Impact of Planting Date and Insecticide Application Methods on Melanaphis sorghi (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Infestation and Forage Type Sorghum Yield.

Studies on the management of the invasive Melanaphis sorghi are essential to refining integrated pest management strategies against M. sorghi in forage sorghum in the USA. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of planting date (early planting and late planting) and in-furrow and foliar insecticide application of flupyradifurone, on M. sorghi infestation and forage sorghum yield in Tifton, Georgia and Florence, South Carolina, USA, in 2020 and 2021. Early planted sorghum supported slightly higher aphid density and severity of infestation as evident in the greater cumulative insect days values in the early planted sorghum at both Florence and Tifton in 2020 and 2021. A single foliar application reduced aphid infestations below the threshold level of 50 aphids per leaf. In contrast, in-furrow insecticidal application in selected plots at both locations significantly suppressed M. sorghi density to near-zero levels. Yield results in Florence in 2020 showed that sorghum yield was over 50% greater in early planted plots compared to late planted plots. Both insecticide treatments (foliar and in-furrow) resulted in significantly higher yield than untreated plots. These data indicate that early planting coupled with in-furrow and foliar insecticide applications can suppress M. sorghi infestations and improve silage production in forage sorghum in the USA.

Integrating Management Practices to Decrease Deoxynivalenol Contamination in Soft Red Winter Wheat.

Fusarium graminearum, the major causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat (Triticum aestivum) in the U.S., can produce mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol (DON), during infection. Contamination of wheat grain with DON is a major concern for wheat producers and millers, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set advisory levels for DON in finished wheat products for human and animal consumption. Practices utilized to manage FHB and DON contamination include planting wheat cultivars with moderate resistance to FHB and applying efficacious fungicides at the beginning of anthesis. Under severe epidemics, DON contamination can exceed FDA advisory levels despite implementation of these measures. Additionally, fungicide efficacy can be limited when anthesis is not uniform among plants in the field, which can occur when planting is delayed or if there is non-uniform seedling establishment. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of (1) in-furrow phosphorus application at planting and seeding rate on heading and anthesis uniformity, FHB symptomology, DON contamination, grain yield, yield components, and test weight; and (2) harvesting at different grain moisture concentrations on FHB symptomology, DON contamination, grain yield and test weight. Field trials were established in Princeton, Kentucky, from 2017 to 2019, to evaluate in-furrow phosphorus application at planting (0 kg P2O5 ha-1 and 47 kg P2O5 ha-1); seeding rate (377 live seeds m-2 and 603 live seeds m-2); and grain moisture at harvest (20 to 22% and 13 to 15%). In-furrow phosphorus increased grain yield and spikes m-2, but had no effect on heading and anthesis uniformity or DON contamination. The 603 live seeds m-2 seeding rate decreased the number of days to Zadoks 60 for the November planted wheat, and decreased FHB incidence, but did not decrease DON contamination. Harvesting at 20 to 22% grain moisture decreased Fusarium damaged kernel ratings and percent kernel infection but increased DON contamination in the harvested grain. Although in-furrow phosphorus, seeding rate, and harvesting 20 to 22% grain moisture did not decrease DON contamination, there is potential for these treatments to alleviate negative effects of late planted wheat grown in stressful environments.

Efficacy and Profitability of Insecticide Treatments for Tomato Spotted Wilt Management on Peanut in South Carolina.

Tomato spotted wilt (TSW) is a common and serious disease of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) caused by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV; family Tospoviridae, genus Orthotospovirus). Management frequently uses an integrated approach, with cultivar resistance and application of in-furrow insecticide as two critical components. In-furrow insecticides help suppress thrips, which can injure and stunt young growing plants and transmit TSWV, with postemergent application of acephate capable of providing additional thrips control. To examine effects of systemic insecticides (imidacloprid, imidacloprid plus fluopyram, phorate, and acephate) on TSW management, yield, and economic return across cultivar susceptibilities (susceptible, moderately susceptible, and resistant) in South Carolina, a meta-analysis was used to synthesize results from 32 studies conducted between 2009 and 2018. Although efficacy and magnitude of individual treatments varied with susceptibility, imidacloprid increased, whereas phorate generally decreased TSW incidence relative to nontreated controls. In-furrow treatments followed by acephate further reduced TSW incidence and increased profitability. All examined treatments improved yield compared with untreated peanuts except for susceptible cultivars treated with imidacloprid. Imidacloprid plus fluopyram increased yield more than imidacloprid alone for the susceptible group, although there was little difference between these treatments in association with moderately susceptible cultivars. When comparing individual applications, phorate was overall the most profitable option across susceptibilities, although imidacloprid plus fluopyram exhibited analogous profitability for susceptible cultivars. Results from this study can be used to assist producer selection of management options for TSW in peanut.

Changes in the Phenotype of Winter Wheat Varieties Released Between 1920 and 2016 in Response to In-Furrow Fertilizer: Biomass Allocation, Yield, and Grain Protein Concentration.

Plant breeding has increased the yield of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) over decades, and the rate of genetic gain has been faster under high fertility in some countries. However, this response is not universal, and limited information exists on the physiological traits underlying the interaction between varieties and fertilization. Thus, our objectives were to identify the key shifts in crop phenotype in response to selection for yield and quality, and to determine whether historical and modern winter wheat varieties respond differently to in-furrow fertilizer. Factorial field experiments combined eight winter wheat varieties released between 1920 and 2016, and two fertilizer practices [control versus 112 kg ha-1 in-furrow 12 -40-0-10-1 (N-P-K-S-Zn)] in four Kansas environments. Grain yield and grain N-removal increased nonlinearly with year of release, with greater increases between 1966 and 2000. In-furrow fertilizer increased yield by ~300 kg ha-1 with no variety × fertility interaction. Grain protein concentration related negatively to yield, and the residuals of this relationship were unrelated to year of release. Yield increase was associated with changes in thermal time to critical growth stages, as modern varieties had shorter vegetative period and longer grain filling period. Yield gains also derived from more kernels m-2 resultant from more kernels head-1. Historical varieties were taller, had thinner stems, and allocated more biomass to the stem than semidwarf varieties. Yield gains resulted from increases in harvest index and not in biomass accumulation at grain filling and maturity, as shoot biomass was similar among varieties. The allometric exponent (i.e., the slope between log of organ biomass and log of shoot biomass) for grain increased with, and for leaves was unrelated to, year of release. The ability of modern varieties to allocate more biomass to the kernels coupled to an early maturity increased grain yield and grain N-removal over time. However, increases in grain yield were greater than increases in grain N-removal, reducing grain protein concentration in modern varieties.

Tecnologia de aplicação de agrotóxicos no controle de fitonematoides em soja / Technology application technology of pesticides for control of soybean nematodes

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes sistemas de aplicação tratamento de sementes (TS), sulco de semeadura (Sulco) e associação de ambos (TS + Sulco) e tratamentos químicos no controle de Pratylenchus brachyurus e Meloydogine javanica, em condição de campo e ambiente controlado em vaso. O delineamento utilizado foi de blocos ao acaso, com parcelas subdivididas, em que, nas parcelas principais, foram alocados três sistemas de aplicação: tratamento de sementes, aplicação no sulco + tratamento de sementes (duas vezes a dose) e aplicação no sulco. As subparcelas foram constituídas de diferentes tratamentos químicos: testemunha; abamectina + tiametoxam + fludioxonil + metalaxil-M + tiabendazol (30+42+1,5+1,2+9g i.a. ha-1); imidacloprido + tiodicarbe + carbendazim + tiram (63+189+18+42g i.a. ha-1); fipronil + tiofanato-metílico + piraclostrobina (30+27+3g i.a. ha-1); carbofurano + carbendazim + tiram (420+18+42g i.a. ha-1). Avaliou-se a população de fitonematoides no sistema radicular (campo e ambiente controlado), área foliar e massa seca de parte aérea (ambiente controlado). A associação de TS + sulco resultou em maior eficácia e efeito residual de controle dos nematoides. O tratamento com abamectina + tiametoxam + fludioxonil + metalaxil-M + tiabendazol promoveu os maiores níveis de controle, com benefícios expressivos no desenvolvimento das plantas.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different application systems seed treatment (ST), in-furrow application and association of both (ST + in-furrow) and chemical treatments for control of Pratylenchus brachyurus and Meloydogine javanica under field condition and controlled atmosphere in pots. The experimental design was a randomized block, with split plot and four replications. In the main plots were allocated three application systems: seed treatment, in-furrow + seed treatment (double dose) and in-furrow. The subplots were composed of different chemical treatments: check, abamectin + thiamethoxam + fludioxonil + metalaxyl-M + thiabendazole (30+42+9+1.5+1.2g a.i. ha-1), imidacloprid + thiodicarb + carbendazim + thiram (63+189+18+42g a.i. ha-1), fipronil + thiophanate-methyl + pyraclostrobin (30+27+3g a.i. ha-1), carbofuran + carbendazim + thiram (420+18+42g a.i. ha-1). It was evaluated the population of nematodes in the roots (field and controlled atmosphere), leaf area and shoot dry weight (controlled atmosphere). It was found that association of TS + in-furrow application provided higher efficacy and residual effect for nematode control under field and controlled atmosphere conditions. The treatment with abamectin + thiamethoxam + fludioxonil + metalaxyl-M + thiabendazole delivered greatest levels of control, with significant benefits in plant development.