Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

1971

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Entomology

Abstract

There are many species of cutworms. They vary greatly in population from year to year. The army cutworm, Euxoa auxiliaris (Grote), is very common from the Rockies east to the Great Plains and is occasionally a severe pest to wheat in these areas. Daniels (1964) found that normally, army cutworms feed largely on the upper portions of plants. Where large populations of this cutworm are present, plants are consumed to the ground. After consuming nearly all the vegetation in one areas, cutworms mill migrate by the thousands to adjacent fields. The army cutworm has 1 generation a year, wintering as half-grown larvae. Larvae of the army cutworm rarely feed during warm, sunny days but burrow into the soil and remain quiescent (Strickland 1916). They become active and feed in the late afternoons, at night, and on cool, cloudy days. Day to day feeding is not rhythmic nor continuous but is dependent upon favorable soil and air temperatures. Endrin, endosulfan and dieldrin have been recommended for the control of the army cutworm, Euxoa auxiliaris (Grote), (Burkhardt 1954, Depew 1959, 1965, Pfadt 1955, 1960). Two methods of insecticide application have been used – broadcast spraying of soil and plant or seed treatment. This study was made to determine the extent of systems capability or 2 organic phosphate and 3 carbamate insecticides in the winter wheat plant, Triticum aestivum L. em Thell (variety Trapper), grown under greenhouse conditions, the systemic insecticidal effect on feeding fourth and fifth-instar larvae of the army cutworm, and the effect of insecticide soil treatments on the germination of wheat plants.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Insecticides

Wheat -- Diseases and pests

Armyworms

Cutworms

Euxoa auxiliaris

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

65

Publisher

South Dakota State University

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