Chemical Control Studies of the Wheat Curl Mite1

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Abstract
Little work has been reported on the control of eriophyid mites with synthetic organic acaricides, and virtually none on the wheat curl mite, Aceria tulipae (Keif.). Rolling of the leaves caused by this species and the tendency for some mites to occur deep in the leaf sheaths between two surfaces protects them from sprays and suggested the translocation of systemic insecticides as the most promising means of control. Spraying with 30 different insecticides in greenhouse and field in the spring resulted in none that gave both high initial and long residual control. Eighty to 90% control was obtained at 2 to 3 days in the field with several insecticides but none exceeded 90% control. Best control at 5 weeks following spraying of young wheat in the fall was obtained with endrin in light mineral seal oil. After determining the maximum concentration of each systemic toxicant that was not highly detrimental to germination, three concentrations of each toxicant were tested. Retardation and/or reduction in germination resulted from the use of all seed treatments, although not above the 5% confidence limit in most cases when the toxicant did not exceed 0.125 pound per bushel. Impregnation of the toxicant in 4 pounds of Carhowax-6000 per bushel of seed, gave better control than soil drenches. Am. Cyanamid 12009 (95% control) and 12008 (85% control) at an average from 0.125 to 0.5 pound of toxicant in 4 pounds of Carbowax per bushel of seed, gave the best overall results at the end of 1 week. When these toxicants were impregnated in attac1ay at 1.0 pound toxicant per bushel, 89 and 74% control, respectively, was obtained at 1 week and 98 and 97%, respectively, at the end of 5 weeks. In field studies on plantings of fall-treated seed, best results, using Am. Cyanamid 12008 (89% control) and 12009 (72% control), were recorded at 5 weeks when the toxicant was used without being impregnated in granules. Mites were present in all cases when counts were made 10 weeks following planting as well as during the following spring. In no instance was control of wheat-streak mosaic obtained from seed treatments in 1954 when viruliferous mites were constantly introduced in large numbers onto the young wheat plants.

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