1

A Grower Initiated Approach for Sustaining Neonicotinoid Efficacy

Across CommoditiesJohn C. Palumbo Peter C. Ellsworth From 1991-1993 in AZ and CA,

outbreaks of whiteflies caused > $ 500 million worth of damage to cotton, melons & vegetables.

• Multivoltine pest • Polyphagus pest • Exponential population

growth

Sweetpotato WhiteflyBemisia tabaci – B biotype

• Adults very mobile

J. Hatch

Whitefly “cloud” over newly established produce fieldImperial Valley – Fall 1991 Spring MelonsWinter Vegetables

CottonFall Melons

Highly Mobile Pest in Diverse, Cropping system Shared Whiteflies Among Key Whitefly Hosts

2

Imidacloprid Admire®

Neonicotinoid

Ideal Whitefly Control :• Pre-plant injection• Drip Chemigation• Immediate plant protection

45-60 d residual control

Synergized Pyrethroids in Arizona Cotton -1995

• Documented reduction in susceptibility in lab bioassays• Reports of poor field performance in Central Arizona• Prompted the Section 18 registrations of IGRs in 1996

Nym

ph

s / c

m2 / l

eaf

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Admire StandardUntreated

93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05

Admire (Sec. 18 in vegetables/melons)

Palumbo, in press

IGRs (Sec. 18 in cotton)

Impact of Admire and IGRs on Whitefly SuppressionSustained Susceptibility

Dennehy 20040

5

10

15

20AdmireUntreated

n=4

98 99 00 01 02 03 04

Whitefly Nymphs/ cm2

Palumbo 2004

Sustained Efficacy inCommercial Broccoli

3

Whiteflies have not affected Yield or Quality in Yuma for thepast 13 years where Admire has been applied properly.

Passive “de facto” ManagementCropping system

Whitefly biology and ecology

IPM Practices

• Large acreages of untreated host plants serve as refugia

• Alfalfa, seed crops, weeds, ornamental landscape

• Limitation and segregation of chemistries- 1 use of imidacloprid in vegetables and melons- 1 use of IGR’s in cotton

• Spatial and Temporal Insecticide Rotations

• Exposure to other non-neonicotinoid a.i.s for other pests.(acephate, chlorpyrifos, endosulfan, methomyl)

• Foliar Neonicotinoids (Provado) not used in cotton, Not labeled in melons

• Polyphagy, mating behavior, and dispersal capability

So why was the Ag Industry leadership concerned ?

Thiamethoxam

O

N

SCl N

N

N

O2N

Acetamiprid

N

NCl NNC

Imidacloprid

N NH

NCl NO2N

N S

NCl NNC

Thiacloprid

NH

N

NH

O2N

O

Dinotefuran

N

SCl N

H

N

NH

O2N

Clothianidin

Expansion of the Neonicotinoid Chemistry

Imidacloprid

N NH

NCl NO2N

Neonicotinoid Registrations in Arizona - 2001

A.I. Product Application Crops Uses

imidacloprid Admire, etc. Soil Melons, Lettuce, Coleimidacloprid Gaucho, etc. Seed Cottonimidacloprid Provado, etc. Foliar Lettuce, Cole (Cotton)

thiamethoxam Platinum Soil Melons

Neonicotinoid Registrations in Arizona - 2005

A.I. Product Application Crops Uses

acetamiprid Assail , Intruder Foliar Lettuce, Cole, Cotton

dinotefuran Venom Foliar, Soil All

imidacloprid Admire, etc. Soil Melons, Lettuce, Coleimidacloprid Gaucho, etc. Seed Cottonimidacloprid Provado, etc. Foliar Lettuce, Cole (Cotton)

thiamethoxam Centric Foliar Cottonthiamethoxam Cruiser Seed Cottonthiamethoxam Platinum Soil Melons

4

• Arizona Cotton Growers Association• AZ Cotton Research & Protection Council• Cotton Incorporated

• Western Growers Association• Arizona Veg Growers Association• Yuma Vegetable Shippers Association

• Arizona Crop Protection Association

• Arizona Department of Agriculture• University of Arizona

• AgriChemical Industry

Arizona Cross-Commodity Working Group Proactive Management

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec0

30

60

90

120

150

Chloronicotinyl

Pyrethroids

Non-Pyrethroids

Buprofezin

Pyriproxifen

0

20

40

60

80

100

Melons

Cro

pp

ing

Sys

tem

(Acr

es x

100

0)

Inse

ctic

ide

Usa

ge

( Tre

ated

Acr

es, x

1000

)

Cotton

Alfalfa

Leafy Vegetables

Alfalfa

Leafy Vegetables

Leafy Vegetables

J JF M A M Ju A S O N D

F13F2

F3 F4 F5 F6

F7F8 F9

F10F11

F12

F1

Yuma

Rel

ativ

e W

hit

efly

P

opul

atio

n A

bund

ance

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec0

100

200

300

400

Chloronicotinyl

Pyrethroids

Non-Pyrethroids

Buprofezin

Pyriproxifen

0

50

100

150

200

250

300 Melons

Cro

pp

ing

Sys

tem

(A

cres

x 1

000)

Inse

ctic

ide

Usa

ge

( Tre

ated

Acr

es, x

1000

)

Cotton

Alfalfa

Leafy Veg

Central Arizona- Low

Alfalfa

Leafy Vegetables

Leafy Vegetables

J JF M A M Ju A S O N D

F2

F3 F4

F5F6 F7

F8

F9

F10F12

F1

F11Rel

ativ

e W

hit

efly

P

opul

atio

n A

bund

ance

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec0

4

8

12

16

Chloronicotinyl

Pyrethroids

Non-Pyrethroids

Buprofezin

Pyriproxifen

0

2

4

6

8

Inse

ctic

ide

Usa

ge

(T

reat

ed A

cres

, x10

00)

Rel

ativ

e W

hit

efly

P

opul

atio

n A

bund

ance

Central Arizona- High

Alfalfa

Leafy Vegetables

Leafy Vegetables

J JF M A M Ju A S O N D

F2

F3 F4

F5 F6F7

F8

F9F10

F1

Melons

Cro

pp

ing

Sys

tem

(A

cres

x 1

000

)

Cotton

Alfalfa

Leafy Veg

Palumbo et al. 2001

Understanding Cropping Systems• Insecticide Use Patterns• Seasonal Crop Diversity• WF Population Dynamics Defining a Crop Community

1) Multi-crop Community• Cotton• Melons• Vegetables

2) Cotton Intensive

3) Melon / Cotton Intensive

5

1. Fundamentals of Whitefly Management• Avoid Problems through Cultural Controls • Scouting, Sampling and Detection • Ensure Effective Chemical Use

Ellsworth 2001

http://ag.arizona.edu/crops

2. Limit Neonicotinoid Use

• Not more than one use per crop

in melons and vegetables.

• Soil at-planting recommended.

• Split applications are not

recommended

• Do not apply any neonicotinoid

product to cotton

Multi-crop Community

Rel

ativ

e W

hit

efly

P

op

ula

tio

n A

bu

nd

ance

Melons

Vegetables

Cotton

Neonicotinoid

Resistance Risks Associated with Shared Neonicotinoid Uses in a Multi-Crop Community

Not Sustainable

(eg., Yuma – potential usage)

6

3. Exclusion

Preserve a Neonicotinoid-free Period in MCC

Rel

ativ

e W

hit

efly

P

op

ula

tio

n A

bu

nd

ance

Melons

Vegetables

Cotton

Neonicotinoid

IGRs and Conventional

IIGRs

II Non-Pyr

IIISynPyr

3. Exclusion• Do not apply a foliar applied neonicotinoid

following the use of a soil applied neonicotinoid

2. Limit Neonicotinoid Use

• No more than two neonicotinoiduses per cotton crop

• This includes seed treatment

• Sprays should not be applied consecutively, but rotated with alternative chemistry

Cotton- Intensive Community

Leafy Vegetables

J JF M A M Ju A S O N D

F2

F3 F4

F5F6 F7

F8

F9

F10F12

F1

F11Rel

ativ

e W

hit

efly

P

op

ula

tio

n A

bu

nd

ance

Resistance Risks Associated with NeonicotinoidUses in a Cotton-Intensive Community

CottonNeonicotinoid

7

4. Harmonize Chemical Use

• Rotation of chemistries

Leafy Vegetables

J JF M A M Ju A S O N D

F2

F3 F4

F5F6 F7

F8

F9

F10F12

F1

F11Rel

ativ

e W

hit

efly

P

op

ula

tio

n A

bu

nd

ance

AZ Whitefly IPM Program

Cotton I

IGRs

II

Neo

III

Pyr

Cotton-Intensive Community

Poster # 427

Will Adoption of the Cross-commodity Guidelines

Sustain the long-term efficacy of Neonicotinoids

in our cropping communities

Pro-Active IRM

Passive “defacto” IRM

???

Anecdotal Evidence

Adoption / Assessment

• Guidelines have definitely created awareness of the issue

“I apologize, I sprayed some Intruder on my cotton today”

Yuma PCA –July 2003

Survey Data• 2005 Cotton Insect Losses Workshop

Yuma Co., 8 PCAs responded (4987 acres)- 4 had used Intruder in cotton- on 27% of the acres, 1.3 sprays

8

Poster # 428

• Section level pesticide records

• Measure temporal & spatial changes in adoption

• E.g., neonicotinoid usage in cotton

CI: 2

CM: 1

MC: 0

A. Generic imidacloprid

B. Expansion of neonicotinoid labels

C. Market forces

• Lower cost could mean more use or higher rates

• Confusion in class recognition

• Products – effective seed and foliar alternatives

• Crop labels– acetamiprid on melons

• New A.I.s - clothianidin

Challenges and Constraints to Sustained Efficacy

• Cotton - cost of IGR’s relative to cotton prices- free demo product

• Lettuce/Cole/ Melons – cost of Admire vs. Generics

E. Grower-consultant complacency and apathy

• “ Little Suzy Needs New Shoes ”

• Reduced rates / split (multiple) applications

• Sloppy soil applications on vegetables and melon

D. New Chemistry in the Pipeline

• Trends toward selective chemistries

• Grower: “ Industry always comes through with new technology“

• Industry: “ Resistance is a source of innovation ”

Challenges and Constraints to Sustained EfficacyAdmire Efficacy in

Commercial Broccoli1998-2005

1998 1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 20052000

Avg % Reduction of Large Nymphs compared to UTC

0

20

40

60

80

100

0

20

40

60

80

100

20 DAT40 DAT60 DAT

n = 5- 9 field sites / year

®

9

Admire Field StandardUntreated

Yuma Valley – Arco Ranch #7Oct 10, 2005 All IPM Programs are Local