Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1997

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Entomology and Plant Pathology

Major Professor

Craig H. Canaday

Committee Members

Gary Lentz, Charles Mullins, Mark Windham

Abstract

Studies were conducted to evaluate yellow mulch and yellow flag trap rows to control striped cucumber beetles (STCB), Acalymma vittatum (F.), and spotted cucumber beetles (SPCB), Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber, on summer squash, Cucurbita pepo cv. 'Early Prolific', and cucumber, Cucumis sativus cv. 'Straight Eight'. In 1996 and 1997, field experiments were conducted at West Tennessee Experiment Station in Jackson, TN to evaluate the effectiveness of trap plants to attract cucumber beetles in plots with 40% trap row area, located around borders, and trap plants in plots with 20% trap row area, centrally located. This experiment was also used to determine whether beetles colonized plants located in border rows or interior rows. An experimental insecticide. Bay NTN-33893 2F (imidacloprid), was used to treat all trap row plants, randomly selected production plants and randomly selected plants in control plots. Cucumber beetles were counted from imidacloprid treated plants on three dates. In the 1996 evaluation, trap row plants in plots with 20% trap row area attracted more STCB than trap row plants in plots with 40% trap row area for all sampling dates combined and on one of three sampling dates regardless of plant size. Both trap row configurations attracted more STCB than production plants or control plants. SPCB densities were not significantly different among trap plants, production plants or control plants. The distributions of STCB and SPCB were not significantly different between plants located in border rows or interior rows. In the 1997 evaluation, STCB densities were highest on production plants in plots with 20% trap row area and on plants in control plots. SPCB densities were not significantly different among trap plants, production plants or control plants. The trap row configurations used in this experiment were not effective in attracting cucumber beetles to trap row plants regardless of plant size. STCB and SPCB densities were significantly higher on plants located in border rows than on plants located in interior rows. In the summer of 1996, field experiments were conducted at West Tennessee Experiment Station in Jackson, TN and at Plateau Experiment Station in Crossville, TN to compare the effectiveness of trap plants in plots with yellow mulch versus trap plants in plots with yellow flags to attract cucumber beetles. This experiment was also used to determine whether beetles colonized plants in border rows or interior rows. An experimental insecticide, BAY NTN-33693 2F, was used to treat all trap plants, randomly selected production plants and randomly selected plants in control plots. Cucumber beetles were counted from imidacloprid treated plants on two dates at each location. STCB mean numbers were significantly higher on trap plants in plots treated with mulch than any other plant type based on combined data for both sampling dates and both locations. SPCB densities were not significantly different among plant types for either sampling date or either location. No correlation was found between STCB or SPCB mean numbers and host plant size. The distributions of STCB and SPCB were not significantly different among plants located in border rows and interior rows. Trap plants in plots with mulch trap rows were more effective in attracting STCB than trap plants in plots with flag trap rows.

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