The potential of silicate rock dust for controlling pollen beetles (Coleoptera, Meligethes spp.)
Daniel, Claudia; Dierauer, Hansueli and Clerc, Maurice (2013) The potential of silicate rock dust to control pollen beetles (Meligethes spp.). IOBC wprs Bulletin, 96, pp. 47–55.
Summary
In organic agriculture, the use of rock dusts for soil improvement, disease prevention or insect control has a long tradition. Clinoptilolite (a naturally occurring zeolite) was tested against the pollen beetle Meligethes spp. in organic and IPM oilseed rape fields in order to identify a control strategy compatible with the guidelines for organic and IPM agriculture in Switzerland. Dust and spray applications were evaluated in several large-scale field trials from 2008 to 2011. Dust applications using 300–750 kg/ha of pulverised clinoptilolite (particle size < 0.1 mm; product Klinofeed, available from Unipoint, Switzerland) were applied using a drop-box fertiliser spreader or a Vicon pendulum spreader. For spray applications, the same clinoptilolite (product name: Klinospray) with a particle size of 0.017 mm was applied at rates of 30–50 kg/ha with a wetting agent (Heliosol, 2 l/ha; 600 l water/ha) using a standard field crop sprayer. Two or three applications were carried out during the inflorescence stage (BBCH 51–57), depending on the rate of development of the oilseed rape plants.
Under the dry and sunny weather conditions in 2009 and 2010, the treatments significantly reduced the number of pollen beetles by 50 to 80 per cent up to seven days after treatment (BBCH 51–54). Under the rainy weather conditions in 2008, no reduction in pollen beetle numbers was observed. However, pollen beetles in the treated plots showed lower activity compared with those in the untreated control plots. In all experimental years, flowering was visibly more intense in the treated plots than in the control plots. Pod set on the main raceme was significantly higher in the treated plots. Yield was significantly increased by 23 per cent in the experiments conducted under IPM conditions in 2010. However, no increase in yield was observed in 2008 and 2009 under organic farming conditions.
Source: Organic Eprints
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