Several new insecticides should be commercially available for this year’s cropping season.  This seems like a good time to review these products and how they might best be used.  As always, market prices will affect how much these products will be used compared with competitive treatments.

Athena, FMC – This is a premix of abamectin, a miticide, and bifenthrin, a synthetic pyrethroid, that is labeled for use in cotton.  The labeled rates ranges from 7 – 17 oz per acre.  A 10 – 12 oz rate would be a good starting point.  Athena would be a good choice for control of spider mites, and in Tennessee, you would expect respectable control of plant bugs.   The bifenthrin component will also add control of bollworms.  My suggested use would be mid to late season (after first flower) for the above complex of pests.  Reserving the use of pyrethroid insecticides, such as bifenthrin, until this time is generally suggested to help manage resistance in populations of tarnished plant bug and bollworm.

Belay 2.13, Valent – Belay contains the active ingredient of clothianidin which is the same a.i. present in the Poncho seed treatment used in corn.  Belay has a label on both cotton and soybean as a foliar application.  Belay is a neonicotinoid insecticide and is in the same class of chemistry as Centric and imidacloprid (often referred to as Trimax although this trade name is no longer used).  Its best fit in Tennessee will be for cotton.  The primary target pests in cotton will be plant bugs and aphids, and it should be a competitive treatment for early season use targeting these pests.  The new supplemental label allows a used rate of 3-6 oz per acre, with 4 oz being the x-rate.

Note that UT does not normally recommend the use of neonicotinoid insecticides, including Belay, or premixes containing this class of chemistry once cotton begins blooming.  This is part of a resistance management plan.  Neonicotinoids are already extensively used as seed treatments for thrips control and foliarly for early season control of tarnished plant bugs and aphids.

Belt SC 4SC, Bayer CropScience – This insecticide is labeled on cotton, corn and soybean and has good activity on a broad range of caterpillar pests.  2 – 3 oz per acre is the labeled use rate in all these crops.   Tennessee had a 2ee label for Belt that allowed its use for loopers in soybean at a rate as low as 1 oz last season, but unless renewed, this label is not currently in effect.  This 1 oz rate appeared to work well during late season, but with limited experience, I would be very cautious using this lower rate on very heavy or early occurring infestations of loopers.  You would expect excellent control of corn earworms, tobacco budworm, corn borers, various armyworms and most caterpillar pests at the 2 – 3 oz rates.  With the relatively high cost and the extensive use of Bt technologies, I would not expect much use on cotton in Tennessee.  This product appears to have good residual and rainfastness.

Bidrin XP II, Amvac – This is not a new product but it will now be delivered as a premix rather than a co-pack.  The active ingredients are dicrotophos at 4 lb/gal (the same active as in Bidrin) and bifenthrin at 1 lb/gal.  It is labeled only for cotton.  This product will provide broad spectrum control of pests including bollworm, plant bug and stink bugs.  It is an excellent choice for these pests after first bloom during our typical crunch time that typically occurs from July 15th and August 10th.   The labeled rate is from 8.0 – 12.8 oz/acre, and I would expect 10.5 oz to be a solid rate in Tennessee.

Neither Bidrin XP, Bidrin of bifenthrin would be recommended prior to first bloom, again as part of a resistance management plan.  Regardless, the label prohibits the use of any product containing dicrotophos from first square to first bloom.

Coragen 1.67 SC, DuPont – Coragen (a.i., rynaxypyr or chlorantraniliprole) is probably the most active insecticide I’ve tested against caterpillar pests in cotton.  Like Belt, it provides little control of non-lep pests.  Coragen provides exceptional residual control, and it is also labeled in corn.  Unfortunately, it is priced for the vegetable and fruits markets.  This prices it out of the market for use in most field crops.  The label in cotton allows a use rate ranging from of 3.5 – 7 oz per acre.  A 6 oz or higher rate has proven to provide excellent control in non-Bt cotton, in some cases providing enough residual control to prevent follow-up treatment for bollworms and/or tobacco budworm.  Like all treatments targeting bollworms or tobacco budworms, the application still must target hatching and small larvae to achieve the best control.

Fyfanon Plus ULV, Cheminova – A premix of malathion and gamma-cyhalothrin (a pyrethroid), this product should be applied ULV at a use rate ranging from 8-16 oz.  Fyfanon Plus ULV is labeled only for cotton.  The x-rate is probably in the 12 oz range.  I’ve not tested this product, but several of my colleagues have given it a thumbs up for plant bug control.  I would also expect excellent stink bug control.  The cyhalothrin component will also provide control of bollworms.

I would not recommend the use of this product until later in the season.  First because it would be expected to flare spider mite and aphid populations, and second, the use of pyrethroid and OP insecticides (e.g., malathion) prior to bloom is discouraged to help maintain insect susceptibility of these insecticide classes for later season use during the most critical window for insect control.

Voliam Xpress, Syngenta – A premix of of the same active ingredient in Coragen (chlorantraniliprole) and gamma-cyhalothrin (a pyrethroid), this product should provide broad spectrum control of lepidopteran pests in both cotton and corn.  One gallon contains 0.835 lb and 0.417 lb of chlorantraniliprole and gamma-cyhalothrin, respectively. The pyrethroid component will also control stink bugs, especially green stink bugs.  The typical rate range is 6.5-12.5 oz per acre in cotton and 6-9 oz per acre in corn.

As mentioned above, the use of a pyrethroid insecticide (e.g., cyhalothrin) prior to bloom is discouraged to help maintain insect susceptibility of these insecticide classes for later season use during the most critical window for insect control.