Residual Efficacy and Systemic Nature of the Diamide Insecticides

Soybeans, Glycine max are the third most valuable row crop commodity in Mississippi. The insect order Lepidoptera is the most yield limiting insect order of soybeans. In 2012, this order was responsible for approximately 69 million dollars in yield losses and control costs. Of the insects in this order the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea is the most damaging and difficult to control pest. In recent years the diamides, a new class of insecticides, have been labeled for Lepidoptera control in Mississippi. A series of experiments were conducted to determine the residual efficacy and systemic nature of the diamide insecticides with chlorantraniliprole and flubendiamide. Flubendiamide had similar residual activity as chlorantraniliprole but did not exhibit the same systemic properties as chlorantraniliprole.