Efficacy of different insecticides in controlling pollen beetle (Meligetes aeneus F.) in rapeseed crop

Abstract

Since pollen beetle, M. aeneus, is usually controlled by insecticides, the efficacy of several compounds with different modes of action against adult beetles was studied in a threeyear field study. The selected insecticides were: three pyrethroids (lambda-cyhalothrin, alpha-cypermethrin and bifenthrin), an oganophosphate (pirimiphos-methyl), a combination of an organophosphate and a pyrethroid (chlorpyrifos + cypermethrin) and a neonicotinoid (thiacloprid). The insecticides were applied at label rates to winter rapeseed crops at the moment of visible but still closed flower buds (BBCH 55-57). In all experiments, the efficacy of pyrethroids and the organophosphate ranged from 90-100%, while the efficacy of the neonicotinoid was 85-95%. Therefore, they can be recommended for control of pollen beetle in Serbia.