Comparative Efficacy of Imidacloprid as Seed Treatment Insecticide against Sucking Insects and their Predators in the Wheat Crop

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 1-Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt. (AS) 2-Biology Department, Aljumum University College, Umm Al - Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (SQ)

2 Biology Department, Aljumum University College, Umm Al - Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (SQ)

Abstract

Sucking insects are the most serious insect pests in wheat crops; the harmful effect of aphid in wheat plants is due to sucking of plant sap, honeydew excretion and causing many diseases by transport of plant viruses. The experiment was carried out at Sakha Agric. Res. Station farm during 2017-2018 on wheat Giza 171 growing season. The insecticide used is Imidacloprid (Nofedor 600 FS.) The present study was designed to evaluate comparative efficacy of imidacloprid as seed dressing formulation against sucking insects (Schizaphis graminum, Nezara viridula, Empoasca spp.) as well as their predators; Chrysoperla carena, Labidura riparia, Scymunus spp. and true spiders in two types of wheat sowing (Drill and Broadcast) in the wheat crop field. The results according to analysis of variance showed that there was a significant variation among the insect’s reduction in all-season periods as a result of treatment of the wheat seeds before sowing with imidacloprid in the Broadcast and drill sowing. Whereas there is no significant effect of the treatment when comparing S. graminum in different sowing methods, also there was a non-significant effect of the treatment on S. graminum in broadcast method versus N. viridula, Empoasca spp. and predators. While, the number of seeds/spikes, Weight of 100 seeds (gm) and the Germination increasing % in Broadcast sowing were more than that in Drill sowing by 1.31,1.11 and 1.11 respectively. Thus, it could be concluded that the broadcast sowing is suitable economically for farmers than drill sowing methods when using imidacloprid as seed dressing before cultivation for sucking insect control as well as its predators.

Keywords