Tropentag 2010, September 14 - 16, Zurich, Germany "World Food System - A Contribution from Europe"

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Seed Treatment using Maxim XL 035 FS and Cruiser 350 FS Tank Mixture to Control Flea Beetle Podagrica spp.

Agricultural Research Corporation, Crop Protection Research Center, Sudan

Abstract

Flea beetle is a serious early season insect pest in cotton and some vegetables that might cause total damage where it is not controlled. Field experiments were conducted during seasons 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 at the Gezira Research Farm to evaluate the flea beetle infestation in cotton cultivated with pre-treated seed. The observations made were field visual counts of infestation and damage caused by adult flea beetle. In addition no"=choice laboratory and semi"=field laboratory tests were executed.
The results showed that the damage of the flea beetle at 4 weeks after sowing was significantly reduced as compared to the no-insecticide control (i.e. only fungicide applied) when the insecticide Cruiser was applied at the rate of 3 cc kg^-1 seed (variety Acala Nour) alone or in combination with different doses of the fungicide Maxim. However, the reduction of flea beetle damage was best in the standard treatment (the insecticide Gaucho at 7 g kg^-1 seed + the fungicide Raxil at 2 g kg^-1 seed). In case of the cotton var. Barakat no significant differences were observed till 4 weeks after sowing between all treatments. The standard treatment (Gaucho + Raxil) was the best in reducing the damage of the flea beetles till 6 weeks after sowing, but it was not significantly different when Maxim was added to Cruiser treatments.
In the no-choice semi-field tests with the var. Acala and Barakat, no significant differences were observed between the three Maxim rates tested (0.75, 1.00 and 1.25 cc kg^-1 seed) when Cruiser was added and the standard treatment (Gaucho + Raxil) in reducing the damage of the flea beetles at 4 weeks after sowing in the field. No"=choice laboratory test indicated also no significant difference between the three mixtures of Cruiser (3 cc kg^-1 seed) with Maxim and the standard treatment (Gaucho + Raxil). However, the three mixtures were significantly better in reducing the damage relative to the control after 24 hour of exposure in the laboratory. On the other hand the mortality of adult flea beetles was higher in the standard treatment (Gaucho + Raxil) followed by treatments containing Cruiser. No mortality was observed for untreated seed and the lowest rate of Maxim used singly to dress the seeds.

Keywords: Cotton, early season pests, flea beetle, seed dressing, Sudan

Contact Address: Hayder Abdelgader, Agricultural Research Corporation, Crop Protection Research Center, P. O. Box 126, Wadmedani, Sudan, e-mail: abdelgaderhyahoo.com