In-Furrow Insecticides In Corn And Soybean?
JACKSON, TENN.
There have been enough
questions and marketing
about the use of in-furrow
insecticides, and specifically
Capture LFR, in corn
and soybean to justify some
comments (granted a little late
for comments about corn).
Capture LFR contains bifenthrin which is the
same active ingredient as found in Brigade,
Fanfare, Sniper or Tundra. However, it contains
1.5 Lb of active ingredient per gallon of product
(not 2 Lb/gallon as found in Brigade and the
other bifenthrin products). Keep in mind that
bifenthrin has no systemic activity in the plant.
Capture LFR is specifically formulated to mix
with starter fertilizers (“LFR” stands for liquid
fertilizer ready). This does not necessarily mean
that other bifenthrin products will not mix with
starter fertilizers.
Most of the questions have revolved around
corn, and for those using a “pop-up” fertilizer,
this is a easy option to overcome some weaknesses
of insecticide seed treatments in corn.
Done right, this treatment can provide protection
against cutworms. Data from my counterparts
at Mississippi State University (Angus
Catchot) and NCSU (Dominic Reisig) also show
this treatment provides some protection against
sugarcane beetles, and you might expect the
same against some other corn pests such as
billbugs and white grubs. I would strongly consider
using an in-furrow bifenthrin treatment in
high risk scenarios such as where new ground
is going into production or where sugarcane
beetles have been a chronic problem.
What does “done right” mean? Most entomologist
agree that you should band this application
across the open seed furrow so that some
product is being deposited on the shoulders of
the seed trench. A 2-inch band is typically suggested.
A strictly in-furrow application may not
provide protection against cutworm or other
surface feeding pests.
How much product would I use? The standard
use rate of Capture LFR is 3.4 – 4 Oz of product
per acre (0.2 - 0.24 Oz/1000 row feet). This is
also the same range that would be used in soybean.
You can also use equivalent rates of other
bifenthrin products such as Brigade 2E (0.15 –
0.18 Oz/1,000 row feet). If not mixing with a
starter, it would be cheaper and just as effective
to use the 2 lb formulations of bifenthrin. If
using a starter fertilizer and not using Capture
LFR, be sure to check the compatibility of your
mix before filling up the tank.
What are the alternatives in corn? First let me
mention that several other pyrethroid insecticides,
other than bifenthrin, are labeled for infurrow
use in corn. However, bifenthrin is
somewhat unique among the pyrethroids in
having a relatively long soil residual. I would
stick with bifenthrin for in-furrow sprays. Another
alternative is increasing the rate of insecticide
seed treatments to Poncho 500, Poncho
1250, or Cruiser 500. This would shore up some
weaknesses of 250 use rates, but it would not
be adequate for cutworms. And higher rates of
seed treatments are not a miracle cure for sugarcane
beetles. Another option is to use granular
in-furrow insecticides.
What about in soybean? Using an in-furrow
spray in narrow row beans isn’t a viable option,
which eliminates the vast majority of soybean
acres in Tennessee. Despite the marketing
push, I am aware of very little independent data
showing value to an in-furrow bifenthrin application
in soybean. This doesn’t mean there isn’t
any. However, soil insect pests and cutworms
are a less consistent problem in soybean than in
corn, partly because beans can tolerate and
compensate for stand loss better than corn.
Seed treatments such as Cruiser, Gaucho and
NipsIt provide good control of most soil insects
and systemic benefits against above ground
pests. My gut instinct is that an in-furrow insecticide
spray in soybean would have little
value except in unusual circumstances, and insecticide
seed treatments are a better and easier
investment.
Note: Capture LFR is the only bifenthrin product
labeled for use in soybean. We will be collecting
data for corn and soybean this year, but
it will take some time to draw hard conclusions
on what value in-furrow sprays might bring to
the table. Δ
DR. SCOTT STEWART: IPM Extension Specialist,
University of Tennessee