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Student 10-Minute Presentation

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Student

Student Competition

Grad 10-min Competition: P-IE, IPM - General

Enhancing insect pest management in soybean and cotton using sprayer drones

Monday, November 11, 2024
11:06 AM – 11:18 AM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 131 A, PCC
Oral Presentation Student Competition
Redbanded stinkbugs and tarnished plant bugs are important insect pests of soybean and cotton in Louisiana, respectively. Sprayer drones can be potentially incorporated as one of the tools to control these pests; however, the efficacy of the use of sprayer drones has not been evaluated on pest management on agronomic crops in Louisiana. Two field experiments were conducted in 2023 at LSU AgCenter Dean Lee Research Station to compare the efficacy of a custom-made sprayer drone with a conventional tractor sprayer in soybean and cotton. Field plots for both crops were arranged following a randomized block design. Redbanded stink bugs in soybean were monitored using sweep nets whereas tarnished plant bugs in cotton were monitored using beat sheets. At the threshold, soybean plots were sprayed with a mix of bifenthrin and acephate, and cotton plots with sulfoxaflor using a conventional sprayer and a sprayer drone. Results showed that both methods of spraying provided a similar level of control to redbanded stinkbugs, but no effects were found against tarnished plant bugs primarily due to low insect pressure. More research will be conducted in 2024 to evaluate the optimum sprayer drone height above the canopy, nozzle type, insecticide type, and volume of insecticide solution for both crops. Furthermore, the role of sprayer drones in trap-cropped soybeans will be conducted.