Insecticide Characteristics:
Table 3 gives characteristics of different insecticides or classes of insecticide. The first column is a relative estimate of efficacy against CM. Efficacy is presented as a range of the percentage an insecticide reduced fruit injury (entries plus stings) relative to an untreated control. The relative efficacy is based on a season-long control program using a particular insecticide. Each insecticide has its own unique timing and re-treatment interval based on the targeted life stage and length of residual control. For example, Guthion provides a high level of efficacy with 4 applications per season (2 per generation) while Sevin or Success applied 6 times (3 per generation) does not provide the level of control achieved with Guthion. The third column in this table is an approximate cost per acre of an application. These costs are for the insecticide only and do not include the expense required to make an application. The values presented are suggested retail prices provided by several agricultural chemical distributors. The range of cost reflects different application rates of different insecticides included in the row. Most of the newer insecticides are more expensive than the traditional insecticides – those in the first three rows. This makes sense since newer technology costs more than older technology, no matter where you find it. The final column indicates the way different insecticides act on CM. The insecticides in the first three rows all affect CM larvae by contact, that is, walking across a residue of these products kills CM larvae. The other insecticides act either by ingestion (Assail, Calypso, Intrepid, CM virus, and Success) or direct contact with the CM egg (Esteem, Rimon, and mineral oil or Intrepid, which also acts as an ovicide). Spray coverage of the foliage and fruit is much more important with new insecticide technologies because CM larvae must ingest the insecticide while entering the fruit or eggs must come into direct contact with residues. If spray coverage was not optimal with older insecticides they would still provide some control of CM as they crawled across foliage and fruit contacting toxic residues. Sloppy application practices will not work with new insecticides. CM control failures with new insecticides will most likely arise from poor application practices.
Table 3. Characteristics of different insecticides based on CM control.
| Insecticide | Relative |
No. of
applications 2 |
Approximate
$/acre/appl. 3 |
Exposure
method |
| Guthion, Imidan | 90-99
|
4
|
$22-35
|
Contact
|
| Sevin | 70-80
|
6
|
$10
|
Contact
|
| Warrior, Danitol, Asana | 85-95
|
4-6
|
$12-21
|
Contact
|
| Intrepid | 60-75
|
6
|
$30-35
|
Ingestion
|
| Assail, Calypso 4 | 85-95
|
4
|
$40-45
|
Ingestion
|
| Esteem 4 | 40-50
|
4
|
$35
|
Contact (egg)
|
| Rimon 5 | 90-95
|
6
|
($35)
|
Contact (egg)
|
| CM virus | 50-60
|
6-8
|
$30
|
Ingestion
|
| Success | 75-85
|
6
|
$35
|
Ingestion
|
| Mineral oil | 50-60
|
6-8
|
$5
|
Contact (egg)
|
- Range (%) of suppression of fruit injury (entries and stings) relative to an untreated orchard.
- The number of applications per year to achieve the level of suppression (relative efficacy)
- Cost of one application of the insecticide(s).
- These products cannot be used this many times in a season so the number of applications is just for comparative purposes.
- Price not yet established.