title: Rainfastness of insecticides used to control Japanese beetle in blueberries.
abstract: Field-based bioassays were used to determine the relative impact of rainfall on the relative toxicity of four insecticides, phosmet, carbaryl, zeta-cypermethrin, or imidacloprid, from different chemical classes on adult Japanese beetles, Popillia japonica Newman, in highbush blueberries, Vaccinium corymbosum L. Bioassays were set up 24 h after spraying occurred and Japanese beetle condition was scored as alive, knockdown or immobile 1, 24, and 48 h after bioassay setup. All insecticides were significantly more toxic than the untreated control and zeta-cypermethrin consistently had the greatest toxic effect against the Japanese beetles. All insecticides experienced a decrease in efficacy after simulated rainfall onto treated blueberry shoots, although the efficacy of zeta-cypermethrin was the least affected by rainfall. This study will help blueberry growers make informed decisions on when reapplications of insecticides are needed in the field with the aim of improving integrated pest management (IPM).
authors.affiliation: Michigan State University, Department of Entomology, 206 Center for Integrated Plant Systems, East Lansing, MI 48824-1311, USA. hulbertd@msu.edu
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hulbert
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reeb
authors.forename: Rufus
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Isaacs
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vandervoort
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erhardt
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wise
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D029798:Blueberry Plants; D001517:Coleoptera; D005260:Female; D007300:Insect Control; D007306:Insecticides; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D011891:Rain
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides