INSECTICIDES FOR PEPPER WEEVIL CONTROL IN BELL PEPPER, SPRING 2013

Programs of insecticides were compared to a non-treated check for pepper weevil control in field-grown bell pepper at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, Wimauma, FL in the spring of 2013. ‘Tom Cat’ transplants were set on 5 Mar, 12 inches apart within row, in 8-inch-high and 32-inch-wide beds, spaced on 5-ft centers, of Myakka fine sand, covered with white virtually impermeable mulch. Each plot consisted of three adjacent 20-plant rows and was separated by 10 ft of unplanted bed within rows and 12 ft between rows. Treatments were replicated four times in a RCB design. Drip injected soil treatments were applied through one of two irrigation tubes in 245 gpa, then flushed with 545 gpa. The irrigation tube emitters were spaced at 12 inches and had a flow rate of 0.25 gal/h at 10 psi (Table 1). Foliar treatments were applied with a high clearance, self propelled sprayer, pressurized to 200 psi, fitted with four Albuz orange nozzles per row and calibrated to deliver 60 gpa (Table 1). Fruit were harvested from the middle ten plants of the middle row of a plot on 23 May. Fruit infested with pepper weevil were separated first, then fruit which were free of pepper weevil were graded as marketable or cull according to USDA standards. Fruit in all categories were counted and weighed. The data were subjected to ANOVA. The percentage of pepper weevil damage was calculated [% damage=(damaged fruit/total fruit)×100] on a numerical and weight basis and transformed arcsine[√(% damage/100)] prior to ANOVA. Means were separated by Fisher’s Protected LSD (P=0.05). Means were reported in the original scale.