Impact of neonicotinoid seed treatment of cotton on the cotton leafhopper, Amrasca devastans(Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), and its natural enemies

BACKGROUND Neonicotinoid seed treatments suppress populations of pest insects efficiently and can enhance crop growth, but they may have negative effects on beneficial arthropods. We evaluated the effects of either imidacloprid or thiamethoxam on the abundances of a sucking pest, the cotton leafhop...

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Main Authors: Saeed, Rabia, Razaq, Muhammad, Hardy, Ian C.W.
Format: Article
Published: Wiley 2016
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Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43914/
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author Saeed, Rabia
Razaq, Muhammad
Hardy, Ian C.W.
author_facet Saeed, Rabia
Razaq, Muhammad
Hardy, Ian C.W.
author_sort Saeed, Rabia
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description BACKGROUND Neonicotinoid seed treatments suppress populations of pest insects efficiently and can enhance crop growth, but they may have negative effects on beneficial arthropods. We evaluated the effects of either imidacloprid or thiamethoxam on the abundances of a sucking pest, the cotton leafhopper (Amrasca devastans), and its arthropod predators under field conditions. We also evaluated the impact of seed treatment on transgenic cotton plant growth, with pests and natural enemies present or absent. RESULTS Imidacloprid and thiamethoxam reduced pest abundance, with greater effects when dosages were higher. Treatment at recommended doses delayed the pest in reaching the economic damage threshold by around 10–15 days (thiamethoxam) and 20 days (imidacloprid). Recommended doses also enhanced plant growth under all tested conditions; growth is affected directly as well as via pest suppression. Neonicotinoid applications reduced abundance of beneficial arthropods, with lower populations after higher doses, but negative effects of imidacloprid were not apparent unless the manufacturer-recommended dose was exceeded. CONCLUSION Imidacloprid applied at the recommended dose of 5 g kg−1 seed is effective against A. devastans and appears to be safer than thiamethoxam for natural enemies, and also enhances plant growth directly. We caution, however, that possible sublethal negative effects on individual beneficial arthropods were not evaluated.
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spelling nottingham-439142020-05-04T17:54:38Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43914/ Impact of neonicotinoid seed treatment of cotton on the cotton leafhopper, Amrasca devastans(Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), and its natural enemies Saeed, Rabia Razaq, Muhammad Hardy, Ian C.W. BACKGROUND Neonicotinoid seed treatments suppress populations of pest insects efficiently and can enhance crop growth, but they may have negative effects on beneficial arthropods. We evaluated the effects of either imidacloprid or thiamethoxam on the abundances of a sucking pest, the cotton leafhopper (Amrasca devastans), and its arthropod predators under field conditions. We also evaluated the impact of seed treatment on transgenic cotton plant growth, with pests and natural enemies present or absent. RESULTS Imidacloprid and thiamethoxam reduced pest abundance, with greater effects when dosages were higher. Treatment at recommended doses delayed the pest in reaching the economic damage threshold by around 10–15 days (thiamethoxam) and 20 days (imidacloprid). Recommended doses also enhanced plant growth under all tested conditions; growth is affected directly as well as via pest suppression. Neonicotinoid applications reduced abundance of beneficial arthropods, with lower populations after higher doses, but negative effects of imidacloprid were not apparent unless the manufacturer-recommended dose was exceeded. CONCLUSION Imidacloprid applied at the recommended dose of 5 g kg−1 seed is effective against A. devastans and appears to be safer than thiamethoxam for natural enemies, and also enhances plant growth directly. We caution, however, that possible sublethal negative effects on individual beneficial arthropods were not evaluated. Wiley 2016-06-30 Article PeerReviewed Saeed, Rabia, Razaq, Muhammad and Hardy, Ian C.W. (2016) Impact of neonicotinoid seed treatment of cotton on the cotton leafhopper, Amrasca devastans(Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), and its natural enemies. Pest Management Science, 72 (6). pp. 1260-1267. ISSN 1526-4998 imidacloprid; thiamethoxam; neonicotinoid seed treatment; cotton leafhopper; Chrysoperla carnea; Geocoris; coccinellids; plant growth parameters http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ps.4146/abstract;jsessionid=B5A7BFFEBC3068D74D31A28CC8C0AC66.f03t03 doi:10.1002/ps.4146 doi:10.1002/ps.4146
spellingShingle imidacloprid; thiamethoxam; neonicotinoid seed treatment; cotton leafhopper; Chrysoperla carnea; Geocoris; coccinellids; plant growth parameters
Saeed, Rabia
Razaq, Muhammad
Hardy, Ian C.W.
Impact of neonicotinoid seed treatment of cotton on the cotton leafhopper, Amrasca devastans(Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), and its natural enemies
title Impact of neonicotinoid seed treatment of cotton on the cotton leafhopper, Amrasca devastans(Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), and its natural enemies
title_full Impact of neonicotinoid seed treatment of cotton on the cotton leafhopper, Amrasca devastans(Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), and its natural enemies
title_fullStr Impact of neonicotinoid seed treatment of cotton on the cotton leafhopper, Amrasca devastans(Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), and its natural enemies
title_full_unstemmed Impact of neonicotinoid seed treatment of cotton on the cotton leafhopper, Amrasca devastans(Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), and its natural enemies
title_short Impact of neonicotinoid seed treatment of cotton on the cotton leafhopper, Amrasca devastans(Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), and its natural enemies
title_sort impact of neonicotinoid seed treatment of cotton on the cotton leafhopper, amrasca devastans(hemiptera: cicadellidae), and its natural enemies
topic imidacloprid; thiamethoxam; neonicotinoid seed treatment; cotton leafhopper; Chrysoperla carnea; Geocoris; coccinellids; plant growth parameters
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43914/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43914/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43914/