphid
www.ent.iastate.edu/soybeanaphid/
 Where to get more information
• Regional Suction Trapping Network
www.ncipmc.org/traps/

• IRAC
www.irac-online.org/

• CDMS Chemical Database

www.cdms.net
Thank you!