IR-4 Minor Crop Pest Management: Evaluation of Insecticides for Japanese Beetle Management

2022 IR-4 and JL Larson Japanese beetle foliar treatment evaluation The objective of this project is to determine efficacy of new/previously released insecticidal products against foliar feeding Japanese beetles. Specifically, the Kentucky protocol focused on the protection of trees vulnerable to Japanese beetles, using linden trees as the model organism. Seven different insecticidal products are included in the trial protocol. One insecticide will be applied at two different rates. With the inclusion of the untreated control, nine total treatments will be evaluated. All treatments are foliar applications. Applications will be made during the start of Japanese beetle flight and the onset of damage to the test plants. A cooperating research facility will be providing a block of untreated, in ground lindens for use. Applications will be made in backpack liquid applicators using two gallons of water per treatment. We will evaluate mortality (counts of live/dead adult beetles) or abundance and feeding damage (% herbivory on certain number of leaves of a similar age or % defoliation; note age of foliage). These evaluations will occur prior to application and then again at 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after application. In addition to the efficacy of these products, potential negative side effects will also be evaluated by recording phytotoxicity at each rating date on a scale of 0 to 10 (0 = no phytotoxicity; 10 = complete kill). If phytotoxicity if observed, then we will take pictures comparing treated and untreated plant material to forward to the IR-4 group.