Insect Management in Tomatoes & Peppers
Dr. Ayanava MajumdarExtension Entomologist (Peanuts, Vegetables)
State SARE Coordinator (Auburn U)Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Cell phone: 251-331-8416Email: [email protected]
AFVG Conf., February 11, 2012
What is it?Potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae
Green peach aphid, Myzus persicae
Monitoring/scouting techniques:Sample ten plants in several locationsYellow sticky traps at edge of fieldLike cool, dry weatherWatch for ants and lady beetlesET = 50% leaves with aphids
Host range: 40 host plants
What is it?Onion thrips, Thrips tabaci
Tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca
Monitoring/scouting techniques:Use sticky cards (yellow, blue)Bag and shake techniqueNo action thresholdUse resistant varieties (BHN 444, 589, 640, Bella Rosa)
Tomato spotted wilt destroys plantsHost plants: tomato, peanuts, cotton, beans
What is it?Monitoring/scouting techniques:
Monitor level of defoliation
Sample small plants with sweep net during morning hours
Observe activity of parasitoids, predators (sweep net)
ET = 5-10% defoliation early season, 25-30% defoliation mid-season
Flea beetles (many species)
Host plants: potato, tomato, peppers, broccoli, cabbage, okra, etc.
What is it?Monitoring/scouting techniques:
Start looking on border rows
Scout intensely short crop (<6 inch)
ET = 5 beetles per 10 seedling or 10% defoliation in short crop
Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata
Larva of lady beetle (beneficial insect!)
What is it?Monitoring/scouting techniques:
Examine green fruit, stem terminals
Scout for egg masses or larvae
Use pheromone traps to detect first flight; ET = 5-10 moths per night when temp. is <85F
ET is ½ if temp. is >85F
Tomato fruitworm, Helicoverpa zea
Tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens
Host plants: tomato, cotton, soybean, corn (16 host plants)
What is it?Monitoring/scouting techniques:
Use a sweep net
Use pheromone trap (expensive? cumbersome?)
Intensify scouting at fruit setting
ET = 0.25 bugs per 10 plants (green fruit stage)
Southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula
Brown stink bug, Euschistus servus Lygus bug, Lygus
lineolarisStink bug feeding injury
Host: >52 plants
What is it?
Leptoglossus phyllopusLeptoglossus gonagra
Leptoglossus zonatus
Leaffooted bugs can cause fruit drop
What is it?• Caterpillars have an inverted Y
mark on head
• 4 black warts on 8th abdominal segment
• Curl up when disturbed
• Eats leaves and fruits
• Moths can be detected using pheromone traps
• Overwinters in Gulf coast
• Host range: sweet corn, tomato, peppers
• Premature drop & fruit rot
Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda
• Polyphagous insect (tomato, pepper, cotton, soybean, alfalfa)
• Have many wild hosts – lambsquarter & pigweed
• Creamish or light-green caterpillar, 4 pairs of prolegs
• Black spot on thorax just above the leg
• Early instars feed voraciously
• Moths are attracted to weak plants
What is it?
Damage to pepper plant
Beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua
What is it?• Overwinter as pupae in soil
• Adults are hawk moths – rapid flyers
• Larva has 8 white stripes on side
• Larvae feed on foliage, then attack fruit
• Host range: tomato, pepper, eggplant, potato
• Repelled by marigold
• ET = >1 larva per plant
Tomato hornworm, Manduca quinquemaculata
What is it?• Adults resemble house flies but
have black markings on wings
• Females lay eggs on fruit, cause dimple and rotting
• Many types of peppers attacked
• Prefers cherry peppers
• Infested fruit turns red prematurely
• Major fruit drop and yield loss
• Monitor using yellow sticky trap
Pepper maggot, Zonosemata electa
What is it?Monitoring/scouting techniques:
Minor foliar pests (ET = 5 larvae per 10 plants)
Easy to collect & identify – shake and collect
Watch for sun scald on fruits, esp. 20% defoliation
Look for fecal pellets on leaves
Cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni
Soybean looper, Pseudoplusia includens
VEGETABLE INSECTICIDES
CAUTION:
Use of product names does not mean endorsement by university!
Use cultural, mechanical, and other pest management tactics first
Insecticide use should be last resort!
Read pesticide labels – LABEL IS THE LAW.
Insecticide Mode of Action (MoA)
Receiving neuron
Sensory neuron
Neonicotinoids, Spinosyn (mimic neurotransmitter)
Cyclodienes, Pyrethroids (act on receiving neuron)
Carbamates, OP (act in the synaptic gap)
Inhibit enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitter
Flow of info
Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC): 28 MoA classification
Trends in synthetic chemistries
• Early insecticides were short chain>>quick activation• New insecticides: need “activation” by insect enzyme
systems (target-specific)
CarbarylMalathion
Zeta-cypermethrin Imidacloprid
Spinetoram
Chlorantraniliprole
Review of Insecticides/MoA (Open page 167 of Veg. Prod. Handbook)
Mode of ActionSt = Stomach poison; Co = Contact poison; Sys = Systemic action; In = Insecticide; Mi = Miticide
Arrangement: Least toxic to most toxic
Target InsectsFB = Flea beetle; CPB = Colorado potato beetle; CEW = Corn earworm; FAW = Fall armyworm; SVB = Squash vine borer; Aph = Aphids; Thr = Thrips; WF = Whiteflies; ECB = European corn borer; CB = Cucumber beetle; SB = Stink bug, SqB = Squash bug; CW = Cutworms; MGT = maggots; WW = Wireworms; CL = Cabbage looper
Common name Product Pesticide type OralLD50 (mg/kg)
Best against
Carbaryl Sevin D/S In, Ac (St, Co) 300 FB, FAW, SVB
Methamidophos Monitor 4L In, Ac(Sys) 16 Aph, Thr, BAW
Methomyl Lannate 40SP
In, Ac (Sys, Co)
17 Thr, BAW
IRAC Chemical class: 1A (Carbamates)
MoA: inhibitor of enzyme (AChE), hyperexcites insects, nonselective
Common name
Product Pesticide type OralLD50 (mg/kg)
Best against
Malathion Malathion In (Co) 1000+ FB, CB, SqB, SB??
Acephate Orthene In (Sys) 800+ FAW, Aph, Thr
Diazinon Diazinon (RUP) I (Co) 400 WW, MGT, SqB
Chlorpyrifos Lorsban 15G In (Co) 95 MGT, CW, WW, FAW
IRAC Chemical class: 1B (Organophosphates) MoA: inhibitor of enzyme (AChE), hyperexcites insects
Common name Product Pesticide type
OralLD50 (mg/kg)
Best against
Endosulfan ThionexThiodan (GUP)
In, Ac (Co)
18-160 FB, SB, SqB
IRAC Chemical class: 2A (Cyclodienes)
MoA: Block the action of neurotransmitter, hyperactivity
Common name Product Pesticide type
Oral LD50 (mg/kg)
Best against
Cyfluthrin Baythroid XL In (Co, St) 1200+ ImCW, SqVB, CW, SB
Gamma cyhalo Proaxis 0.5EC In (Co) - FB, CB, ECB, ImCW, SqVB, CW
Fenpropathrin Danitol 2.4EC In, Ac (Co, St)
450 ImCW, SqVB, SqB
Zeta-cyper Mustang Max 0.8 EC
In (Co) 150-400 FB, CW, CB, SB, ImCW, SqVB
Bifenthrin Brigade 2EC In, Ac (Co) 54 FB, CB, ImCW, SqVB, CW
IRAC Chemical class: 3A (Pyrethroids) MoA: Act on sodium channels (receiving neuron)Contact/stomach: use for quick knock-down, nonselective
Asana® XL insecticide
Common name Product Pesticide type OralLD50 (mg/kg)
Best against
Thiamethoxam Platinum SC In (Sys) >5000 Aph, FB, CB, SB
Dinotefuran Venom 70SG In (Sys) >5000 FB, CPB, CB, SB, WF
Clothianidin Belay 3G In (Sys) 4700 FB, CPB, SqB, CB
Imidacloprid Admire 1.6F
Provado F
In (Sys, Co, St)
450 FB, CPB, Aph, SB
CPB, CB, Aph, ThrAcetamiprid Assail 30SG In (Sys) - Aph, CPB, Thr
IRAC Chemical class: 4A (Neonicotinoids) MoA: Mimic neurotransmitter at neuromuscular joints, hyperactivity Systemic action: many weeks of protection against pests, apply early
Assail® insecticide
Results of 1999 tomato test at Tifton, GA in terms of main plot (BHN444 resistance and silver reflective mulch) and subplot (different length periods of insecticide control of
thrips) effects on number of thrips, % TSWV, and $ yield per acre, respectively.
BHN444-silver mulch 47 b 28% b $7,233 a
Sunny Hyb.-silver mulch 49 b 57% a $4,721 ab
Sunny Hyb.-black mulch 64 a 67% a $3,602 b
Admire + four weeks of foliar sprays 53 b 28% c $6,685 a
Admire + two weeks of foliar sprays 57 b 56% ab $6,102 a
Admire + eight weeks of foliar sprays 13 c 44% ab $5,781 a
Admire + one week of foliar sprays 70 a 58% ab $3,777 b
Untreated check 73 a 67% a $3,580 b
David Riley, UGA, http://wiki.bugwood.org/Thrips_and_Spotted_Wilt_Management_in_Tomato
Systemic insecticide (imidacloprid) reduces virus transmission in tomatoes
Common name Product Pesticide type
OralLD50 (mg/kg)
Best against
Spinosyn A, D Entrust (SpinTor phase out)
In (St) >5000 CPB, ImCW, CEW, FAW, BAW, CL, DBM
Spinetoram Radiant 1SC In (St) >5000 CPB, CEW, ECB, ImCW, CL, Thr
IRAC Chemical class: 5A (Spinosyns) MoA: Mimic neurotransmitter, hyperexcite insects
Spinetoram (Radiant 1SC):• Microbial fermentation derivate• Application rate = 6-8 oz• Preharvest interval (PHI) = 1-3 days• Registered for many leafy veg., fruit crops, root crops, etc.
Entrust: for ORGANIC producers
Common name Product Pesticide type OralLD50 (mg/kg)
Best against
Pymetrozine (9B) Fulfill 50WDG In (St) >5000 Aph, WF
Flonicamid (9C) Beleaf 50SG In(St) >2000 Aph
IRAC Chemical class: 9 (new chemistry)
MoA: Unknown; selective homopteran feeding blockers
Fulfill 50WDG (Syngenta):
• Selective insecticide for aphid control
• Good residual, rainfast
• Application rates low: 2-2.8 oz/acre product
• PHI = 0 days
Common name Product Pesticide type OralLD50 (mg/kg)
Best against
Chlorantraniliprole Coragen 1.67SC In (St, Co, Sys) >5000 CPB, CEW, ECB, FAW, BAW, CL, SqVB, SB
Flubendiamide Synapse 24WG In (Sys) >2000 CEW, ECB, CL, ImCW, BAW, FAW
IRAC Chemical class: 28 (new chemistry-diamides) MoA: Ryanodine receptor modulators (acts inside muscles)
Diamides:• Rapid inhibition of feeding, paralysis• Selective insecticides, contact/stomach action• No aphid or mite flaring• Appl. rate = 3-5 oz (Coragen), 2-3 oz (Synapse)• 1 day PHI
Growth Regulator Insecticides
Common name Product Pesticide type
OralLD50 (mg/kg)
Best against Less effective
Methoxyfenozide Intrepid 2F I (Co) >5000 CL, FAW, ImCW DBM, SqVB
Buprofezin Courier I, Mi (Co) >5000 WF
Pyriproxifen Knack I (Co) >5000 WF
IRAC Chemical class: 7C, 16, 17, 18
Growth regulators:• Methoxyfenozide forces molting, long-lasting, 4-10 oz, 1 day PHI
• Buprofezin inhibits chitin biosynthesis (homopteran), 9-13 oz, 7 day PHI
• Pyriproxifen mimics juvenile hormone (homop.), 8-10 oz, 14 day PHI
Organic Insecticide Research– Insecticide rotations– New formulations/delivery systems
Good rotation partners
General IPM Recommendations• Use pheromone traps (first detection is important)
• No substitute for scouting!
• Careful with insecticide generics (phytotoxicity)
• Rotate with newer insecticides, organic formulations
• Apply systemic insecticides early (timely)
• Use of the SE Vegetable Prod. Handbook
• Call ACES for help in insect ID & IPM
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Insect Management in Tomatoes & Peppers
Questions for Dr. A?
AFVG Conf., February 11, 2012
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