Pest Management Determinant Factors in Chrysanthemum Culture1
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POE & GREEN: PEST MANAGEMENT FOR CHRYSANTHEMUM 467 ard chrysanthemums—grower handling costs and practices. 9. Samuelson, P. A. 1952. "Spatial price equilibrium and Cornell University Ag. Exp. Sta. Bui. 147. 14 p. linear programming." Amer. Econ. Rev. 42:283-303. 7. Marketing California ornamental crops. 1972. USDA. 10. U.S. census of agriculture, vol. V. Special reports, Federal-State Mkt. News Service. 60 p. Part JO. Horticultural Specialties. 1969. Bureau of the Census. 8. McKenna, M. F. 1972. The distribution of cut-flowers U.S. Department of Commerce. and potted-plant sales in Ontario. Economics Branch. Ontario Department of Agriculture and Food. 37 p. PEST MANAGEMENT DETERMINANT FACTORS IN CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTURE1 S. L. Poe management system that utilizes a wide array of agricultural chemicals. Extensive use of chemicals, Department of Entomology and Nematology including soil fumigants, fertilizers, fungicides, in I FAS, University of Florida secticides, acaricides and in some cases herbicides Gainesville and growth regulators, is currently practiced. and Environmental problems created by misuse of J. L. Green agricultural chemicals as well as the limited avail ability and increased cost of chemicals necessitates I FAS, Agricultural Research & Education Center development of an alternative production system Bradenton minimizing the need for chemical applications. One alternative is development of a comprehensive pro Abstract Individual and combined effects were duction system integrating cultural factors known evaluated for two irrigation methods, two nitro to adversely affect pest populations and thereby gen fertilization programs, and four insect con decrease the need for extensive chemical pesticide trol programs relative to cut flower production applications to assure acceptable crop production. and insect and mite population dynamics for four In this study of field-grown chrysanthemums, Chrysanthemum morifolium cultivars. irrigation methods, fertilizer formulations, pest Lower insect populations were observed on control programs, and cultivars were integrated flowers harvested from plots where nitrogen was into 64 distinct production systems. The four main applied as half ammonium, half nitrate compared factors and the variables within each factor were with 100% nitrate nitrogen. Populations of aphids, selected not only because of known independent ef thrips, and mites were 30%, 24% and 14% lower, fects on plant growth and pest population dy respectively, on the unsprayed 50:50 ammonium- namics, but also with the objective of evaluating nitrate plots. minimum application of each resource to obtain Lower populations of aphids (45% lower) and maximum plant growth and pest control in an mites (34%), but greater populations of thrips integrated system. (11% greater) were observed in the overhead Populations of pests and plant growth are sprinkler irrigated compared to the micro-pore known to be dependent upon fertilizer formulation tube (Viaflo<R)—duPont)2 subirrigated unsprayed (6, 2), plant cultivar and associated physical char plots. acteristics (4, 5), and use of agricultural chemicals Cultivar was an important determinant of in not primarily applied for pest control (1, 3). sect population densities as pest preference of the various cultivars differed. Materials and Methods Commercial production of chrysanthemum The experiment was established on ground- {Chrysanthemum morifolium Earn.) in Florida field beds of Myakka fine sand under saran cloth has been dependent upon an intensive cultural (30% light reduction). A four tier hierarchal ex perimental design was used (Table 1). Tier A com lFlorida Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Series pared two methods of applying irrigation water No. 5745. 2Trade names and company names are included for the containing soluble fertilizer: a single Viaflo tube benefit of the reader and do not infer any endorsement or preferential treatment of the products listed by the authors. down bed center at a 2" depth under full-bed 468 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1974 Tab1e 1- Evaluation at harvest of main effects of independent determinant factors on flower stem weight, flower stem quality, pest damage and pest populations. Flower stem quali ty Fresh Wt. Unmarketable^ Pest damaged stemsx Pest populations Determi nant (grams) stems {% of total) (no./flw) Factor Variable {% of total) Mites-Thrips Larvae Aphids Hites Thrips 1rrigation Sprinkler 103 47 16 10 11 18 28 Viaglo 107 22 21 7 20 32 25 LSD.O5Z 28. 57 3. 16 6..79 3. 1? 9 ,12 5.67 4.75 Ferti1izer 503; NH^ 110 42 33 10 13 24 26 100% NO 100 27 24 7 18 26 27 LSD.05 22. 84 3. 16 6. 79 3. 1? 9. 12 5.67 4.74 Spray Check 96 60 59 18 46 65 40 Maximum 114 22 5 6 1 2 Minimum 107 22 17 5 11 27 24 Demand 102 27 33 5 2 4 LSD.05 5.18 4.46 3.81 2.74 12.9 8.02 6.6' Cultivar Imp. Riv. 64 46 40 10 4 25 17 Y. Nob Hill 115 34 14 6 50 21 18 Man. Ice. 133 16 13 8 2 23 17 Imp. Ind. W. 110 35 47 10 6 30 LSD.05 5.18 4.46 3.81 1.44 12.9 8.02 3.7< LSD.05 values identical for two main effects were determined from pooled error terms. Unmarketable = percent of total flower stems of poor quality due to pest damage or other injury. Stems damages = percent of flower stems damaged by mites, thrips, and/or by larvae. polyethylene laminated paper mulch was compared grown single stem, 3 plants per square foot. The with overhead sprinkler irrigation giving uniform overhead sprinkler irrigation-fertilization system coverage of the non-mulched bed. Two fertilization operated three times weekly while the Viaflo sys treatments, 30 lb nitrate nitrogen per acre per tem operated continuously. Equal quantities of week (as calcium and potassium nitrate) compared nitrogen were applied weekly through the two to 15 lb ammonium nitrogen (as ammonium sul- watering systems. Initially, equal quantities of fate) plus 15 lb nitrate nitrogen (as potassium water per week were applied to the planted bed nitrate), constituted tier B. Four insect control area from both the Viaflo system and overhead programs constituted tier C: 1) check (no applica sprinkler system. However, with time, the flow tion of insecticide), 2) maximum (recommended rate through the porous Viaflo tubing decreased rates applied weekly), 3) minimum (V2 based on resulting in 30% less water being applied during insect population monitoring). Four Chrysanthe the 90 day crop period through the Viaflo com mum morifolium cultivars constituted tier D: * Im pared to the overhead sprinkler system: 3.2 acre proved Rivalry/ '#4 Improved Indianapolis White/ inches per week were applied through the over 'Manatee Iceberg/ and 'Yellow Nob Hill.' Treat head sprinkler system, and an average of 2.24 ments were replicated twice, 18 plants per repli acre inches per week was applied through the Via cate. flo system. Prior to planting, 50 lb per acre triple super Insect populations were monitored during the phosphate containing 20 lb FTE 503 and 500 lb first three weeks after planting by weekly examina per acre dolomitic limestone were incorporated into tion of the plants. From week four to harvest, five the top 6 inches of soil. Ground beds were formed leaves were taken at random weekly from each (8 inch height x 36 inch width) then fumigated plot and the number of pests or their damage re with methyl bromide, 2 lb/100 ft2. corded. Rooted cuttings were planted February 14, There were four pest control programs: un 1974. A daily four-hour continuous light period treated control, maximum treatment, minimum from 10:00 pm until 2:00 am was maintained for treatment and demand treatment (Table 2). Spray a period of 5 weeks after planting. Plants were materials in the maximum and minimum control POE & GREEN: PEST MANAGEMENT FOR CHRYSANTHEMUM 469 Table 2. Plant pest control programs. Maximumz Minimum^ Demandx Growth Insec Insec Insec Week ticide Fungicide ticide Fungicide ticide Fungicide Terra Terra — 1 Terraclor 50W — clor — clor 2 Temik Dexon 50W Temik Dexon — — 3 Lannate Daconil 2787 Lannate Daconil — — 4 Phosvel Benalte Phosvel Benalte — — 5 Lannate Dithane M22 Lannate Dithane — — 6 Phosvel Daconil Phosvel Daconil Phosvel Daconil 7 Temik Benlate Temik Benlate Temik Benlate Lannate Lannate Lannate 8 Phosvel Dithane Phosvel Dithane Phosvel Dithane 9 Lannate Daconil Lannate Daconil Lannate Daconil 10 Phosvel Benlate Phosvel Benlate Phosvel Benlate 11 Lannate Dithane Lannate Dithane Lannate Dithane 12 Phosvel Daconil Phosvel Daconil Phosvel Daconil zMaximum rates: Terraclor 50W (22.5 lb/100 gallons, applied as drench), Dexon 50W (9.0 lb/100 gal, applied as drench), Temik (7.5 lbs/A), Lannate (4 oz/100 gal), Phosvel (5 oz/100 gal), Daconil 2787 (24 oz/100 gal), Benlate (10 oz/100 gal), Dithane M22 (32 ox/100 gal). ^Minimum rates: One half the maximum rates. Demand rates: Received maximum rates of the above pesticides weeks 6-12. water. Insects were allowed to settle in one corner programs were applied weekly to run-off with a of the bag; plant debris floated to the surface. A hand held boom at pressure of 55 psi. Plots treated corner was snipped from the bag with scissors and with the minimum program received the same ma the pests transferred into a beaker and counted. terials as the maximum program but at one half Results and Discussion the rates. Plots treated on demand received a max Regarding pest populations, pest damage, num imum rate of the pesticides applied when needed ber of unmarketable stems, and flower stem weight, based on insect counts; these plots were sprayed results of the analyses of variance made it quite weeks 6 through 12, and received Temik in week clear that highly complex relationships existed 7. In all Temik applications, the granules were among experimental factors, specifically a large overhead applied to wet foliage; when the foliage number of high order interactions were found to dried, the granules were rinsed off the foliage.