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APRIL 1982 IN
INsecticides Applied at Planting Time
or as Foliar Sprays to Control Chinch Bugs
on Grain Sorghum
Terry Mize, Jeff Stuart, and Jeff Whitworth
In recent years large areas of the sorghum crop in
central and eastern Kansas have been damaged repeatedly by chinch bugs. The outbreak was more severe than
at any time since the 1930's and overwintering numbers
(as counted in the spring of 1981) were higher than at any
time in recorded history. Research has been underway
since the mid-1970's to identify ways of preventing or reducing damage. One approach has been to apply systemic insecticides to sorghum or corn at planting time to
provide protection to the emerging seedl ing. The most
promising method in that approach has been to apply
granular carbofuran (Furadan) infurrow. With adequate
soil moisture, it has protected the seedling plants about
3 weeks. Another approach has been to use rescue treatments by applying insecticides as foliar sprays directed
toward the base of the plants where the bugs are congregated. In previous studies we have obtained an excellent
degree of knockdown with carba-ryl (Sevin) or carbofuran (Furadan) applied in this manner. Observations and
data do indicate, however, that most foliar applied insecticides have a relatively short period of residual performance and must be applied frequently under conditions
of reinfestation.
In 1981 we continued our studies on both plantingtime and foliar treatments using both labeled and experimental nonlabeled compounds. Results for 1981 are presented here.
Agricultural Experiment Station
Kansas State University
Manhattan 66506
Keeping Up With Research 57
Cont. 82-301-s. Department of Entomology, Kansas Agricultural
Experiment Station, Manhattan, Kansas 66506.
April1982
Publications and public meetings· by the Kansas
Agricultural Experiment Station are available and
opeh to the public regardless of race, color, national
origin, sex, or religion.
4-82--'-SM
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
Kansas State University, Manhattan
John O. Dunbar, Director
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and Cooperative Extension Service has been archived.
Current information: http://www.ksre.ksu.edu.
Table 1 . Insecticides applied to sorghum at planting time to control chinch bugs. Test 1 . Manhattan, Kansas 1981.
Insecticide Status3
In the first test on sorghum planted next to wheat on
june 5, granular applications were applied at planting
and evaluated at 11 a nd 18 days af terwards (Table 1 ). The
infurrow treatment of carbofu ran and Tattoo significantly reduced chinch bug numbers and increased plant
survival. In the second test on sorghum planted June 17,
granular and liquid formulations were evaluated at 10,
20 and 29 days after planting (Table 2). At day 10 all
treatm ents had significantly reduced chinch bug numbers. At day 20, only plants treated with liqu id carbofuran (Furadan 4F) combined w it h l iquid fertilizer or wit h
RH 9358, an exper im ental insecticide, were infested with
significantly fewer bugs than were the untreat ed c heck
plants. At 29 days, o nly plots treated with liquid carbof uran (Furadan 4F pl us f ertilizer), Advant age 4EC pl us
f ert ilizer or Furadan 4F alone at 1 lb. Al/acre had significant ly fewer stunted plants than d id the untreated or
t hose with liquid fertilizer alone.
lb. AI/acre Place40" rows ment
Mean no. %
bugs1,2 surv ival
6/16
6/23
NR
NR
15G
1.0
Furrow
26.4 a
4.3 c
15G
1 .0
Band
R
R
NR
15G
1.0
Furrow
Furadan
Furadan
10G
10G
1 .0
1 .0
+ 1 .0
Furrow
Furrow
+ 4"
below
furrow
22.9 ab 0.3 c
21 .6 ab 1.7 c
79.6 b
11 .3 c
8.2 c 91.0 a
7.2 c 88.3 a
Tattoo
NR
10G
1.0
Furrow
Counter
Results with the use o f planting time insecticides
Form.
Counter
Untreated
Furada n
6.4c
84.3 ab
1 Bugs counted on 5 plants per replication.
2 Means:followed by the same letter in the same column are not significantly different at the .OS level. Waller-Duncan K Ratio T. Test.
LSD- 7.04.
3 R = Registered for use; NR = Experimental. not registered.
Table 2 . Insecticides applied to sorghum at planting time to control chinch bugs. Test 2. Manhattan, Kansas 1981 .
Chemica l
Untreated
liquid fertilizer
Advantage+
fert ilizer
Counter
Advantage
Cou nter
Advantage
Furadan
Tattoo
RH 9358
Furadan
Furadan +
ferti lizer
Furadan
Furadan
RH 9358
Status3
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
R
NR
NR
R
R
R
NR
NR
Form.
4EC
At/acre
40 " rows
1.0
Mean no. bugs plant1.2
Placement
4.9 b
4.7 be
4.5 bed
1.0
Furrow
4EC
15G
4EC
2.0
1 .0
1.0
1.0
1.0
Furrow
Ba nd
Furrow
Furrow
Furrow
Band
Furrow
Furrow
5G
10G
4F
4F
4F
SG
1 .0
1.0
1 .0
1 .0
2.0
2.0
20days
17.5 a
Fu rrow
15G
15G
10G
10 days
10.5 a
10.4 a
Furrow
Furrow
Band
4.4 bed
3.6 bed
3.4 bcde
3.3 bcde
2.9 bcde
2.7 bcde
2.3 bcde
2.0 cde
1.7 de
0.8 e
17.9 a
15.6 ab
15.1 ab
17.6 a
15.0 ab
18.5 a
16.7 a
17.9 a
17.6 a
15.0 a b
% plants stunted2
29 days
72.0a
79.6a
29.0 cd
72.3 a
56.0abc
49.0abc
66.0ab
12.4b
62.0 abc
73.0a
68.3 ab
56.6 abc
9.3 d
15.5 ab
15.7 ab
12.9 b
34.0 bed
59.6 abc
68.3.ab
1 Twenty bug cages per plant on 4 plants per replicate. Surviving bug count made after bugs were allowed to feed for 2 days.
2 Means with the same letter are not significantly different at 5% level.
3 R- Registered; NR - Experimental, not registered.
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good i nitial and residual control, deserves further st udy.
I n Test 2, a few treatment s showed residual activity on
the 4th day but by the 14t h day, only Endrin, Lorsban at
0.75 lb. A l/acre, and FCR 1272 at 1.0 lb. AI/acre were con·
tinuing to p rovide some control,
Results with foliar applied insecticides
In two tests involving grain sorghum at Manhattan
in 1981, we evaluated vario us labeled and experimental
nonlabeled compounds in foliar applications for chinch
bug control. In these studies, t he initial k nockdown of
chinch bugs was indicated in the counts that were made
one day after treatment, and residual performance noted
4, 8, and 14 days after the treatment counts. All insect icides significant ly reduced chinch bug numbers, as
counted one day aft er treatment. The degree of reduction, howeve-r, ranged from 99.7% w ith f envalorat e (Pydrin) to 19.3% with phorat e (Thimet 15G) in Test 1 (Table 3); and from 100% with FC R 1272 t o 26% with Aspon
at-the 1 'il lb. per acre rate in Test 2 (Table 4). Of t he in·
secticides labeled for chinch b ugs on sorghum in the first
t est, Lorsban at the .7.5":1b. rate gave the best residual performance as judged at ·4, 8, and 14 days after treatment
FCR 1272, an experi mental compound t hat also provided
Discussion
Our studies indicated that infurrow applications of
liquid carbofuran are as effective as granular formu lations. The liquid m ight have a slight advantage under dry
soil conditions; that difference, however, m ight not be
enough t o warrant the additional hazard encou ntered in
handl ing the liquid solu tions during the busy process of
planting. The use of carbofuran as a liquid combined in a
tank mix with a starter fertilizer, applied infurrow at planting time, appeared to offer some advantage in t erms
Table 3. Efficacy of fo liar insecticides on chinch bugs on grain sorghum. Te st 1. Manhattan, Kansas 1981 .
Mean No. Chinch Bugsabe
Treatment
Untreated
Untreated
Thimet
Trithion
Aspon
Trithion
Oncol
Aspon
Endrin
lorsban
l o rsban
Dyfonate
lorsban
Sevin
Sumithio n
Endrin
Advantage
l o rsban
Amaze
Furad an
FCR 1272
FCR 1272
FCR 1272
Pydrin
Sta tusf
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
R
R
NR
R
R
NR
NR
NR
R
NR
R
NR
NR
NR
NR
Form.
15G
8E
6E
8E
40% EC
6E
1.6EC
4E +oil
4E
4E
4E
4SLR
8E
1.6
4 EC
4E + oil
6E
4F
200EC
200EC
200EC
2.4EC
Rate
(lbs. A.I./Al
1 .0 :
0.5
3.0
1.0
0.5
1.5 .
0.25:
0.5 :
0.75
1 .0 '
0.5
1 .5
0.5 :
0.5
0.5
0.75:
0.5 :
0.5 :
0.05
0.10
0.025
0.15
1 DATC
4 DAT
7/17
7/21
7/24
21.8 a
16.6 b
13.4 c
6.3 c
4.4 d
3.0de·
2.9 de
2.1 e f
1 .5 efg
1.5 efg
0.9 fg
0.9fg
0.8fg
0.7 fg
0.7 fg
0.6 fg
0.5 fg
0.5fg
0.4fg
0.3 g
0.3 g
0.1 g
0.1 g
0.05
28.9ab
22.9 c
24.9 be
24.8bc
30.7 a
22.5 cd
25.6 be
22.8 c
1 5.0gh
11 .6 gh
11 .3gh
18.5 def
14.5 fg
24.5 be
18.2 ef
6.5 h
22.5 cd
9.9h
17.9 ef
21.6 cd e
3.4 i
1.4 i
4.0i
1.0 i
19.8 ab
19.5 ab
18.2 abed
21.0 a
19.0 abc
17.9 abed
21.1 a
17.8 a bed
13.0 def
16.6 bcd e
11.2 f
17.0 abcde
14.0 def
18.5 abc
17.1 abcde
6.0g
abc
6.7 g
16.9 bcde
13.3 ef
15.1 cdef
4.5 g
19.8 ab
12.0 f
8DAT
a Average of 3 replications, 8 plants per replicate.
b Means in the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the .05 level. Waller-Duncan K·Ratio T Test.
!
c DAT = Days after treatment
d Counts made only on treatmen"ts showing consistent residual activity.
e LSD for counts on 7/17,7/21,7/24, and 7/30:1.71, 4.22. 4.0, and 3.16, re spectively.
f R = Registered. NR = Experimental, not registered.
14 DAT
24.2 a
9.7 be
10.0 be
5.4d
8.1 cd
6.5 cd
12.7 b
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of reduced injury to sorghum plants. The current Kansas
24(c) label, written so as to not prohibit it from being
combined w ith starter fertilizer, allows Furadan 4F to be
applied as a liquid infurrow treatment. But the user does
that at his own risk, and a few growers have reported severe stand losses where Furadan 4F combined with certain starter fertil.i zer mixtures had been used. Growers
are advised to investigate that possibility closely with
chem ical representatives and fertilizer dealers before
elec ting to use this approach.
The results of our foliar studies showed that carbaryl (Sevin), carbofura n (Furadan 4F), chlorpyrif os (Lorsban 4E), all of which are registered for controllin g chinch
bugs on sorghum, gave good initial control of chinch
bugs under the conditions of these two studies, and
showed that chlorpyrif os (Lorsban 4E) might have some
advantage in residual performan ce in controllin g infestations if a continuing migration into the field is expected.
Table 4. Efficacy of foliar insecticides on c hinch bugs on grain sorghum. Test 2. Manhattan
, Kansa,s 1981.
Mean no. chinch bugsabe
Treatment
Untreated
Untreated
Aspon
Thimet
Trithion
Oncol
Aspon
Trithion
Sum ithion
Lorsban
Dyfonate
Advantage
Endrin
Sevin
Enqrin
l orsban
Amaze
lorsban
lorsban
Furadan
FCR 1272
FCR 1271
Pydrin
FCR 1272
Statusf
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
R
NR
NRNR
R
NR
R
NR
R
R
R
NR
NR
NR
NR
Form.
6E
15G
BE
40%EC
6E
BE
BE
4E
4E
4EC
1.6EC
4SlR
1 .6E
4E
6E
4E +oil
4E +oil
4F
200EC
200EC
2.4 EC
200EC
Rate
(lbs AI/a}
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.5
3.0
1.0
0.5
0.5
1.0
0.5
0.25
1.5
0.5
0.75
0.5
0.5
0.75
0.5
0.10
0.15
0.05
1 DAT3
4DAT
7/17 '
7/21
16.2 a
14.0 b
12.0 c
9.7d
6.7 c
5.8 ef
5.2 ef
4.0 f
2.0g
1.4 g
1.3 g
1 .3 g
1 .2 g
1.1 g
1 .0g
0.9g
0.8:g
0.4g
0.3 g
0.3 g
0 .1 g
0.08g
0.04g
26.7 ab
23.3 bed
27.3 ab
24.0 abc
27.1 ab
23.9 be
23.7 be
23.8 be
21.3 cde
26.4 abc
18.1 def
14.8 fg
20.3 cdef
25.0 abc
13.5 ghij
7.7 hij
17.3 ef
14.8 fg
11 .3 gh
29.8 a
2.7j
10.4 ghi
5.1 ij
7.6hij
8DAT
7/24
27.8 bcde
25.8 cdefg
32.4b
24.9 cde f
29.8 be
28.5 be d
26.5 cdef
39.8a
26.8 bcdef
.23.0 defg
22.4 efg
15.5 ij
15.7 ghi
30.7 be
14.4 hi
14.7 ij
22.4 efg
21 .5 fgh
11.7 j
24.3 cdefg
10.3 j
28.5 bed
16.0 hij
20.3 ghi
14DATd
7/30
21.2 a
7.0 c
6.2 c
9.3bc
13.0b
12.8b
19.8 a
a Average of 3 replications, 8 plants per replicate.
b Means in the same column followed by the same letters are not significantly different at the
.05 level. Duncan's new multiple range test 7/17; WallerDuncan K Ration T Test 7/21 , 7/24. and 7/30.
c OAT = Days after treatment.
d Counts made only on treatments showing consistent residual activity.
e LSD for 7/21, 7/24, and 7/30: 5.29, 5.81, and 4.78, respectively.
f R = Registered; NR = Experimenta l, not registered.