Efficacy of different insecticides for the control of green peach aphid (myzus persicae sulzer) in nectarine orchards

Abstract

Three-year field trials were conducted to examine the efficacy of insecticides of different modes of action in the control of green peach aphid (Myzus persicae Sulzer) on nectarines, at the localities of Smederevo and Topola in Serbia. Insecticides from the group of neonicotinoids exhibited high efficacy in the control of M. persicae. The efficacy of imidacloprid ranged between 92.09% and 99.86%, while the efficacy of thiamethoxam was between 53.95% and 94.15%. During the entire trial period, organophosphate insecticides exhibited very low efficacy in the control of green peach aphid. The efficacy of dimethoate was poor in each evaluation term, ranging between -0.41% and 20.60%, while the efficacy of chlorpyrifos was between -17.24% and 30.96%. Deltamethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin, from the group of pyrethroids, also exhibited poor efficacy, which ranged from -41.94 to 60.68% and from -39.68 to 35.38%, respectively. Pymetrozine had poor initial efficacy (54.13%), although it was very good at later evaluations (98.48% and 99.14%). Similarly, the initial efficacy of flonicamid was poor (66.01 - 69.38%), while it was high at later evaluations (95.96 - 99.88%). Sulfoxaflor, a novel compound from the group of sulfoximines, exhibited high efficacy in the control of the green peach aphid in all evaluation terms (90.17 - 99.95%). According to the results of this research, flonicamid, pymetrozine, sulfoxaflor and neonicotinoids can provide effective protection of nectarine trees against M. persicae while the use of organophosphates and pyrethroids is not justified due to their very poor efficacy.