EFFICACY OF VOLIAM INSECTICIDES AGAINST CATERPILLAR
PESTS OF COLLARDS AND EFFECTS OF POST-APPLICATION
OVERHEAD IRRIGATION
Alton N. Sparks, Jr., Extension Entomologist
University of Georgia, Tifton Campus
P.O. Box 748
Tifton, GA 31794
asparks@uga.edu
Introduction
Voliam xpress and Voliam flexi are pre-mix insecticides recently labeled by Syngenta.
Both products contain chlorantraniliprole combined with thiamethoxam (Voliam flexi) or
lambda-cyhalothrin (Voliam xpress). While both of these products are registered for foliar uses
only, both chlorantraniliprole and thiamethoxam have systemic activity when applied in the soil.
It is possible that an irrigation or rain event after of foliar application may not have the same
adverse effect experienced with non-systemic insecticides. This test was conducted to evaluate
the efficacy of Voliam express and Voliam flexi against caterpillar pests of cole crops and the
influence of a simulated irrigation event shortly after application. A transplant drench with
Durivo was included for comparison.
Materials and Methods
Collards were transplanted into single rows on six foot beds for this test, but were treated
as a 3 foot row. Plots were 20 feet long and were established in a randomized complete block
design with four replications. Insecticides evaluated were Voliam flexi 40WG (at 7 oz/ac) and
Voliam xpress 1.25ZC (at 9 oz/ac). A row drench treatment with Durivo (at 13 oz/ac) was
included as a standard for a systemic application. A non-treated check was included for
comparison.
The Durivo row drench was applied in 3 liters of water per row in a 4 inch band on 30
July, 2009. Foliar applications of both Voliam products were made with a CO2 pressurized
backpack sprayer (60 psi) in 40 gpa, with 3 hollow-cone nozzles per row. Foliar applications,
with and without post-application irrigation (wash-off), were made on 31 July and 25 August.
Plots assigned to the “wash-off” treatments received overhead watering shortly after application.
The first application wash was done with about 3 gallons or water per plot and the second
application wash was done with 6 liters per row (both on a roughly 12 inch band over the plants).
To monitor insect densities, five randomly selected plants were visually examined for
insects in each plot on each sample date. All caterpillars were identified and counted. For
damaged plant counts, all plants in each plot were visually examined. Those with moderate or
severe feeding damage (obvious holes through the leaves) were counted in each plot. Data were
analyzed with the PROC ANOVA procedure of PC-SAS. Where significant differences were
detected (P<0.05) means were separated with LSD (P=0.05).
45
Results and Discussion
The Durivo drench treatment maintained insect counts below 1 per 5 plants through 28
days after application and provided statistically similar control to the foliar treatments throughout
the test (up to 36 days after the drench application). Durivo provided suppression of damage
through 28 days after drenching. The foliar treatments and the foliar+washoff treatments
performed similarly throughout the test. Pest pressure was light following the first application
until 24 days after application, when all the foliar treatments provided a non-statistical
suppression of insect counts. Following the second application, all four treatments provided good
control through 10 days after application (last counts taken). Damaged plant counts did not show
much affect from the foliar treatments as damage was already present prior to the second
application (however, all four treatments did show numerical increases by 13 days after the
second application; other data has shown similar trends for foliar applications of
chlorantraniliprole). The wash-off treatments did not hurt efficacy of the foliar treatments, but
did not appear to have the residual activity of the Durivo drench (based on numerical differences
in damage on 24 and 27 Aug).
46
Voliam wash-off test, collards, Horticulture Farm, Tifton, Georgia, 2009.
Treatment
Number of caterpillars (all species) per 5 plants
5 Aug
11 Aug
17 Aug
24 Aug
27 Aug
Check
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
5.00 a
2.75 a
V. flexi
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.25 a
1.75 a
0.25 b
V. xpress
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.25 a
1.25 a
0.00 b
V. flexi+wash
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
1.50 a
0.00 b
V. xpress+wash
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
3.00 a
0.00 b
Durivo drench
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.25 a
0.50 b
DAT foliar
5
11
17
24
2
DAT drench
6
12
18
25
28
1 Sept
10.25 a
0.50 b
1.00 b
0.50 b
0.25 b
3.75 b
7
33
4 Sept
9.50 a
0.00 b
0.00 b
0.50 b
1.50 b
1.50 b
10
36
No. damaged plants per plot
24 Aug
27 Aug
7 Sept
5.25 a
6.00 a
9.75 a
2.50 ab
3.50 a
5.00 c
3.75 a
5.00 a
5.25 bc
4.25 a
3.00 a
5.00 c
5.50 a
5.50 a
7.75 ab
0.50 b
1.25 a
6.50 bc
24
2
13
25
28
39
47