Cotton Flea Beetle, Podagrica puncticollis Weise (Coleoptera: Halticidae) in Metema District, Northern Ethiopia: Yield Loss Assessment and Management

Abstract

Flea beetles are the most destructive insect pests of cotton in Northwestern part of Ethiopia. Damage is the most severe when seedlings are attacked and may necessitate extensive re-sowing. A field experiment was carried out in Metema districtfrom June to December in 2007 cropping season to estimate yield losses due to cotton flea beetle and to determine the efficacy of seed dressing and foliar insecticides against Podagrica puncticollis. The treatments were arranged by using RCBD with three replications. Seeds were treated with seed dressing insecticides (Cruiser 350 FS and Apron Star 42 WS) 5 days before sowing and foliar insecticide treatments (Sevin 85% WP and Endosulfan 35% EC) were applied 5 and 10 days after seedling emergence. No significant differences were observed among treatments in the number of flea beetles per plant before spraying with foliar insecticides.