Spinosad reduces the population of flea beetle (Altica sylvia Malloch) larvae in lowbush blueberry

Josée Owen¹*, Erica Fava¹, Shai Ben-Shalom² and Serge LeBlanc¹

Abstract
Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.), grown on more than 23,000 ha in eastern Canada, suffers yield losses when the flea beetle Altica sylvia (Malloch) feeds on its leaves and buds. Trichlorfon is registered to control blueberry flea beetles, but with no import tolerance in the US, Canadian growers cannot use it on fruit destined for south of the border.

An AAFC Pest Management Centre study evaluated the efficacy of spinosad, a reduced risk insecticide, in reducing flee beetle populations in lowbush blueberry at two sites in northeastern New Brunswick in 2006.

At each site, a check-plus-standard-plus-factorial design with four replicates was established. The check plots were untreated. The standard consisted of trichlorfon (Dylox 420L) applied according to label instructions. The other treatments were spinosad (Success 480SC) in combinations of timing (targeting larva or adult), rates (79.2 or 105.6 g a.i. ha-1) and number of applications (1 or 3).

Analysis of variance showed that spinosad reduced larval populations below those of the trichlorfon-treated plots and the untreated check. The lower rate of spinosad applied three times to the larvae was the most effective treatment. Spinosad appears to be more effective than currently registered products in reducing flea beetle populations on blueberry.

 

1Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Senator Hervé J. Michaud Research Farm, P.O. Box 2069, Bouctouche NB E4S 4J1
2Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Pest Management Centre, Building 57, Central Experimental Farm, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa ON K1A 0C6

Poster presented at Organic Research Symposium, Guelph, Ontario, January 26, 2007 (PDF, 1.93MB)

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Posted February 2007