Pheromone-based action thresholds for control of the swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), and residual insecticide efficacy in cole crops.

The swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii (Kieffer), is an invasive gall midge causing economic damage to cole crops (Brassica oleracea L.) and other crucifers in eastern Canada and United States. An effective decision-making tool for timing insecticide applications is a critical part of an integrated pest management program against C. nasturtii. Experiments were undertaken over 2 yr and at three locations in southern Ontario to develop pheromone-based action thresholds for C. nasturtii in cabbage and broccoli. An economic comparison between action threshold and calendar insecticide regimes was undertaken. The threshold approach was both economically viable and successful at minimizing swede midge damage for cabbage, and an action threshold of five males per trap per day with a minimum 7 d retreatment interval successfully reduced damage to acceptable levels. However, this approach was not successful with broccoli, which, unlike cabbage, is susceptible to damage by C. nasturtii through all plant stages, including heading. Acetamiprid and lambda-cyhalothrin both demonstrated approximately 7 d residual activity against C. nasturtii. Registration labels for both insecticides specify a minimum 7 d retreatment interval, which is supported by residual efficacy results. More effective insecticidal products may have longer residual efficacy and improve efficacy of the action threshold approach for broccoli and cabbage.

A novel method for controlling multicolored Asian lady beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in vineyards.

The introduced biological control agent Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) has attained pest status in North America as its presence in vineyards during harvest may compromise the quality of the resulting wine. Control of H. axyridis in vineyards is difficult as their populations may fluctuate daily, and there are few products registered to control this pest. Sulfur dioxide, in the form of potassium metabisulfite (KMS), is commonly used in wine as both an antimicrobial and an antioxidant. In this study, the effectiveness of KMS as a repellent against H. axyridis was measured. In a Y-tube olfactometer, H. axyridis spent significantly less time in the treatment arm (KMS 2.5, 5, and 10 g/liter) than in the control arm during a 10-min period. When sprayed in a vineyard, KMS significantly reduced the number of H. axyridis on grape vines. KMS is an effective repellent against H. axyridis and may be suitable for use in vineyards to control this pest. KMS (5 g/liter) applied to Riesling grapes at 2 wk, 1 wk, 3 d, or 1 d before harvest did not affect free sulfur dioxide in either freshly processed or settled juice. This study lays the foundation for the development of a pest management strategy incorporating repellents for H. axyridis in vineyards.

Sublethal effects of Cry 1F Bt corn and clothianidin on black cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larval development.

Black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is an occasional pest of maize (corn), Zea mays L., that may cause severe stand losses and injury to corn seedlings. The efficacy of the neonicotinoid seed treatment clothianidin at two commercially available rates and their interaction with a transgenic corn hybrid (Bt corn), trait expressing the Bacillus thuringiensis variety aizawai insecticidal toxin Cry 1Fa2, against black cutworm larvae was investigated. Clothianidin at a rate of 25 mg kernel(-1) on Bt corn increased larval mortality and reduced larval weight gains additively. In contrast, weights of larvae fed non-Bt corn seedlings treated with clothianidin at a rate of 25 mg kernel(-1) increased significantly, suggesting either compensatory overconsumption, hormesis, or hormoligosis. Both Bt corn alone and clothianidin at a rate of 125 mg kernel(-1) applied to non-Bt corn seedlings caused increased mortality and reduced larval weight gains. In two field trials, plots planted with Bt corn hybrids consistently had the highest plant populations and yields, regardless of whether they were treated with clothianidin at the lower commercial rate of 25 mg kernel(-1) The use of Bt corn alone or in combination with the low rate of clothianidin (25 mg kernel(-1)) seems suitable as a means of suppressing black cutworm in no-tillage cornfields, although rescue treatments may still be necessary under severe infestations. Clothianidin alone at the low rate of 25 mg kernel(-1) is not recommended for black cutworm control until further studies of its effects on larval physiology and field performance have been completed.

Generalist predators (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Staphylinidae) associated with millipede populations in sweet potato and carrot fields and implications for millipede management.

The predatory beetle assemblage of Ontario carrot and sweet potato fields was described and assessed to identify species of interest to the control of the emerging pest millipede Cylindroiulus caeruleocinctus (Wood) (Diplopoda: Julidae). Pterostichus melanarius (Coleoptera: Carabidae) was identified as a dominant species, and seven other carabid species [Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger), Harpalus pensylvanicus (DeGeer), Ophonus puncticeps (Stephens), H. erraticus Say, Bembidion quadrimaculatum oppositum Say, Poecilus chalcites (Say), Scarites subterraneus Fabricius, and Pterostichus permundus (Say)] were identified as common species on the basis of activity density. Common species became more abundant as the growing season progressed. In laboratory bioassays, P. melanarius preyed on millipedes regardless of prey size, whereas H. erraticus never selected millipedes as prey. A significant positive spatiotemporal relationship was found between P. melanarius and C. caeruleocinctus in sweet potato fields. P. melanarius was found to be a natural enemy of C. caeruleocinctus, and other common carabid species warrant future study. The role of Staphylinidae in millipede control could not be elucidated, likely because of low trapping efficiency. Tachinus corticinus Gravenhorst, an introduced staphylinid from Europe, was newly recorded in Ontario, extending its North American range considerably westward from the province of Quebec. The results of this study are an important foundational step toward developing a successful integrated pest management strategy for controlling millipede damage in crops.

Insecticide management strategies for control of swede midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on cole crops.

Insecticide field trials were conducted in Ontario, Canada, and New York state to identify insecticides effective against the swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii Kieffer (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), a new invasive pest in North America. Field trials indicated that foliar applications of lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, acetamiprid, chlorpyrifos, and dimethoate could provide control of C. nasturtii. Foliar insecticide applications were effective in keeping damage within marketable limits in all cabbage and some broccoli trials during the early phase of regional colonization by C. nasturtii (2001-2002). However by 2005-2006, treatments were rarely able to maintain damage levels within marketable limits. Low efficacy suggested the possibility of insecticide resistance in Canadian C. nasturtii populations, but laboratory assays revealed no evidence for resistance. Thus, eventual control failures on a season-long basis were apparently due to very high populations during later phases of colonization in Ontario. Early season applications (e.g., seed treatments, greenhouse plug tray drenches and/or band sprays) of neonicotinoid insecticides proved effective for 3-5 wk after transplanting in New York. These early season treatments would require supplemental control with foliar insecticides, but would reduce the number of foliar applications required and thus reduce insecticide usage. Our results suggest that acceptable control with foliar insecticides will be difficult where C. nasturtii populations are high, because of multiple and overlapping generations, and difficulty in achieving adequate spray coverage. An integrated pest management program that uses cultural control methods and host plant resistance, with judicious use of insecticides, is needed for sustainable management of this newly invasive pest.

Assessment of risk of insect-resistant transgenic crops to nontarget arthropods.

An international initiative is developing a scientifically rigorous approach to evaluate the potential risks to nontarget arthropods (NTAs) posed by insect-resistant, genetically modified (IRGM) crops. It adapts the tiered approach to risk assessment that is used internationally within regulatory toxicology and environmental sciences. The approach focuses on the formulation and testing of clearly stated risk hypotheses, making maximum use of available data and using formal decision guidelines to progress between testing stages (or tiers). It is intended to provide guidance to regulatory agencies that are currently developing their own NTA risk assessment guidelines for IRGM crops and to help harmonize regulatory requirements between different countries and different regions of the world.

Phenology and field biology of black cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Ontario no-till corn.

Black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel), is an occasional corn, Zea mays L., pest that is attracted to no-till fields. Understanding the phenology of black cutworm in Ontario no-till corn, particularly the time of arrival of adults in relation to the onset of crop damage and the stages of larvae that coincide with vulnerable corn seedling leaf stages, is important for their effective control. Pheromone and blacklight trap captures of moths first occurred in early April, whereas significant influxes did not occur until mid- to late April. Males and females were often captured simultaneously, in contrast to findings in Iowa and Illinois where males were captured in pheromone traps on average 3 wk ahead of females or males in blacklight traps. This may be a reflection of a more mature source population for the influxes into Ontario because first captures also were later than in the United States. Females arrived mated and corn seedling cutting occurred within 137 degree-days (DD) (base 10.4 degrees C) of first capture in Ontario corn. Cutworms were present in cornfields before planting, and the mean age of larvae increased along with corn leaf stage, suggesting that no new recruitment took place after planting. The apparent synchrony between corn and cutworm phenology in the northern areas of corn production seems more related to the availability and quality of food for young larvae relative to the development of the crop then the time of arrival of moths.

Use of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner corn hybrids to determine the direct economic impact of the European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on field corn in eastern Canada.

Transgenic corn expressing Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt corn) (Maximizer and Yieldgard hybrids, Novartis Seeds), non-Bt isolines and high-performance (check) hybrids were evaluated for European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), damage and grain yield in commercial strip plots across Ontario in 1996 and 1997. Bt corn hybrids reduced stalk tunneling damage by 88-100%. In 1996, minimal damage was found in locations where only one generation of European corn borer occurred per year. Bt corn proved its greatest potential for reducing the number and length of cavities below the primary ear in locations where two generations of European corn borer were present. A yield response to using Bt hybrids only occurred when levels of tunneling damage exceeded 6 cm in length. European corn borer infestations resulted in a 6 and 2.4% reduction in yield for 1996 and 1997, respectively, when Bt hybrids were compared with their non-Bt isolines. A linear relationship was found between tunnel length per plant in centimeters (x) and yield protection (%) obtained from using Bt corn (y) (y = 1.02 + 0.005x, r2 = 0.7217). At a premium of $34.58 Canadian (CDN) perhectare for Bt corn seed, an infestation of at least 6 cm of corn borer tunneling per plant was required to break even at a market price for corn of $2.50 per bushel CDN. During the period of study, low infestations (0-2 cm) of European corn borer occurred at 25% of the locations assessed, moderate infestations (4-6 cm) occurred at 42% of the locations, and high infestations (>6 cm) occurred at 33% of the locations. At a corn price of $3.00 per bushel CDN and seed premiums of $34.58 per hectare CDN, 5 cm of tunneling was required for a return on investment in Bt seed, comprising only 55% of the growers in the study. With infestations of more than 6 cm of tunneling occurring only 33% of the time, a return on seed investment would be realized in only one of three growing seasons. At a seed premium of $24.70 per hectare CDN per year, at least $74 per hectare CDN in the year of infestation would be required to make up for the two years of no return. In this study, a $74 per hectare CDN return at a corn price of $9.26 per hectare CDN with >16 cm of tunneling damage would have occurred only 7.3% of the time.