VEGETABLE INSECT PESTS

Scouting Techniques &

Management
CAPT. S.K.BHANDARI
& THE TEAM ASFIC
09358525643
Workshop Objectives
Take the quiz!
Basic concepts of IPM
Types of insect injury to plants
Tomato insect pests
Insect pests of cruciferous crops
Common on-the-shelf insecticides
Commercial insecticides
Complete the quality survey
First know the definitions
INJURY
DAMAGE
Damage = injury + economic loss
Plant injury by INSECTS
Direct injury caused by feeding:
chewing mouthparts VS. sucking
mouth parts
Direct injury caused during oviposition: dimpling on
tomato by thrips egg-laying
Image: UFL IFAS Ext.
Image: UFL IFAS Ext.
Plant injury by INSECTS
Indirect injury from insect products: honeydew
causes sooty mold (aphids, whiteflies)
Image: TopTurf.net
Image: Iowa State
Plant injury by INSECTS
Injury from disease transmission: aphids, thrips
Transmit cucumber
mosaic virus (CMV),
potato virus Y (PVY)
Transmit tomato spotted
wilt virus (TSWV)
Plant injury by INSECTS
Is it really an INSECT injury?
Image: Missouri Bot. Garden
Key steps to diagnosis:
Define the problem
Look for patterns: abiotic
problems have patterns!
Find a reasonable scouting
technique
How fast are symptoms
spreading? (time-factor)
Process of elimination to arrive at
a diagnosis
VS.
TOMATO INSECT PESTS

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Scouting for aphids
Scout early in season, search under
leaves and stem
Winged aphids may indicate migration
Record the number of leaves with
aphids present, then mark the area
(distribution is highly clumped)
ET = 50% leaves have aphid
Watch for presence of ants that feed on
honeydew
Watch for ladybeetles and lacewings
Scouting for thrips
Major damage: TSWV (disease)
Mid-season damage: feeding in blossoms>>flower drop
Late season damage: egg-laying on fruits>>dimpling + whitish
spots
Scout throughout the season, search terminal leaflets and
buds. Carry 70% alcohol in vial or use beating technique.
Resistant var. Amelia, BHN 640/602, Quincy, Taladega
Tobacco thrips
WF thrips
Scouting for flea beetles
Sample the seedling plants (6-
10 inch height)
Estimate the level of defoliation
Estimate the number of adults
with a sweep net and relate it to
foliar injury
ET = 5-10% foliar injury
Scouting for CPB
Defoliation is less threatening on
mature plants
Beetle injury first on field margins
Scout the short crop intensely (6
to 10 inch)
Estimate the number of CPB on
10 plants
ET = 5 beetles in short crop, 10%
defoliation
Scouting for tomato fruitworm
This is a major pest. Mark the
location with flag & mark your
calendars!
Use pheromone traps for monitoring
flight
ET = scout intensely for eggs/larvae if
7 adults per trap
Scout for larvae during fruit set.
ET = one larva per plant or one fresh
injury per plant
Improve scouting technique with
experience

Emerging problem: Stink bugs
Has many host plants
Early attack can destroy blooms
and late attack destroy fruits
Scouting for stink bugs
Can you smell them in field?
Try sweep netting to sample adults
mid-morning
Scout intensively when fruit
formation begins: 10 plants per
location
ET: 0.25 stink bugs average per 10
plants during the green fruit stage
Much research on trap crops (alfalfa,
clover, sorghum)
Leaf-footed
bugs
Related to stink bugs
Emerging problem in
many states: Lousiana,
Florida, California,
Alabama
Interesting
behavioral
issues
Trap crops
may work!

Scouting for tomato hornworm
Leave these caterpillars alone!
Minor problem in commercial
production (foliar damage only)
Visual location, scout & hand-
pick when possible
There could be 34
generations per year, so late
season buildup should be
monitored
INSECT PESTS of COLE CROPS
Crucifer family of crops (list)
Cabbage
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Mustard greens
Brussels sprout
Kale
Collard
Turnip
Radish
Horseradish
Cabbage looper vs.
Imported cabbageworm
Cabbage looper (CL) Imported cabbageworm (ICW)
Diamondback moth
Larvae balloon from plant to plant
Larva make shapeless holes, feeding in
aggregates
Cause head deformation
Scouting for caterpillar pests
Cabbage looper Imported cabbageworm
Look for larvae with 2-pairs
of prolegs
Look for frass at the base
of head
Use pheromone traps to
monitor pop.
ET = 10 % defoliation
Look for white/yellow moths
early in the season
Caterpillars camouflage with
leaf midrib
ET = 10% defoliation
Diamondback moth
Scout early in season
Pheromone traps
Ballooning caterpillars?
ET = 10% defoliation
Beet armyworm
Damage to pepper plant
Early instars feed
voraciously
Are attracted to weak plants
Damage more plants that they eat
(cause early & late season problem)
Dry weather is favorable
Cutworms
Scout for egg masses and
caterpillars
Use a sweep net to sample moths
around field edges
Use pheromone trap for monitoring
moth activity
ET = 2-3% plants with egg masses,
1 larvae per 20 plants, 10%
defoliated plants
Scouting for armyworm & cutworm
Armyworms
Cabbage aphid
Natural Enemies
CHOOSING THE RIGHT
INSECTICIDE
(lets go shopping!)
$9.76/pt
AI = horticultural oil
$7.99 for 24-oz RTU
AI = pyrethrin + canola oil or sulfur + pyrethrin
General
purpose
insecticide
AI = malathion
+ MANY OTHER INSECTS
Not for use on vegetables
Good fire ant control in lawn
and turf
Long residue in soil
May be expensive
AI = bifenthrin
Highly toxic to fish
AI = rotenone
Common soil bacterium

Best against small caterpillars

Apply when caterpillars are
small
AI = Bacillus thuringiensis
kurstaki
AI = Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis
Insecticidal soap
Not equal to your dish
detergent
OMRI approved
Do not apply in hot
weather
Spray on a test area
CHOOSING
ENVIRONMENTALLY-
FRIENDLY INSECTICIDES
(commercial veg. producers)
Spinosyn-based
products
Entrust is OMRI approved
Very expensive (Rs.6000.00)
per Kg but also very effective
Entrust @ 2oz/A highest
protection in Auburn trials
against whitefringed beetles
Works against many
lepidopterans
Spinetoram (2
nd
gen. spinosyn)
Excellent control of leps., thrips
Not for organic farming
Pyrethrin
Natural extract of
chrysanthemum flowers
OMRI approved
PyGanic for organic
producers
Pyrethrin + PBO
formulations are not organic
Pyrethrin + Rotenone not for
organic markets
OMRI listed
AI = pyrethrin +
rotenone
Natural insect growth disruptor
Effective against soft-bodied
insects
Azadirachtin
Does not contain azadirachtin
70% neem oil
Physical irritant
E.g., Monterey 70% (small
gardens), Trilogy 70% (large
packaging)
Neem Oil
Fungal microbial insecticides
Beauveria bassiana strain GHA
soft-bodied insects such as
whiteflies, thrips, aphids,
psyllids, mealybugs, scarab
beetles, plant bugs, loopers and
weevils.
Higher spore concentration than
BotaniGard, 1 liter/A

Beauveria bassiana strain GHA
Fungal microbial insecticides
Formulations by Certis USA
Virus (occlusion bodies)
Very host specific
Heliothis spp., corn earworm, cotton bollworm,
tomato fruitworm, tobacco budworm
Bt aizawai
TRILOGY: NEEM OIL PRODUCT
Bio-based controls: are they
cost effective?
Bio-based controls: are they
cost effective?

Synthetic insecticides (old)
Conventional products
MOA
Aphids, flea beetles, whitefly




Stink bugs


Dimethoate, acetamiprid (Assail),
imidacloprid (Admire Pro)

Bifenthrin & many pyrethroids
Pyrethroid -
neonicotinoid
(Nicotinic
acetylcholine receptor
agonists, sodium
channel modulators)
Caterpillars (looper, tomato
fruitworm, pinworm)










Bifenthrin
Beta-cyfluthrin (Baythroid)
Lambda-cyhalo. (Warrior)
Zeta-cyper. (Mustang Maxx)
Esfenvalerate (Asana)
Fenpropathrin (Danitol)
Sodium channel
modulators
New chemistries MOA
Aphids, flea beetles,
whitefly




Stink bugs


Flonicamid (Beleaf)
Pymetrozine (Fulfill)

Spirotetramat (Movento)
Spiromesifen (Oberon)
Feeding inhibitors


Acetyl CoA caboxylase
inhibitor
Caterpillars (looper,
tomato fruitworm,
pinworm)








Thrips
Emamectin benzoate
(Proclaim)

Flubendiamide (Synapse),
Rynaxypyr (Coragen)

Indoxacarb (Avaunt)


Methoxyfenozide (Intrepid)

Spinetoram (Radiant)

Chloride channel activators

Ryanodine receptor
modulators


Sodium channel blockers


Ecdysone receptor agonist

Spinosyn (nicotinic receptors)

Synthetic insecticides (new)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE
Please fill up and return the anonymous
surveys that will be used to improve future
workshops. Thank you again!
QUESTIONS?