Department of Entomology

Cornell University

New York State Agric. Exp. Stn.

630 W. North Street

Geneva, NY

Department of Entomology

Cornell University

New York State Agric. Exp. Stn.

630 W. North Street

Geneva, NY

Cucumber Beetle Management Using Seed Treatments

Cucumber Beetle Management Using Seed Treatments

January 20, 2008

Brian A. NaultAssociate ProfessorBrian A. NaultAssociate Professor

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Spotted and Striped Cucumber BeetlesSpotted and Striped Cucumber Beetles

Identification

• Adults are 8-10 mm in length and 3-4 mm wide

• Spotted cucumber beetle, Diabrotica undecimpunctata

• Striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum

Striped cucumber beetle(Acalymma vittatum)

Striped cucumber beetle(Acalymma vittatum)

Lifecycle

• Overwinters as an adult in protected areas and becomes active in early spring

• Lays eggs at base of host plant; two generations per year

April May June July Aug Sept Oct

April May June July Aug Sept Oct

Cucumber BeetlesCucumber Beetles

Adult Activity

Types of Cucumber Beetle DamageTypes of Cucumber Beetle Damage

DefoliationDefoliation Pollination interferencePollination interference

Feeding scarsFeeding scars RindwormsRindworms

Bacterial Wilt DiseaseBacterial Wilt Disease

Causal Organism - Erwinia tracheiphila, which is transmitted by cucumber beetle adults

Causal Organism - Erwinia tracheiphila, which is transmitted by cucumber beetle adults

C. Welty

Cucumber Beetles - Bacterial Wilt Cucumber Beetles - Bacterial Wilt

• Worst damage caused by bacterial wilt, not beetle damage

• Diagnosed by cutting stem and looking for stringy sap

• No cure for controlling bacteria; must control vector

• Beetle may not be present during wilting

• Susceptibility of crop to wilt:

Melons > cucumbers > squash > watermelon

ManagingCucumber

Beetles

PlantResistancePlantResistance

BehavioralControlBehavioralControl

*Cultural Control*Cultural Control Biological ControlBiological Control

General Approaches Taken to Manage Cucumber Beetles

General Approaches Taken to Manage Cucumber Beetles

*Chemical Control*Chemical Control

Chemical Control Chemical Control

- Sampling activity with yellow sticky traps

- Established thresholds (direct counts on plants):

- 1 beetle / plant for melons, cucumbers, andyoung pumpkins

- 5 beetles / plant for watermelon,squash, and older pumpkins

• Foliar Sprays

Chemical Control

• At-plant Treatments

- Apply in-furrow or via drip irrigation

- Drench transplants e.g., 4 ml (0.14 oz) of Admire diluted in water to treat a flat of 200 plants

Chemical Control

• Seed Treatments

- thiamethoxam - Cruiser 5FS

- FarMore DI-400

- clothianidin + imidacloprid - Sepresto

(registration package submitted summer 2008)

cucumber pumpkin squash

Collaborative Effort to Evaluate Seed Treatments

• Researchers New York – Alan Taylor, Brian Nault,

Robert Hadad & Charles Bornt

Ohio – Celeste Welty

Maryland - Jerry Brust

Virginia – Thomas Kuhar

Delaware – Joanne Whalen

• IR- 4 Project - Keith Dorschner

Objective

• Evaluate neonicotinoid seed treatments for early-season cucumber beetle control in cucumber and pumpkin

Treatments• Seed Treatments

- * Cruiser 5FS @ 0.75 mg ai/seed

- * Sepresto @ 1 mg ai/seed

- * Admire Pro @ 1 fl oz of Admire Pro mixed with 1 fl oz of water to treat 1 lb of seeds

• At-plant Treatments- Admire Pro @ 7 fl oz/acre- * Platinum @ 8 fl oz/acre

• Crops- cucumber (var. ‘Vlaspik’)- pumpkin (var. ‘Gladiator’)

* Not labeled in New York

Approach

In the field: Visually record number ofdead beetles per 10 plants per plot each week for 5 weeks (NY)

In the lab: Sample foliage from field plots and conduct assays in laboratory to assess beetle mortality (NY, VA and DE)

0 2 4 6

Control

Admire (ST)

Sepresto

Cruiser

Number of Dead Beetles/ 10 plants

Total Mean Number of Dead Beetles per 10 plants over 5-Week Period in the Cucumber Field – Eden, NY 2008

a

a

b

b

R. Hadad - 2008

Petri Dish

• 10 beetles per dish (NY); 5 beetles per dish (VA & DE)

• 2-, 4- and 7-leaf stage (NY); 4-leaf stage (VA & DE)

• Record # dead at 72 hr (NY) and 96 hr (VA & DE)

Laboratory Assay

Stage of Plant Sampled

2-leaf 4-leaf 7-leaf

0 20 40 60 80 100

Control

Admire Pro (IF)

Platinum (IF)

Admire (ST)

Sepresto

Cruiser

2-leaf (19 dap)

4-leaf (26 dap)

7-leaf (33 dap)

Beetle Mortality (%)

Mortality (after 72 hr) on Excised Pumpkin Leaves Collected from Field Plots – Geneva, NY 2008

a

b

b

b

c

ab

B. Nault - 2008

0 20 40 60 80 100

Control

Admire Pro (IF)

Platinum (IF)

Admire (ST)

Sepresto

Cruiser

2-leaf (19 dap)

4-leaf (26 dap)

7-leaf (33 dap)

Beetle Mortality (%)

Mortality (after 72 hr) on Excised Pumpkin Leaves Collected from Field Plots – Geneva, NY 2008

a

c

b

b

c

c

B. Nault - 2008

0 20 40 60 80 100

Control

Admire Pro (IF)

Platinum (IF)

Admire (ST)

Sepresto

Cruiser

2-leaf (19 dap)

4-leaf (26 dap)

7-leaf (33 dap)

Beetle Mortality (%)

Mortality (after 72 hr) on Excised Pumpkin Leaves Collected from Field Plots – Geneva, NY 2008

c

a

c

bc

bc

ab

B. Nault - 2008

0 20 40 60 80 100

Control

Admire Pro (IF)

Platinum (IF)

Sepresto

Cruiser

4-leaf (20 dap)

Beetle Mortality (%)

Mortality (after 96 hr) on Excised Cucumber Leaves Collected from Field Plots – Painter, VA 2008

a

a

b

b

b

T. Kuhar - 2008

0 20 40 60 80 100

Control

Admire Pro (IF)

Platinum (IF)

Sepresto

Cruiser

4-leaf (21 dap)

Beetle Mortality (%)

Mortality (after 96 hr) on Excised Cucumber Leaves Collected from Field Plots – Georgetown, DE 2008

a

a

a

a

b

J. Whalon - 2008

Summary

• Cruiser and Sepresto seed treatments had similar or better activity against cucumber beetle than Admire and Platinum at-plant treatments

• Efficacy of Cruiser and Sepresto seed treatments did not extend beyond 4-leaf stage (20 to 26 days after planting)

Benefits of Seed Treatments

• Saves time – just plant treated seed

• Less exposure to active ingredient (a.i.)

• Precise amount of a.i. applied to seed

• Often use considerably less a.i. per acre

• Less risk of killing non-target organisms

Future Work

• Repeat study in 2009; more on-farm trials with extension educators

• Potentially assess efficacy of Cruiser 5FS/ Farmore DI 400 and Sepresto on other insect pests

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsCollaborators: Alan Taylor, Robert Hadad, Tom Kuhar, Joanne Whalon

Technical Assistance: Mary Lou Hessney (Entomology, NYSAES)

Grower: Laura Pedersen (Geneva, NY)

Funding: IR-4 Project Federal Formula Funds

The End?The End?