Aphis spiraecola Patch is one of the most economically important tree fruit pests worldwide. The pyrethroid insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin is commonly used to control A. spiraecola. In this 2-year study, we quantified the resistance level of A. spiraecola to lambda-cyhalothrin in different regions of the Shaanxi province, China. The results showed that A. spiraecola had reached extremely high resistance levels with a 174-fold resistance ratio (RR) found in the Xunyi region. In addition, we compared the enzymatic activity and expression level of P450 genes among eight A. spiraecola populations. The P450 activity of A. spiraecola was significantly increased in five regions (Xunyi, Liquan, Fengxiang, Luochuan, and Xinping) compared to susceptible strain (SS). The expression levels of CYP6CY7, CYP6CY14, CYP6CY22, P4504C1-like, P4506a13, CYP4CZ1, CYP380C47, and CYP4CJ2 genes were significantly increased under lambda-cyhalothrin treatment and in the resistant field populations. A L1014F mutation in the sodium channel gene was found and the mutation rate was positively correlated with the LC50 of lambda-cyhalothrin. In conclusion, the levels of lambda-cyhalothrin resistance of A. spiraecola field populations were associated with P450s and L1014F mutations. Our combined findings provide evidence on the resistance mechanism of A. spiraecola to lambda-cyhalothrin and give a theoretical basis for rational and effective control of this pest species.

Field trials were conducted in 2005 and 2006 to evaluate application of glyphosate alone or plus the plant growth regulator mepiquat chloride with 20 different insecticides to second-generation glyphosate-resistant cotton at the pinhead square or first bloom growth stages. At 7 DAT, averaged across cotton growth stages and herbicide treatments, combination with insecticides profenofos and methomyl resulted in 5 and 9% plant injury, respectively, and were the only insecticide combinations that resulted in injury greater than glyphosate or glyphosate plus mepiquat chloride applied alone. By 14 DAT, cotton injury was less than 2% for all treatments. Averaged across cotton growth stages and insecticides, addition of mepiquat chloride to glyphosate resulted in a 4 and 6 cm height reduction at 7 and 28 DAT, respectively. Seed cotton yield and percent first harvest were similar for all treatments, indicating that cotton injury and height reductions observed after application did not result in yield reductions or maturity delays. Glyphosate combined with insecticides and mepiquat chloride, in accordance with herbicide labeling for second-generation glyphosate-resistant cotton, offers producers the ability to integrate pest and crop management strategies and reduce application costs with minimal effect on the crop.

With the forthcoming release of the 2,4-D- and dicamba-resistance traits stacked with either glyphosate or glufosinate resistance, the use of 2,4-D or dicamba alone or in tank mix with glyphosate or glufosinate likely will increase the control of glyphosate-resistant weeds in soybean. There also is an increasing trend among soybean growers to apply POST herbicides in combination with fungicides, insecticides, and fertilizers to reduce trips over the field. Greenhouse experiments were conducted during 2011 and 2012 to evaluate glyphosate or glufosinate applications with growth regulator herbicides and other agrochemicals for the control of glyphosate-resistant horseweed and glyphosate-resistant common lambsquarters. In most cases, glyphosate or glufosinate application with 2,4-D or dicamba provided 80% or more control of glyphosate-resistant horseweed and glyphosate-resistant common lambsquarters. These studies demonstrate that performance of glufosinate alone and with agrochemicals was poor on glyphosate-resistant common lambsquarters. However, no differences in glyphosate-resistant common lambsquarters biomass were noted among treatments including glufosinate alone, glufosinate plus growth regulator herbicides, and glufosinate plus growth regulator herbicides plus agrochemicals. The agrochemicals lambda-cyhalothrin, manganese, and pyraclostrobin did not affect weed control by glyphosate or glufosinate combinations with growth regulator herbicides. Visible soybean injury was noted at 1 wk after treatment (WAT) only when glufosinate was applied with lambda-cyhalothrin or pyraclostrobin but no differences in visible injury were seen with these combinations at 3 WAT.

Experiments were conducted in North Carolina during 2002 and 2003 to evaluate entireleaf morningglory control by 2,4-DB applied alone or with seven fungicides. In a separate group of experiments, tall morningglory control by 2,4-DB was evaluated when applied in four-way mixtures with the following: the fungicides azoxystrobin, chlorothalonil, pyraclostrobin, or tebuconazole; the insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin; and the foliar fertilizer disodium octaborate or the plant growth regulator (PGR) prohexadione calcium plus urea ammonium nitrate. Pyraclostrobin, but not azoxystrobin, boscalid, chlorothalonil, fluazinam, propiconazole plus trifloxystrobin, or tebuconazole, reduced entireleaf morningglory control by 2,4-DB. Mixtures of fungicides, insecticides, and foliar fertilizer/ PGR did not affect tall morningglory control by 2,4-DB. Placing artificial morningglory in the peanut canopy when fungicides were applied did not intercept enough fungicide to increase peanut defoliation by early leaf spot and web blotch or reduce pod yield compared with fungicide applied without artificial morningglory.

Coapplication of herbicides and insecticides affords growers an opportunity to control multiple pests with one application given that efficacy is not compromised. Trifloxysulfuron was applied at 5.3 g ai/ha both alone and in combination with the insecticides acephate (370 g ai/ha), oxamyl (370 g ai/ha), lambda-cyhalothrin (34 g ai/ha), acetamiprid (45 g ai/ha), thiamethoxam (45 g ai/ha), endosulfan (379 g ai/ha), indoxacarb (123 g ai/ha), emamectin benzoate (11 g ai/ha), methoxyfenozide (67 g ai/ha), spinosad (75 g ai/ha), and pyridalyl (112 g ai/ha) to determine the effects of coapplication on control of some of the more common and/or troublesome broadleaf weeds infesting cotton. In addition, the insecticides acephate, oxamyl, lambda-cyhalothrin, thiamethoxam, and endosulfan, at the rates listed above, were applied either alone or in combination with trifloxysulfuron at 7.9 g/ha to assess the effects of coapplication on thrips control. Control of hemp sesbania (insecticides oxamyl and lambda-cyhalothrin), sicklepod (insecticides methoxyfenozide and pyridalyl), redroot pigweed (insecticides thiamethoxam, methoxyfenozide, spinosad, and pyridalyl), and smooth pigweed, Palmer amaranth, and common lambsquarters (all insecticides) with trifloxysulfuron may be reduced when coapplied with the indicated insecticides for each species. Control of pitted, tall, ivyleaf, and entireleaf morningglory with trifloxysulfuron was not affected by the insecticides evaluated. Coapplication of trifloxysulfuron with the insecticides evaluated also resulted in no negative effects on thrips control.

A study was conducted in 2004 to determine the effect of coapplication of the insecticides acephate, acetamiprid, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, dicrotophos, dimethoate, emanectin benzoate, imidacloprid, indoxacarb, lambda-cyhalothrin, methoxyfenozide, spinosad, thiamethoxam, and zeta-cypermethrin; the plant growth-regulator mepiquat pentaborate; a foliar sodium calcium borate micronutrient solution; and a foliar nitrogen fertilizer solution with glyphosate on the efficacy of weeds that commonly infest cotton. Barnyardgrass, hemp sesbania, johnsongrass, pitted morningglory, and sicklepod were grown in outdoor containers and treated with glyphosate at 1,120 g ai/ha alone or in coapplication at the three-to four- or seven-to eight-leaf growth stage. Glyphosate efficacy, based on visual control ratings at 7, 14, and 28 d after treatment (DAT) and fresh weight reduction of weed biomass at 28 DAT, was unaffected by chemical coapplication or application timing. Averaged across application timing and visual rating interval, glyphosate alone controlled barnyardgrass 97%, hemp sesbania 68%, johnsongrass 98%, pitted morningglory 68%, and sicklepod 89%. These results indicate that glyphosate coapplications evaluated offer producers the ability to combine pest and crop management strategies and reduce application costs without sacrificing control of weeds evaluated.

The efficacy of different aqueous dilutions of crude seed extract of Millettia ferruginea (Hochst.) Baker (1, 3, 5 and 10%) was evaluated under field conditions in terms of the level of damage and yield loss of maize caused by the maize stemborer Busseola fusca (Fuller) in Hawassa, southern Ethiopia. The insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin 5EC, applied at a rate of 16 g active ingredient/hectare, was used as the reference product. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The maize variety A511 was planted in individual plots of 60 m2. Data on stand count, leaf infestation, bored stem and dead heart were collected weekly. Plots sprayed with the 5% concentration of Millettia showed low levels of damage (9–11% leaf infestation, 0.4% dead heart, 14–17% bored stem and < 0.2% bored ear), compared with plots sprayed with lambda-cyhalothrin. The treatments with 1 and 3% concentrations of Millettia were inferior to those with lambda-cyhalothrin and 5 and 10% concentrations of Millettia. In contrast, the treatment with the 10% concentration of Millettia led to the death of plants, thereby lowering the yield. About 80% of the total length of individual maize stalks from the untreated plots was internally tunnelled by the feeding larvae, while the internal stem tunnelling was low ( < 7%) in plants treated with Millettia at concentrations of 3, 5 and 10%. Among the treatments with Millettia, higher yields (37–48 decitonnes/hectare) were obtained from maize plots treated with 5% concentration. The use of the aqueous crude seed extract of M. ferruginea at a concentration of 5% applied two to three times is recommended for the control of B. fusca in maize.

The ladybird beetle, Eriopis connexa (Germar) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), is one of the commonest predators of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in the cotton agroecosystem and in many other row and fruit crops in Brazil, and has been introduced into other countries such as the USA for purposes of aphid control. In addition, the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is the most serious cotton pest where it occurs, including Brazil. Controlling boll weevils and other pests such as cotton defoliators still tends to involve the intense application of insecticides to secure cotton production. The pyrethroid insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin (LCT) is commonly used, but this compound is not effective against aphids; hence, a desirable strategy would be to maintain E. connexa populations in cotton fields where LCT is applied. Using populations of E. connexa resistant (Res) and susceptible (Sus) to LCT, we compared behavioural responses on treated cotton plants and under confinement on partially and fully treated surfaces, and assessed the insects' survival on treated plants compared with that of the boll weevil. The E. connexa resistant population caged on treated plants with 15 and 75 g a.i. ha−1 exhibited ≫82% survival for both insecticide concentrations compared with ≪3% and ≪17% survival for susceptible E. connexa populations and boll weevils, respectively. The response of E. connexa Res and Sus populations when released, either on the soil or on the plant canopy, indicated avoidance towards treated plants, as measured by elapsed time to assess the plant. When compared with susceptible individuals, resistant ones took longer time to suffer insecticide knockdown, had a higher recovery rate after suffering knockdown, and spent more time in the plant canopy. Based on behavioural parameters evaluated in treated arenas, no ladybird beetles exhibited repellency. However, irritability was evident, with the susceptible population exhibiting greater irritability compared with the resistant population and a subgroup comprising resistant individuals that had recovered from knockdown. The outcomes for the E. connexa Res population indicate a promising strategy for its maintenance when using the insecticide LCT in integrated pest management schemes to control boll weevil or other non-target pest of ladybird beetles in cotton fields.