ABSTRACT
The effect of neonicotinoid insecticides (acetamiprid, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam) and growth regulators (buprofezin and pyriproxyfen) were evaluated for the control of citrus mealybug Planococcus citriin vineyards. The experiments were conducted in the greenhouse (1-year-old plants) and in a commercial vineyard (15-year-old plants) using the Cabernet Sauvignon cultivar. The insecticides acetamiprid (Mospilan, 0.6 g a.i./plant), imidacloprid (Confidor 700 GRDA, 0.7 g a.i./plant) and thiamethoxam (Actara 250 WG, 0.75 g a.i./plant) were applied into the soil using 200 and 1,000 mL of water per plant for the 1and 15year-old plants, respectively. In foliar spraying the insecticides acetamiprid (Mospilan, 6 a.i./100 L), buprofezin (Applaud 250, 25 g a.i./100 L), imidacloprid (Confidor 700 GRDA, 7g a.i./100 L), pyriproxyfen (Tiger 100 CE, 10 g a.i./100 L), tiametoxam (Actara 250 WG, 7.5 g a.i./100 L) and a control (only water) were evaluated only in 15-year-old plants. At 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 60 days after insecticide application in the experiments applied into the soil and at 1, 5 and 10 days after foliar spraying, the leaves were removed from the plants and infested in the laboratory with first-instar nymphs (crawlers) from artificial rearing. In new plantings, the neonicotinoid insecticides acetamiprid, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam provided a mortality of 82, 94 and 82%, respectively, up to 35 days after application (DAA). In adult plants, only the insecticide imidacloprid reduced the infestation by 63% up to 7 DAA. The insecticides applied by foliar spraying – acetamiprid, buprofezin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and pyriproxyfen – were not effective for the control of P. citri in vineyards following the residual contact methodology.
KEY WORDS
Citrus mealybug; chemical control; grapes
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